These Chocolate Churro French Toast Bites are an irresistible combination of 2 delicious treats. Made with soft and fluffy King’s Hawaiian rolls, they’re filled with chocolate ganache, pan-fried to golden perfection, and tossed in cinnamon sugar. They really do taste like chocolate churros in the form of French toast, and are so fun and easy to make!
If you're in the mood for a different French toast dessert, check out this Baked Berry Cheesecake French Toast recipe.
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What they're made of
These delicious Chocolate Churro French Toast Bites are made of 4 components:
- Bread. King's Hawaiian's Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls are the perfect shape and size for this recipe, but you can also use small brioche rolls from other brands
- Ganache filling. The rolls are filled with ganache filling similar to what you will find inside a chocolate churro. This ganache is made with a higher ratio of chocolate to cream, and cooled until it thickens up so it can be piped into the rolls
- Custard. The chocolate filled rolls are soaked in a simple French toast custard made with eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon - and then pan fried to crispy, golden perfection
- Cinnamon sugar coating. Lastly, for the churro effect, the fried French toast bites are tossed in a cinnamon sugar mixture
Just be warned that they're definitely more on the side of dessert than breakfast!
Video tutorial
Here's a short video for you to see this recipe in action:
Step by step photos
The detailed recipe with ingredient quantities and instructions is in the recipe card below, but let's go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything.
To make the chocolate ganache, pour hot cream over the chocolate. Wait 5 minutes, then stir to combine.
Let the ganache thicken to a pipeable consistency.
Pipe the ganache into the Hawaiian rolls using a round piping tip.
Freeze the rolls for 10-15 minutes so the ganache hardens inside them.
Make the custard by whisking together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
Soak the chilled rolls in the custard for ~10 seconds each.
Pan fry the rolls in butter on medium heat on all sides, except the side with the hole, until golden brown.
Toss the rolls in cinnamon sugar while still warm.
And that's it! Serve hot on their own, or with maple syrup, caramel sauce or chocolate sauce if desired.
Important tips before you make this recipe
Although this is a simple recipe, here are a few important things to get it right:
- Make sure the ganache thickens before you pipe it. Let it cool down at room temperature for ~20 minutes or so until it reaches a thick, pipeable consistency. If you try to work with ganache that's too runny or too cold, it will be impossible to pipe it into the rolls!
- Freeze the filled rolls before soaking and frying them. Freezing for just 10-15 minutes will firm up the ganache enough that it will be easier to soak and fry the rolls without making a mess
- Keep a close eye on the flame while frying. The rolls should ideally take ~6-8 minutes to fry. If the heat is too low, they will take too long and the chocolate will melt out. If the heat is too high, they will start to burn - so keep a close eye and adjust the flame as needed
- Don't fry the side you piped the ganache into. If you put this side of the rolls face down on the frying pan, the chocolate will come out and start to burn
Chocolate Churro French Toast Bites Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12-15 mini French toast
Description
Ingredients
- 12 to 15 King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, separated
Ganache:
- ⅓ cup heavy cream (80g)
- 160g semi sweet chocolate
Custard:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk (240g)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar (40g)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
Frying:
- 2-4 tablespoon butter
Cinnamon sugar:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (60g)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Separate the King's Hawaiian sweet rolls and let them dry out a bit on a wire rack while you make the ganache
- For the ganache, heat the heavy cream until it starts to simmer (not boil). Break the chocolate into small chunks in a bowl, and pour over the hot cream. Cover and rest for 5 minutes, then stir gently until a smooth and shiny ganache forms. If you see any chunks of chocolate, microwave for 15-20 seconds and stir again
- Let the ganache chill at room temperature for ~20 or so minutes until it becomes a thick, pipeable consistency. You can also speed up the chilling process in the fridge, but give it a stir every 5 minutes so it cools evenly
- Transfer the ganache to a piping bag fit with a 8mm round piping tip.
- Use the piping tip to poke a hole into the side of each roll and fill the middle generously with ganache (see images in blog post above). This can get a little messy, but just try your best. Place the filled rolls on a plate with the side with the hole facing up so the ganache stays inside
- Freeze the filled rolls for 10-15 minutes so the ganache hardens
- Make the custard by whisking together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a bowl until the ingredients are well combined
- Soak the chilled rolls in the custard one at a time for about ~10 seconds, turning them so each side gets soaked. Place back on the plate
- Turn on the stove on medium heat and place a frying pan on it. Add ~2 tablespoon butter and let it melt and heat up
- Fry the soaked rolls in 2-3 batches, careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry them for 60-90 seconds per side until all sides are golden brown, but do NOT fry the side that has the ganache hole in it, because that will cause the ganache to ooze out and burn. Some chocolate will melt out from the heat, which is okay. Keep an eye on the rolls as you fry them and adjust the temperature so they don't burn
- Once all the rolls are fried, mix the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl, and toss the fried rolls in the cinnamon sugar mixture to get them well coated on all sides
- Serve the French toast bites while they're still warm. They're great on their own, but you can also serve with caramel sauce or chocolate sauce if you want
Video tutorial:
Notes
- Make ahead: French toast is best served fresh. If you wish to do any prep ahead of time, you can fill the rolls with ganache and keep them in the fridge. Then soak in custard and fry when ready to serve
- Storing: Store any leftover French toast in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, and reheat in the microwave for ~20 seconds to serve again
- Prep Time: 45 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Related recipes
If you like King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, you're in luck! I have a lot of yummy dessert recipes using them:
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