8 French Toast Sticks, Ranked Worst To Best

The history of French toast — eggy bread, Bombay toast, or whatever you may call it — is a bit of a doozy. Multiple stories and accounts exist out there that highlight how the dish came to be. But, what's almost certain is that it did not actually originate in France — oh là là! Some records show that the first-ever version dates back to ancient Rome. Another chronicle shares that this sweet breakfast fare got its name because of a grammatical error at the hands of a man named Joseph French.

French toast, no matter how it got its start, is a widely eaten breakfast food. It's undoubtedly popular because of its simple makeup and quick and easy preparation. But, when quick and easy isn't quite quick and easy enough, there are also frozen French toast sticks. I recently grabbed as many different frozen French toast products as I could find in order to see which renditions do the beloved recipe proud.

As I dipped and dunked my way through these frozen products, I looked for the sticks that held true to that chewy and unmistakable French toast texture and also offered a great flavor all around — not just something that had to be covered up by loads of distracting cinnamon and sugar. While a handful of options proved too dry, too oily, too bland, or even too dissimilar to traditional French toast overall, others won over my taste buds.

Kodiak has a monopoly on protein-packed breakfasts. What started out as pancake mix has turned into a major brand famous for its quick, easy, and nutrient-dense waffles, flapjacks, and oatmeal. Its success has brought on even more product types, and now you can find frozen French toast sticks stuffed into Kodiak's easily-recognizable brown boxes (presumably as a tribute to its humble roots).

The sticks come in two flavors – buttermilk and cinnamon – and yes, both boast a higher level of protein at 10 grams per serving (4 pieces). This is all well and good in theory — a morning meal with a protein boost sounds like a dream. However, the buttermilk sticks I sampled are, unfortunately, distasteful. They are rolled in a light dusting of sugar with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg. But, it's not nearly enough to cover the severely dry and bland whole wheat rods hiding underneath. Kodiak's product boils down to thick pieces of bread bearing no resemblance to battered French toast. And, I highly doubt that the cinnamon product would be much of an improvement. 

Customers have also complained on the brand's website that there is a problem with the number of servings in the box. The box is meant to hold four servings of four sticks each, coming out to 16 sticks total. But, reviewers report finding as few as nine in their containers. I counted 15 in my own box, which suggests that serving size could be a problem for this brand. 

Eggo hasn't diversified much as a brand. It holds tight to its waffle empire and has taken very small steps to include both pancakes and French toast sticks in its core lineup. Its sticks come in two standard flavors, and it came as no big shock to me that I preferred the cinnamon variety over the less flashy, sugar-coated originals. That's not to say that both aren't palatable, though; they both boast a subtle sweet flavor and a soft and squishy demeanor that's ideal for soaking up syrup. My issue with the product, and the reason I have them ranked so low, is that they're missing that distinctive French toast essence.

The product's square, pull-apart form should have been my first tip-off that it lacked authenticity. It's almost as if Eggo took the exact same ingredients it uses to whip up its pancakes and waffles and just formed it into a bread shape instead of a circle before stamping perforation lines into it to create sticks. Given the number of other waffle and pancake products it offers, this explanation makes a lot of sense. But to me, it just comes off as a lazy and sad attempt to recreate this beloved breakfast. So, in this case, I'm okay to l'eggo these Eggos. Despite their charm and the fact that they're the cheapest product I sampled, I would want to replace them with a more genuine French toast recipe.

All my previously-aired grievances about the original Eggo toaster sticks still apply when it comes to the brand's cinnamon-blasted sticks. The fabricated four-piece squares are still flat, pancake-like, and nowhere near the nostalgic slices of egg-washed and golden-edged French toast I grew up on. Though, I will say these spiced iterations are an improvement, as they're laced with dashes of cinnamon.

Appearance-wise, the cinnamon sticks only stands out next to the plain original sticks because of their slightly-darker hue. The difference between their taste is even harder to spot. By the time you dip them in maple syrup, the two Eggo offerings become indistinguishable from one another.

I do think kids would take a liking to these, as they would be enamored by the cushy texture and novelty of peeling each dippable wedge from the remainder of the stamped slab. The brand even files them with the rest of its for-kids options like mini pancakes and Mickey Mouse-stamped waffles. However, I think we adults crave and deserve something a little bit better.

Deep in the abyss of Walmart's freezers, you'll find Great Value versions of all your favorite quick and easy breakfast go-tos. From waffles and pancakes to breakfast sammies and burritos, the private label has it all, and cinnamon French toast sticks were not forgotten — they come in both original and bite-sized form as well. In keeping with the brand name, the sticks do come at a reasonable price per piece. However, the taste could use some work.

The shorter-than-average sticks develop a decent crisp around the edges after a trip in the oven. Inside though, things begin to deteriorate — both literally and figuratively. The nucleus of the bread takes on a strange, squishy texture, which I presume to be a result of either the battering process or the freezing process. On top of this consistency foul, the hunks are also insipid as all get-out. My taste buds picked up on scarce sugar granules rather than cinnamon on the fringes, which left the taste of bread to fend for itself. They tasted good drenched in Mrs. Butterworth's, but what doesn't? At the end of the day, I would still take Great Value over Eggo's pancakes-masquerading-as-eggy-bread, since it better satisfies that French toast craving. There are far superior brands out there, though.

