This Hawaiian Roll French Toast recipe is one of my favorite breakfast recipes. Kings Hawaiian rolls are submerged in a simple french toast batter, fried in salty butter and tossed in cinnamon sugar. I recommend serving with salted caramel or regular syrup.
Why You'll Love Them
Hawaiian Roll French Toast with Cinnamon Sugar is a delightful twist on the classic breakfast favorite, blending the sweet, pillowy softness of King's Hawaiian rolls with the rich and indulgent flavors of French toast.
Each King's Hawaiian bread sweet roll is soaked in classic french toast batter and fried to perfection in a large skillet with just the right amount of salty butter.
Unlike traditional french toast, each one of these french toast puffs has a generous coating of cinnamon sugar. This not only adds a spicy and sweet taste but it also makes them have a churro like coating which I love!
This amazing recipe is perfect for lazy weekend mornings when you want something totally satisfying and indulgent yet quick and easy. And even though I intended this recipe to be a breakfast dish, they also a great dessert to bring to a family function since each piece is the perfect size for a sweet snack.
In my opinion, the best way to serve this easy breakfast recipe is with a rich, salty caramel sauce or some classic maple syrup.
Ingredients & Substitutions
With just a few simple ingredients, you can easily make these french toast bites!
- Eggs - No real substitute for eggs in this recipe unless you use the vegan egg alternatives. I have never used these but I imagine they work the same.
- Half n Half - Whole milk works fine for a light and fluffy texture if you don't have half and half. You could also use heavy cream.
- Cinnamon - If you don't like cinnamon, you can leave it out or replace it with a spoonful of white sugar.
- Vanilla Extract - Same goes with vanilla extract. If you're not a fan, leave it out or swap it for another extract like almond, rum or even butter.
- Salted Butter - If you're using unsalted butter, just add a pinch of salt when you're melting the butter. You could also use cooking spray but regular butter helps get those crispy edges that make this the ultimate breakfast treat.
- Kings Hawaiian Original Sweet Rolls -In my opinion, King's Hawaiian sweet rolls make the best french toast. They have this delicious sweet flavor because they add a little bit of pineapple juice to the bread which makes them so delicious! If you needed another substitute, you could also try challah bread, brioche bread or french bread but nothing
- Cinnamon Sugar - this is optional but it adds so much flavor to the french toast. You can also add brown sugar if you want it to have more depth.
- Salted Caramel - You could substitute regular ole' syrup if you're not into salted caramel.
- Optional Additions - Fresh Fruit and powdered sugar are always a hit with this easy recipe. If you want more ideas of flavor pairings, check out the variations section above the recipe card.
How to make them
Making Hawaiian roll french toast does not require much work yet the results are always amazing! Here's everything you need to know on how to do it!
Make Egg Mixture: Begin by grabbing a medium or large bowl and add eggs, half n half, cinnamon and vanilla. Whisk together the egg custard until combined and smooth.
Prep Rolls: Now tear your sweet rolls into individual pieces and submerge them in the French toast batter for about 15-20 seconds each. This is the perfect middle ground because if you soak any longer, they will get too soggy. Also, just to note - If you're using a shallow mixing bowl or baking dish, just make sure that the entire surface area has been soaked with enough custard to avoid them being too dry. And make sure to gently shake off the excess drip to avoid any burnt pieces while cooking.
Melt Butter: While they're soaking, heat a large fry pan or large nonstick skillet over medium heat and melt a little butter (about 2 tbsp).
Cook French Toast: Add half of the soaked rolls to the frying pan and cook until golden brown on all 6 sides; it should about 2-3 minutes per side. Once they reach golden perfection and have crispy edges, remove them from the pan and set aside. Add a little bit of butter and the rest of the sweet bread and repeat the process.
Make Cinnamon Sugar: Once they’re all cooked, add white sugar and cinnamon to a shallow bowl or dish and stir until combined.
Roll to Coat: Toss each one of the cooked French toast sweet rolls in the cinnamon sugar until coated.
Plate & Serve: Plate them and serve with salted caramel sauce for dipping or syrup if you're more traditional. You could also add fresh berries for a colorful and fun twist.
Save: Although they're best served right away, you can place any leftover hawaiian rolls in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
What goes with Hawaiian Roll French Toast
Hawaiian roll french toast is the perfect breakfast recipe but I'm sure you'll love it even more when you add your favorite topping. Since these french toast rolls would definitely fall into the sweet breakfasts category, I recommend serving it with savory dishes like:
- Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes
- Easy Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit Sandwich
- Bacon and Cheese Strata
- Hawaiian Roll Breakfast Sliders
- Cheesy French Onion Crockpot Potatoes
Or try my King's Hawaiian French Toast Casserole next time!
Variations
If you're not into the churro approach, here are some more flavors that will take your hawaiian roll french toast to the next level.
- Fresh Berries, Powdered Sugar & Whipped Cream
- Diced Strawberries & Condensed Milk
- Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer and Whipped Cream
- Blueberry Jam and Sweet Cream
- Guava and Cream Cheese
- Simple Maple Syrup and Salted Butter
Recipe
Hawaiian Roll French Toast with Cinnamon Sugar
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large Eggs
- ¾ cup Half n Half
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3 tablespoon Salted Butter divided
- 1 12 pack Kings Hawaiian Original Sweet Rolls
- ¼ cup White Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ⅓ cup Salted Caramel or syrup for dipping
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, combine eggs, half n half, cinnamon and vanilla and whisk until combined.
- Tear your sweet rolls into individual pieces and submerge them in the French toast batter for about 15-20 seconds but no longer as they will get too soggy.
- Meanwhile, heat a large fry pan over medium heat and melt 2 tablespoon of salted butter.
- Add half of the rolls and cook until golden brown on all 6 sides. Remove them from the pan, add the rest of the butter and the rest of the rolls and repeat the process.
- Once they’re all cooked, you can either serve them right away OR add white sugar and cinnamon to a shallow bowl or dish and stir until combined. oss each one of the cooked French toast sweet rolls in the cinnamon sugar until coated.
- Plate them and serve with salted caramel sauce (or syrup) for dipping.
Jaime
Made these as a Christmas Eve dessert and they were AMAZING!!! Absolutely delicious, and only took 20 minutes of work. Make these!!
Cori
Can you cut the rolls smaller or should they be left in original size? They look usual size while soaking but smaller in your hand. Thank you!
grilledcheesesocial
I left them in their original shape but you could for sure cut them... just don't let them soak for very long bc they get soggy fast 😉
Russell
These look and sound great! Going to serve mine with some warm cinnamon syrup!!