The Best Cinnamon Toast Ever! (Creme Brulee Toast) (2024)

This is truly the BEST cinnamon toast ever! Why? It has the PERFECT balance of sweet, crunchy, salty, and addictive deliciousness.

A super easy cinnamon toast recipe (crème brulee toast) that will give you perfect results, every time!

If you love sweet, crunchy cinnamon toast, then I’ve got a doozy in store for you today! This is the most easy cinnamon toast in the world, that is alsoThe Best Cinnamon Toastin the world! Here’s why!

Why this is the BEST cinnamon toast recipe ever!

• This cinnamon toast is made with a simple cinnamon butter, which can be stored in your fridge for whenever you crave for some caramelized cinnamon toast.
• It’s made with a good amount of butter and a good measure of sea salt, giving you the most buttery cinnamon toast with a lovely hint of salt.
• These are made on a pan so that the sugar and butter melt evenly. The butter becomes crispy and flavors the bread, while the sugar caramelizes and forms a delightful caramel crust.
• The end result? A buttery cinnamon toast with a creme brulee surface! Soft and crunchy. Sweet and salty. This stuff is addictive!
• You don’t have to turn on your oven, or your broiler, or a toaster oven, or the air fryer. Just your stove top and a non-stick pan will guarantee the most delicious caramelized cinnamon toast you’ve ever had. It’s that good and it’s that easy.

See how shiny that toast is? That’s the caramelized sugar. Like the top of a classic creme brulee.

Cinnamon toast ingredients

1. Unsalted butter – I prefer to use unsalted butter, so that I can control how much salt to add. But you can use salted butter as well. You can also use vegan butter! I recommend using a creamy butter that will add more flavor to the cinnamon toast.
2. White sugar – White sugar caramelizes so beautifully, and is the best option for this toast.
3. Ground cinnamon – The star of the recipe! Use your favorite ground cinnamon, but please keep in mind that a good quality cinnamon will taste so much better than cheap supermarket cinnamon. I use Korintje cinnamon, but I love to add Ceylon cinnamon too (due to my Ceylonese / Sri Lankan background, I typically always have access to home-grown, home-produced, irresistibly fresh Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka!).
4. Sea salt – Do not leave out the salt. Salt adds a ton of flavor to the toast. It’s the difference between a bland tasting cinnamon toast and a flavor-packed cinnamon toast.

Optional ingredients

1. Vanilla (or vanilla sugar) – Vanilla extract (or vanilla sugar) adds depth of flavor to the sweetness.
2. Nutmeg – Just adding a touch of nutmeg truly elevates the cinnamon toast! The nutmeg makes the cinnamon toast taste a little like eggnog, perfect for Christmas and the holidays!
3. Black pepper – A little black pepper adds a bit of heat and spice to the sweet, crunchy cinnamon toast!
4. Thick bread slices– I prefer to use bread slices that are about ¾ – 1 inch thick. Since the bread is toasted on both sides on a pan, a thicker slice of bread gives a wonderful contrast between the crunchy caramel and the soft buttery inside of the bread.
5. Extra butter – If you choose to only apply cinnamon butter on one side of the bread, the slice can be toasted with just butter on the other side. This will make the bread buttery and crunchy, and add more flavor!

Cinnamon sugar butter ratio

I based this cinnamon butter on the butter-sugar mix that I used to make for caramel toast that we used to eat as kids.

Sugar and butter with toast was a very popular snack for me as a kid for obvious reasons, but the addition of cinnamon happened much later in life.

The ideal ratio of sugar and butter for the cinnamon butter spread can honestly be whatever you like. But personally, for me, the ideal cinnamon sugar butter ratio is a 1:1 (of butter and sugar) by weight.

Too little butter and you’ll add too much sugar to the toast when applying the butter.

On the other hand, too much butter will make for a greasy toast, and not enough of the cinnamon sugar mixture to create the delicious caramel crunch.

In this cinnamon toast recipe, I used 1 stick of butter, which is about 115 g, and mixed it with 115 g of sugar, which is about ½ cup + 1 tbsp.

As for the cinnamon, I like to add 1 tsp of good quality ground cinnamon for every stick of butter.

This ratio makes for the right amount of cinnamon sugar and buttery goodness on your slice of toast.

Other factors to consider

If you use supermarket cinnamon that is inferior in quality, you may need to add more cinnamon because the flavor may not be as robust.

If you’re using old ground cinnamon, the potency of the spice reduces over time, so again, you may need to add more to get the same level of flavor.

If you use a different type of cinnamon, you may need to adjust the amount of cinnamon as well.

I use Korintje cinnamon. If you use saigon cinnamon, you may need to use a little less because it’s more spicy than korintje cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon (often referred to as true cinnamon) is more floral and subtle in flavor, so you can add more to get a stronger flavor!

How to make cinnamon toast

Making this cinnamon sugar toast couldn’t be easier!

