You’ve heard of mimosas, but have you heard of French toast shots? This may be the brunch drink recipe you’ve been waiting for. 

While there are several variations on this shot, the original recipe contains some ingredients you’re probably not used to seeing at breakfast. There’s no champagne, juice, or Bloody Mary mix in sight. 

A French toast shot contains spicy Fireball whisky, rich ​​Irish cream, and butterscotch schnapps. It’s usually topped off with a banana slice for good measure. After all, it’s important to start your day off with fruit, especially if you’ll be taking a shot first thing in the morning.

When you think about it, however, the ingredients in French toast shots actually make sense. Much like the original fried bread dish, these shots contain cinnamon and milky flavors. You can think of the butterscotch schnapps as a drizzle of syrup. Although you may not have thought to put these three ingredients together yourself, be glad someone else dared to. The result is a breakfast shot that tastes like pastry, not Fireball and Baileys. Surprise your guests at your next morning get-together with a drink that’s not on your average brunch menu. 

Preparation time: 3 minutes

Cooking time: None

Total time: 3 minutes

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• ¾ ounce Fireball whisky 

• ¾ ounce Bailey’s Irish cream 

• ¾ ounce butterscotch schnapps 

• Cinnamon and sugar (for garnish) 

• Banana slice (for garnish)

Glassware

• Shot glass

Preparation instructions 

1. Create a cinnamon-sugar rim by mixing them on a plate, then dipping a shot glass into the mix. Draw a line of schnapps around the lip of the glass so the mix will stick. 

2. Shake up the Fireball cinnamon liquor, Bailey’s Irish cream, and butterscotch schnapps with plenty of ice in a cocktail shaker.  

3. Strain the cocktail into a shot glass and garnish with a banana slice. Shoot back and enjoy the sweet flavors. 

Recipe adapted from Tipsy Bartender.

Variations 

Fancy french toast

‍This version of the recipe above swaps out Fireball whisky for Goldschläger liqueur, which is a type of cinnamon schnapps with tiny gold flakes floating in it. Don’t feel bad about drinking it; an entire bottle is said to have less than a dollar’s worth of gold in it. Besides, this shimmery preparation gives the classic shot some glow-up. 

To make, shake up and strain equal parts of Goldschläger, butterscotch schnapps, and Baileys Irish cream for a French toast shot worthy of breakfast at Tiffany’s. 

Breakfast shot

‍Shots with butterscotch schnapps, cinnamon, and cream fall into the category of shots that taste good but maybe not exactly like one thing. What’s stopping a French toast shot, for example, from being a pancake shot or a cinnamon roll shot? Instead of getting lost in the semantics, shake up a generic breakfast shot recipe and let your guests decide which of their favorite breakfast treats it tastes like. 

To make, first drizzle some butterscotch syrup into a shot glass. Then, combine 1 ounce of Irish cream, 1 ounce of butterscotch schnapps, one-half ounce of vanilla-flavored vodka, and one-quarter teaspoon of pure vanilla extract in a cocktail shaker with plenty of ice. After shaking, strain the liquid into the prepared shot glass, and sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top. Watch out, though; this drink may taste like pastry, but it hits like vodka. 

Bartender’s tip: Most of these shot recipes can double as cocktail recipes. Just add a mix to top of the mixed liquors. Eggnog would work well for some of these creamy options. 

Cinnamon Toast Crunch shot

‍One step removed from actual French toast is Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. This quick breakfast bite doesn’t taste exactly like the brunch recipe but replicates the sweet, cinnamony flavors of the original dish. And while the cocktail is two steps removed from French toast, it still hits all the right notes. 

To make, shake up and strain equal parts of Fireball whisky and Rumchata for a French toast shot that’s reminiscent of your childhood cereal but definitely for adults. 

Bartender’s tip: Know your shot glasses. This glassware ranges in size, so figure out how much liquid the glasses on your bar hold before accidentally shaking up shots that are too big for them. For example, if you have 2-ounce-capacity shot glasses, you can easily fit three half-ounce measures of liquor and mixers in one shot, but three-quarter measures will lead to a drink that’s 2 ¼ ounces and too large for the glass. 

Cinnamon roll shot

‍By now, you’re probably wondering if you could also recreate the deliciousness of a cinnamon roll using Fireball. The answer is yes. This shooter is deceptive because it looks like straight whisky and doesn’t have the creamy finish that the others in this tutorial do. While the cocktail may not look like a cinnamon roll, it definitely tastes like one, and if you really miss the creaminess factor, you can add a dollop of whipped cream on top of the shot or even coat the rim with icing. Add 4 ounces of Fireball whisky and 12 ounces of cream soda to a pitcher to make a party-sized batch for your next brunch party. Stir to combine the flavors. This preparation will make eight shots, which you can then pour out and top with cinnamon, and the whipped cream or some frosting.

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Other drinks with Fireball whisky

• Apple pie on the rocks

• Pumpkin spice coffee

• Fireball old fashioned

Other drinks with Irish cream 

• Mudslide 

• Caramel Irish coffee 

• Baileys white Russian

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Other drinks with butterscotch schnapps 

• Caffeine martini 

• Caramel coke 

• Butterball shots 

If you’re all out of Fireball, fear not. Gopuff can come to the rescue. Order all your bartending supplies in seconds and have them at your door in a matter of minutes. Yes, they’ll even get your groceries early in the morning before breakfast.