Farm Rich is most well-known for its savory frozen snacks and appetizers – like mozzarella sticks, potato skins, cheese curds, and fried pickles — which just might explain why its sweet French toast sticks are just so-so. These pieces, which are made up of baked white bread crusted with a cinnamon sprinkle, immediately reminded me of the simple specialty known as cinnamon toast. You know, the bread you slather with butter before sprinkling it with sugar and cinnamon and broiling in the oven? It was a promising start, to say the least, but Farm Rich failed to deliver the same level of sweet satisfaction. As was the case with Great Value, these sticks fall to the drab side and exuded an oily consistency.

Another drawback of this option is its lack of availability. These sticks are more elusive than others; they're not found at major grocery chains like Kroger and Walmart, but you may be able to find them at Costco and more regional chains like Giant Eagle — which is where I located this box. I will also warn you, if you're going with Farm Rich, you'd better be hungry or feeding a football team. Because, more often than not, the French toast sticks are sold in mammoth-sized 48-ounce (or 3-pound) containers — which hold about 55 total pieces. That's a lot of dunking and dipping — better pick up another bottle of syrup while you're at it, just to be on the safe side.

French toast sticks can be found under the Market Pantry brand at Target; it's one of the store's private labels. Its sticks are sneakily similar to the product sold by Farm Rich. Both share a similar look and the same level of greasiness. However the Market Pantry option has a flavor more resemblant of a doughy, straight-from-the-fryer funnel cake, minus the powdered sugar or other sweet toppings. I suppose this could be a good or bad thing — depending on how you feel about the well-known fair dessert — but I took it as a positive.

In general, the cinnamon is also decidedly more prominent on these French toast sticks than any of the previous offerings. As I first opened the bag, I was hit with a wave of the spice, just like I was walking straight into the crisp autumn season. The aroma was also nearly identical to that of cinnamon sugar donuts — not a far leap, admittedly. Cinnamon specks adhered well to each stick's oddly bumpy surface and didn't diminish during the cooking process. In hindsight, I think that sending them through the air fryer, rather than an oven or toaster oven, could help a bit with the grease issue. But overall, it's not a bad attempt by Market Pantry.

If Market Pantry is a step up from Farm Rich, then Breakfast Best is another small, yet important, step up from there. Coming from the private Aldi line of frozen breakfast foods, these French toast sticks are the first I would label as "crave-worthy" — and I think it has everything to do with the game-changing double cinnamon. As the name would imply, the spice is mentioned twice in the ingredient list — once on its own and another time coupled up with sugar — and it shows. Rich cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg command every bite and, combined with the sugar, it creates a crisp, crème brûlée topping-like crust around the outside. This inevitably leads to a higher sugar content, but that's a price I'm willing to pay.

It's important to note though, that at the same time, this extra dose of cinnamon doesn't completely eclipse the structure of the stick. Each rod is made up of a solid foundation of white bread that has clearly been French toast-ified with an egg-based batter. So, these sticks would have been good even without the blanket of added flavorings. My only critique is that the sticks are a little bit gummy on the inside, rather than fluffy or even custardy like French toast sometimes is. Because of this, Breakfast Best didn't top the charts as the absolute best, but it did come pretty close.

When it comes to Kroger, I load up on the store's private labels more than I do big-name brands. I swear by the market's generic kettle-cooked chips, deluxe ice cream, even its chocolate milk, and now it seems I've found another clear-cut winner: its frozen French toast sticks. I could tell before I brought one to my mouth that they were going to be delectable. Even before I slid them into the toaster oven, I took note of their thick and plump size and generous glaze of both cinnamon and sugar. They later came out sizzling and smelling like a dream — a sign that I was in for a tasty treat.

Thanks to the reheating process, the Kroger pieces develop a crispy cinnamon shell on the outside that protects the featheriness underneath. Each stick is sweet, without being cloying, and stands out for its more obvious French toast demeanor. They still taste like real, slightly-chewy bread with no excess oil, strange sticky textures, or helplessly dry, off-putting taste. Do their features align more with desserts than breakfast? Absolutely. But, they're eat-them-by-themselves confections that blow most other renditions out of the water.

Now, I will say that still nothing compares to fresh-off-the-griddle French toast. But, Kroger has one of the best alternatives you'll find at the grocery store.

It's important to note right off the bat that none of these French toast sticks taste exactly the same as the dish you hand-batter and flip on the stove yourself. I came into the taste test with this assumption and was proven correct, so I judged accordingly. It's just that it's nearly impossible to replicate that eggy, custard-like flavor and consistency in a frozen product. Instead of looking for a product that could beat the homemade rendition, I focused on the French toast sticks that provided a satisfying taste and a solid bread texture. The latter was of the utmost importance and was surprisingly harder to find than one may think. Options ranged from dry to gummy, so that Goldilocks consistency of fluffy-yet-chewy proved difficult to come by.

Sweetness was another major factor. Since many choices were cinnamon-flavored, I looked for a product that was coated with just enough of the spice, and its accompanying sugar, to line the taste buds without becoming overly saccharine. Price and availability were also considered. But, at the end of the day, the sticks with the most toothsome taste triumphed, independent of other outside factors.