French Toast Cookies

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My French toast cookies are a fun, gourmet-cookie spin on classic French toast—soft, tender, and infused with just the right amount of maple flavor. From the crisp brown sugar-cinnamon topping to the buttery cookie base and maple “butter” pat on top, every bite looks and tastes like French toast… only better. Recipe includes a how-to video tutorial!

French toast cookies with a buttercream pat of butter and syrup being drizzled overtop.

Another just-for-fun gourmet cookie recipe, these are fun to make and eye-catching for sure. To get that French toast look and flavor, we’ll wrap our cookie dough balls in a topping similar to the craquelin you’d see on cream puffs (choux au craquelin). It adds color and that slightly caramelized note that you’d get in a real-deal French toast recipe recipe.

Why This Recipe Works

Not too sweet. I designed the cookies themselves to not be too sweet, considering the maple flavor, sugary topping, and maple butter buttercream on top. Don’t get me wrong, these cookies are sweet, but they’re not overpowering.
Actually tastes like French toast. Using ingredients like maple extract and cinnamon help with this tremendously. The caramelized sugary topping also plays a big part–not only does it make the cookies look like slices of French toast dipped in a cinnamon custard, but it also creates a caramelized taste just like real French toast.
Easy to make, despite the fact there are three components and you will dirty a few dishes. Your mixer will do all of the hard work, and you’ll just have to roll the dough into balls, add the topping, and bake!
Unique and so fun! I can guarantee these will stand out at a bake sale or on a cookie tray among basics like chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal cookies (not that I’d ever turn one of those down, either).

What You Need

Nothing too out of the ordinary here, but I will highlight a few of the important ingredients before we jump in.

Overhead view of ingredients including butter, maple extract, cinnamon, cake flour, and more.

Butter. Yes, there’s a lot of butter up there! But remember, we are making cookies and frosting (the butter pats), so it’s necessary. I use unsalted butter throughout this recipe; if you want to use salted butter, follow the conversion in my post on salted vs. unsalted butter.
Cake flour. My top recommendation for the best results! While you can substitute all-purpose flour in a pinch (instructions are in the recipe notes), I really recommend using cake flour for the best texture. I talk more about this in the FAQ section below.
Maple extract. I associate French toast with maple syrup, so maple extract was a must for me in these French toast cookies! This is not the same thing as maple syrup; the flavor is much more concentrated. You can find it where you buy vanilla extract, usually in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
Cinnamon. This classic French toast ingredient is a must in this recipe; it really sells the flavor (along with the maple extract, of course).
Sugar. We’re using a combination of granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and powdered sugar in this recipe. You could substitute dark brown sugar for the light brown, but the flavor and color will be a bit stronger and darker.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

SAM’S TIP: My waffle cookies, maple brown sugar cookies, and maple leaf cookies all use maple extract as well, if you need more recipes to use up your bottle 😉

How to Make French Toast Cookies

Creaming butter/sugar until light and fluffy for french toast cookies

Step 1: Cream the butter and both sugars together with a mixer until well-combined and creamy.

Step 2: Stir in the eggs and extracts, then set aside while you whisk your dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Dry ingredients being poured into a butter and sugar mixture to create a cookie dough.

Step 3: Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Do this in a few parts, otherwise your dough will be very dry and difficult to work with. Cover and place the dough in the fridge for at least an hour.

Make the cinnamon sugar topping

Adding flour to make the craquelin topping

Step 4: Beat the butter, cinnamon, and sugars together until creamy, then add the flour and salt.

Crumbly mixture that will be used for topping French toast cookies.

Step 5: Mix until the flour is fully incorporated; the mixture will be dry, but you shouldn’t see any pockets or streaks of flour. Cover and set aside until ready to use (no need to refrigerate this!).

Make the buttercream butter pats

Shaping the cookies in a square shape also adds to the French toast look, but the maple buttercream butter pats puts them over the top. Think of them like an adorable accessory, similar to the “ice cream” on my apple pie cookies. Not just for looks, they also add another layer of flavor, thanks to maple extract.

Making the buttercream frosting for the butter pats

Step 6: Stir powdered sugar into softened butter, then add the maple extract and salt.

Hands forming buttercream into the shape of butter pats.

Step 7: Scoop and form into butter pats. The mixture should be shape-able; if it’s not you can always add a bit more sugar, but usually just letting the mixture sit for a bit uncovered makes it moldable and easy to work with.

Assemble & bake

Forming flattened craquelin over cookie dough

Step 8: Scoop and roll the cookie dough, then take a Tablespoon sized scoop of the topping and flatten it between your palms. Wrap this haphazardly around the dough; it should roughly cover the top half of each ball. This does not have to be perfect; in fact, it looks better and more realistic if it isn’t!

Step 9: Bake (topping side up) until the edges of the cookies just start to turn light golden brown, then gently flatten with the bottom of a clean measuring cup or glass.

Squaring cookies using a pair of knives.

Step 10 (optional): Form each cookie into a square using two knives, bench scrapers, or spatulas. This doesn’t have to be precise–just try to get as square of a shape as you can and do it right away, while the cookies are still hot.

Adding butter pats to top of warm French toast cookies.

Step 11: Top each cookie with a butter pat while still warm (this way the bottom will melt slightly and adhere to the cookie). Let the cookies cool completely on their baking sheets before you dig in, otherwise they may fall apart on you.

SAM’S TIP: Shaping the cookies into square-ish shapes is not at all necessary but it does add to the French toast look. Just do it immediately after they come out of the oven or you’ll miss your window of opportunity. Same with flattening; it helps make the cookies a bit more tender, and it also adds to the bread-slice look of them.

French toast cookies topped with buttercream butter pats and maple syrup.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I store them?

Store your French toast cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. I recommend enjoying within 5 days for the best flavor and texture.

Why do you use cake flour?

If you’ve made a few of my gourmet cookie recipes, you may have noticed that I use cake flour in almost all of them. This isn’t to make you go out and buy a fancy flour just for the sake of calling the cookies gourmet! No, cake flour plays a very important role in the texture and crumb of the cookies.

Cake flour contains less gluten than all-purpose flour, resulting in a softer, more tender, and more delicate texture. This is exactly what we are looking for when making cookies modeled after cake flavors (like my devil’s food cookies) or cookies that need to be thicker, but not dry (like my gourmet sugar cookies).

Yes, it’s more expensive, but it’s well worth it if you want a truly gourmet experience.

Can I make the dough in advance?

Yes! The dough, buttercream, and topping can each be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. You can make the dough up to two days in advance; store covered in the fridge. The buttercream can also be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for several days.