Air Fryer Recipe
Peanut Butter and Jelly Stuffed French Toast Sticks
These peanut butter and jelly stuffed French toast sticks are a nostalgic little treat, with a warm, gooey centre that works beautifully in the air fryer.
Ingredients
- 8 slices of thick white bread
- ½ cup of smooth or crunchy peanut butter
- ½ cup of your favourite jelly or jam
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup of whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Butter or cooking spray for greasing
- Powdered sugar (optional, for dusting)
Method
- Spread peanut butter over half of the bread slices and jelly over the rest, then press them together to make sandwiches.
- Cut each sandwich into 3-4 even strips.
- In a shallow dish, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla extract and sugar together.
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (356°F).
- Dip each sandwich strip into the egg mixture, making sure it is well coated all over.
- Lightly grease the air fryer basket, then arrange the coated sticks in a single layer.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
- Dust with powdered sugar if you like, and serve warm with extra jelly for dipping.
Why this works in an air fryer
Air frying works here because the egg-milk coating sets quickly in fast convection while the bread surface dries, giving crisp edges without deep frying. Thick white bread compresses around the peanut butter and jam, which slows leakage; the filling warms by conduction after the outside has browned.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 5-6 litre basket; cook 12-16 sticks in two batches so air can reach the cut sides. In a single-drawer fryer, keep the sticks centred and leave gaps; in a dual-zone model, split between drawers, use sync finish, and check 1 minute early as smaller zones brown faster near the fan.
Common pitfalls
- Jam bubbling out of the seams by minute 3 means the sticks are overfilled or cut too close to the filling; leave a 5 mm border when spreading, press the sandwiches firmly, and use a thicker jam rather than runny conserve.
- Pale, soft sticks after 6 minutes usually mean the bread absorbed too much custard; dip quickly, let excess drip back into the dish, and add 1-2 minutes only after the surface looks set.
- Dark edges with a cool centre indicate the sugar is browning before heat reaches the filling; drop to 170°C and cook 2-3 minutes longer, especially with brioche or very sweet jam.
- Coating tearing or sticking to the basket is a grease-contact problem; lightly oil the basket before loading and wait until the egg has set before turning or lifting the sticks.
Variations & substitutions
- Brioche or challah gives a richer stick but browns faster because of extra sugar and fat, so check at 4 minutes or reduce the temperature to 170°C.
- Wholemeal sandwich bread is drier and less stretchy, so use a slightly shorter dip to avoid cracking and expect a firmer, less gooey result.
- Almond butter, cashew butter or chocolate-hazelnut spread can replace peanut butter; sweeter spreads darken more quickly, so avoid overfilling and watch the last 2 minutes.
- Thick marmalade, raspberry jam or lemon curd all work, but looser fillings leak more readily, so chill the assembled sandwiches for 10 minutes before dipping if needed.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooked sticks covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 3-4 minutes until the coating crisps again and the centre is hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
