How to make cinnamon toast in the oven or air fryer. This homemade cinnamon sugar toast is sweet and flavorful with a crunchy, caramelized topping and soft middle for a moreish, delicious breakfast, brunch, or snack!

I recently shared my DIY for homemade cinnamon sugar and have eaten so many slices of homemade cinnamon toast since then that this post practically wrote itself! If you’re a fan of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal (Curiously Cinnamon in the UK), then now is the perfect time to try “actual” cinnamon sugar toast!

Usually, I love savory breakfast toasts like avocado toast and creamy mushroom toast. But when I’m in the mood for something sweet, I turn to this toast with cinnamon and sugar. While many Americans consider this a nostalgic treat from their childhood, I didn’t try it until much more recently (but was instantly hooked).

It might seem odd to have a recipe for something so simple. However, having tried several cinnamon toast recipe methods, I can tell you that there is a right and wrong way to make this satisfying treat. So, I’m here to show you how to make cinnamon toast the RIGHT way.

The results (when prepared properly) are a caramelized, crisp toast topping with a slightly tender middle/bottom, similar to crème brûlée. Plus, it’s so simple to prepare, and you probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen.

Want to enjoy the cinnamon-sugar combination in other treats? Add it to your hot chocolate, or sprinkle it over French toast, pancakes, and more!

What Is Cinnamon Toast Made of

You’ll require just four ingredients to prepare this delicious homemade cinnamon toast bread, and two of them are sugar and salt.

• Bread: I recommend white bread for its subtle flavor and soft texture. However, feel free to experiment with different bread types, medium slices of bread, regular, or gluten-free.
• Butter: Use room temperature softened butter. Use dairy-free butter/spread if preferred.
• Cinnamon sugar: I use homemade cinnamon sugar, combining cinnamon and sugar in a 1:4 ratio.

For a richer caramel flavor, use a tiny amount of brown sugar with the white sugar (or even a 50/50 blend).

• Salt: This won’t be needed if you use lightly salted butter. However, I highly recommend adding a small pinch of salt if using unsalted butter. This will enhance the flavors in the cinnamon sugar toast.

To make cinnamon butter toast even easier, you could prepare a large batch of cinnamon butter. Store it in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks of sugar cinnamon toast whenever you’d like. It is also freezer-friendly for up to 6 months and will defrost quickly, as needed.

How to Make Cinnamon Toast

First, preheat the oven to 325ºF/170ºC.

Meanwhile, mix the cinnamon sugar, butter, and salt in a bowl. Stir to completely combine them.

I recommend tasting the mixture at this point and adjusting the spiced sugar or salt amount to taste.

Spread the mixture liberally over your pieces of bread, completely covering the surface of the bread (right to the edges).

Transfer the cinnamon sugar bread to a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. If wanted, use the broiler (2nd shelf down is best) for the last couple of minutes. Broil until golden brown with bubbling sugar.

Make sure to keep an eye on it as it broils, as the sugar can burn quickly.

Remove the crunchy cinnamon toast from the oven (carefully, as the sugar will be scoldingly hot). Allow them to cool for a few minutes before digging in.

Enjoy the best toast ever!

Air Fryer Cinnamon Toast

Learning how to make cinnamon sugar toast in an air fryer is surprisingly simple and even quicker than the oven method.

Follow all the steps above, cooking the cinnamon sugar toast in a preheated air fryer at 400ºF/200ºC for just 4-5 minutes.

Make sure to only place the bread in a single layer, with space between, so they crisp up properly.

Storage Instructions

I highly recommend enjoying the crunchy cinnamon toast immediately. However, leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days and then reheated in the oven (or air fryer) for a few minutes.

To meal prep this treat, spread the cinnamon sugar butter mixture over the bread slices and freeze them until solid. Then, transfer the topped bread, stacked with parchment paper between them, to a Ziplock bag.

Bake the cinnamon toast from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.

More Easy Recipes for Breakfast

• DIY overnight oats 5 ways
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• 25+ breakfast recipes from around the world
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You might also enjoy browsing through my list of 50+ healthy breakfast meal prep ideas.

If you try this quick and easy cinnamon toast recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts and questions below. Also, I’d appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!