• Make sure your butter is softened and spreadable. This makes it easier to mix the ingredients.
• In a small bowl, place the butter, salt, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well using a small spatula or spoon until all the sugar and cinnamon are evenly dispersed through the butter. The butter cinnamon mixture should be soft and spreadable.
• Place the slices of bread on a wire rack or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Spread a little bit of butter on one side of all the bread slices.
• On the other side, spread an even but thin layer of cinnamon sugar butter. The layer of butter should be visible, but thin on top of the bread slice.
• Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. This will depend on your stove, so if needed you will need to increase or decrease the heat.
• When the pan is hot, place the bread with the buttered side down. Heat the bread slice until the butter melts and the bread turns golden brown in color.
• Then flip the bread over and toast the cinnamon sugar butter side. Move the bread around to evenly soak up the melted butter and sugar, and to caramelize the sugar. The sugar will stick to the bread, and then turn from a light golden color to an amber color. Control the heat at this stage so that you don’t burn the sugar or the toast!
• You can also choose to spread the cinnamon sugar butter on both sides of the bread slice so that you can have caramelized cinnamon on both sides. Extra sweet and crunchy!
• When the sugar has caramelized, place the cinnamon toast on the parchment paper or wire rack to cool down slightly, and then serve while warm.
• Serve just as is, or with whipped cream.

Why pan toasted cinnamon toast works (pros and cons)

There are two main ways to make cinnamon toast.

1. In the oven (or air fryer)
2. Or in a pan (or skillet)

Oven toasted cinnamon toast is indeed quite popular, but I personally think this pan toasted cinnamon toast recipe is much superior!

Pros

• The flavor and texture are so much better!
• With pan frying, the sugar melts and caramelizes into a crispy and crunchy coating like creme brulee!
• Since the bread is thick, the butter soaks into the bread, making it soft and delicious without drying it out.
• Since the cook time is fairly short, the bread doesn’t dry out.
• The result is the best cinnamon toast recipe that makes for buttery and soft toast, with a crispy caramel crunch texture outside!

Cons

You can only make about 2 slices at a time if you use a larger pan. So, it’ll take longer to make a bigger batch compared to toasting them in the oven.

So, if you’re going for convenience and a larger batch, the oven wins. But for a smaller batch, and an incomparably delightful texture and flavor, and a firm and crisp toast, pan toasted is lights out better.

Recipe tips for success

• Make sure to mix the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt very well.You can use this cinnamon butter mixture right away, OR you can store it in the fridge for later.
• You don’t have to spread a thick layer of cinnamon butter to get perfect results either.Just a thin, even layer will do.Make sure to get the butter right to the edges of your toast as well. If you add a thick layer, and make too much caramel, the toast will be too sticky and sweet.
• Use a non-stick pan or cast-iron pan.The last thing you want is to have the caramel stick to your pan. I always use my non-stick pan, so that my sugar cinnamon toast caramelizes properly without sticking to the pan.
• As the butter melts, you’ll notice that it spreads out a little on the pan.So, move the toast around on the pan to catch that melted cinnamon butter. This will ensure that the surface of your toast is evenly coated as it cooks.
• When the cinnamon sugar toast is ready, place it on parchment paper or a silpat.If you only buttered one side of your piece of toast, then place this buttered side on the silpat or parchment paper.As the toast cools down, the surface will flatten creating a shiny caramel, crunchy surface.
• I prefer to use country style bread loaves to make this creme brulee toast, because I can cut 1/2 inch thick slices of bread. But you’re welcome to use any bread you like – such as white bread, whole wheat, bagel, multigrain or anything else you have at hand.
• If you don’t allow the sugar to caramelize and THEN cool down before you eat it, it will be sticky!So, make sure to let the caramel surface cool down enough to create a hard, crunchy surface!

Recipe variations

1. I only use butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to make this cinnamon butter here, but you can also use any of the following in different ways to add more flavor.
   • Vanilla
   • Nutmeg
   • Cloves (for a spicy kick)
   • Black pepper (for a spicy kick)
   • Orange zest
2. You also have the option of caramelizing BOTH sides (especially if you like thick slices of bread), or just one side (for thin slices of bread).
3. Instead of white sugar, use brown sugar or half white sugar and half brown sugar. The brown sugar will add a lovely molassey flavor to your toast (here’s a guide to all the different types of sugar for more information).
4. Switch up the bread. Use brioche bread or even croissants for an extra indulgent variation of cinnamon toast!
5. Add ground ginger, cloves, and nutmeg for a gingerbread twist to your cinnamon toast! This is especially amazing during the holiday season.

Serving suggestions

These are some of my favorite toppings and pairings for cinnamon sugar toast.

• Whipped cream (my favorite)
• Whipped cream cheese (second favorite)
• Mascarpone
• Fruits (love strawberries!)
• Glass of milk
• Coffee drink recipes
• Jam recipes
• Pistachio paste

See Also

Here's How to Make Cinnamon Toast—the Right WayCinnamon Toast RecipeHow to Make Cinnamon Toast The Right Way - AlphafoodieCinnamon Toast Recipe | In The Kitchen With Matt

More irresistible, sweet breakfast recipes

• Roasted blueberry and brie with cinnamon toast
• Perfect French toast
• Bostock pastry
• Classic cinnamon babka
• Chocolate babka
• French croissants
• Spiced yeasted waffles with apples and pecans
• Strawberry custard brioche tarts
• French crepes
• Chocolate crepes
• Strawberry shortcake
• Raspberry croissant bread pudding
• Regular cinnamon rolls and brioche cinnamon rolls

Frequently asked questions

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