Pennsylvania Dutch Milk Toast With Cinnamon and Butter

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Classic Pennsylvania Dutch comfort food that tastes like a warm hug in a bowl.
• Uses simple pantry and fridge staples you probably already have on hand.
• Gentle, cozy breakfast that is perfect for kids, elders, and anyone needing something easy on the stomach.
• Ready in about 20 minutes, with plenty of room for your own nostalgic twists and toppings.

Grocery List

• Produce: Optional: 1–2 bananas; 1 cup berries (strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries)
• Dairy: 1 quart (4 cups) whole milk; 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• Pantry: Sliced sturdy white, country, or brioche-style bread; granulated sugar; ground cinnamon; vanilla extract; fine salt; optional ground nutmeg

Full Ingredients

For the Sweet Milk

• 4 cups whole milk
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (or to taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Toast

• 8 slices sturdy white, country, or brioche-style bread
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened or at room temperature (for spreading on the toast)

Optional Toppings

• Extra ground cinnamon, for sprinkling
• 1–2 teaspoons granulated sugar or light brown sugar, for sprinkling
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• Sliced bananas or fresh berries, for serving

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare your pans and ingredients

Gather all of your ingredients so they are within easy reach. Cut the butter into a few small pieces so it melts quickly. If you plan to toast the bread in the oven rather than a toaster, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Choose shallow cereal bowls or soup bowls for serving. This style of milk toast should have the bread nestled in the bowl with a generous pool of warm milk around it, so make sure your bowls are deep enough to hold at least 1 cup of liquid per serving.

Step 2: Toast the bread to pale golden

Arrange the 8 slices of bread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, or place them in your toaster. Toast in the oven for 5–7 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the bread is lightly dried and just turning pale golden on the edges. If using a toaster, use a medium setting.

You are not aiming for deep, crunchy toast here. Pennsylvania Dutch milk toast is best with bread that is lightly toasted so it holds its structure but still soaks up the warm milk to become tender and custardy.

Step 3: Warm the sweet milk gently

While the bread toasts, combine the 4 cups whole milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve and to prevent the milk from scorching on the bottom.

Heat the mixture until it is steaming and tiny bubbles form around the edges, about 5–8 minutes. Do not let it boil. Once steaming, turn the heat to low and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter until the butter is fully melted and the milk looks slightly glossy. Taste and adjust the sweetness, adding another teaspoon of sugar if desired. Keep the milk warm over very low heat.

Step 4: Butter and arrange the toast in bowls

When the toast is ready, remove it from the oven or toaster. While still warm, spread each slice with a light coating of the remaining 2 tablespoons softened butter. The butter adds rich flavor and helps the toast stay tender as it soaks.

Place 1–2 slices of buttered toast in each serving bowl. You can keep them whole, cut them in half, or tear them into large rustic pieces depending on how you grew up eating milk toast.

Step 5: Ladle on the hot sweet milk

Give the warm milk mixture a quick stir to redistribute the cinnamon. Ladle about 1 cup of hot milk over the toast in each bowl. Aim to pour enough so that the toast is well soaked but still has its top edges peeking out, with some milk pooling in the bottom of the bowl.

Let the toast sit in the milk for about 30–60 seconds so it starts to soften. The bread should become tender and custardy inside while still having a bit of structure so it does not completely disintegrate.

Step 6: Finish with cinnamon and serve immediately

Just before serving, sprinkle the top of each bowl with a pinch of extra ground cinnamon. If you like a sweeter, dessert-like milk toast, add a light scattering of sugar or a touch of brown sugar. For a bit more old-fashioned spice, finish with a tiny pinch of ground nutmeg.

If you want fresh brightness, top with a few sliced bananas or a spoonful of berries. Serve the milk toast immediately while the milk is warm and the toast is at its coziest, inviting everyone to eat with a spoon, scooping up both bread and milk in each bite.

Pro Tips

• Choose the right bread: Sturdy sandwich bread, farmhouse white, or brioche-style loaves work best. Very thin or very soft bread will fall apart too quickly once soaked.
• Do not boil the milk: Keeping the milk just below a simmer preserves its gentle flavor and prevents a skin from forming on top.
• Adjust sweetness to taste: Traditional milk toast is only mildly sweet. Start with the recipe amount of sugar, then add a bit more if you prefer a dessert-style bowl.
• Serve right away: Milk toast is at its best within a few minutes of ladling on the milk. The longer it sits, the softer (and eventually mushier) the bread becomes.
• Make it kid-friendly: For children or anyone sensitive to spice, cut back the cinnamon to 1/4 teaspoon in the milk and let each person add more at the table.

Variations

• Brown sugar and nutmeg version: Replace the white sugar with brown sugar and add a pinch of nutmeg to the warm milk for a deeper, almost caramel-like flavor.
• Raisin milk toast: Add 1/4–1/3 cup raisins to the saucepan with the milk so they plump as the milk warms, or use raisin bread for the toast for extra sweetness and texture.
• Single-serving shortcut: For one bowl, warm 1 cup milk with 2 teaspoons sugar, a tiny pinch of salt, and a pinch of cinnamon in the microwave (about 1–2 minutes, watching closely). Stir in a dab of butter and vanilla, then pour over 1–2 slices of freshly toasted bread.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Milk toast is meant to be enjoyed fresh; once the toast has soaked in the milk, it will continue to soften and eventually become mushy. If you expect leftovers, store the components separately. The sweet milk can be cooled, transferred to an airtight container, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave, stirring often and being careful not to let it boil.

Toast the bread just before serving so it maintains some structure. You can, however, pre-slice your bread and measure your sugar, cinnamon, and salt a day ahead to make breakfast faster on busy mornings.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values per serving (1 cup sweet milk and 2 slices toast, including butter but not optional toppings): about 450 calories; 18 g fat; 10 g saturated fat; 55 g carbohydrates; 24 g sugars; 14 g protein; 380 mg sodium. Actual values will vary based on the type of bread, exact butter amount, and any toppings you add.