Stuffed French Toast – Finally, a breakfast worth getting out of bed for! This ridiculously delicious stuffed French toast boasts a golden crispy outer layer, a cinnamony, custardy bread, and a fruity cream cheese filling. It’s the perfect breakfast or brunch recipe for special occasions and relaxed weekends at home. ✨
Is there a better way to welcome the weekend than with stuffed French toast? I didn’t think so. 😜 It’s probably the only breakfast food that gets my kid out of bed before 10 on a Sunday. (Sorry, bacon! 🥓)
It’s also incredibly easy to make! You don’t need a ton of ingredients, you can prep it ahead of time, and you don’t need to know any special cooking techniques. Trust me; you’re about to discover your new breakfast favorite recipe right here. 🤩
The Best Bread for Stuffed French Toast
Honestly, the best bread for stuffed bread is whatever you have on hand. Yes, you can make this recipe with almost any kind of bread (garlic excluded). Brioche may be my first choice, but Texas toast works great because it is nice and thick.
Challah and French baguettes also make a beautiful French toast. But I won’t lie; even regular old white or wheat bread tastes pretty darn good stuffed with this spectacular cream cheese filling.
Recipe Ingredients
- Bread – I recommend brioche for this recipe but feel free to use any bread you love, even gluten-free.
- Stuffing – Cream cheese, powdered sugar, and diced strawberries make a delightful filling. 🍓
- Coating – To get that smooth inside and crisp outside, you’ll dip the stuffed toast in a mixture of eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon with just a touch of salt.
- Butter – It’s the best, most flavorful fat to fry your French toast in!
How to Make Stuffed French Toast
Make the Filling and Dip
- Filling – In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and diced strawberries. Mix until thoroughly combined and set aside. (Photos 1-2)
- Coating – Add the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt in another large mixing bowl. Using a whisk, combine everything. (Photo 3)
Stuff and Fry
- Fill – Spread a thick layer of cream cheese strawberry mixture on one side of 6 slices of brioche, then top each one with another of the remaining 6 slices of bread, forming a sandwich. (Photos 4-5)
- Prep – Melt ½ tablespoon of butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
- Coat – Dip the brioche sandwich in the egg mixture, dredging it on both sides so it’s coated in the batter.
- Fry – Immediately transfer it from the bowl to your skillet. Then cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the edges become golden brown, flip and cook on the other side for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Repeat the process with the remaining 5 sandwiches.
- Serve – Remove from heat and serve with extra strawberries, maple syrup, and powdered sugar if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Make chocolate raspberry French toast by adding a tablespoon or two of cacao powder to the cream cheese and swapping out the strawberries for raspberries. Perfect for chocolate lovers! 🤎
- Win over the picky eaters with PB&J stuffed French toast. Instead of a cream cheese filling, stuff the toast with your favorite nut butter and jam. (Although if you’re really trying to win over picky kids, stick with peanut butter and grape jelly. 😅)
- Make a tropical stuffed French toast by swapping out the regular milk in this recipe for coconut milk and replacing the strawberries with diced mango, pineapple, or both! This variation is sooo good. 🤤
Tips and Tricks
- The drier your bread, the better. That way, it gets custardy but not soggy. It also crisps up better on the outside. If you have fresh bread on hand, stale it up a little by placing slices in the oven for about 15 minutes at 300℉/150℃.
- Keep your stuffed French toast from oozing by leaving a border around the cream cheese filling of plain dry bread before you fry. If you spread it from edge to edge, you will get some leakage.
- Ensure your frying pan is sufficiently hot before putting the French toast in the pan. But not too hot so your butter doesn’t burn, and your stuffed French toast cooks super fast on the outside without warming the inside. Medium is good.
Make-Ahead Instructions
The night before cooking, stuff your bread with the cream cheese filling and wrap each “sandwich” individually in plastic. Whisk the egg mixture in a container with a lid. Once thoroughly mixed, put the lid on and store it in the fridge. Now you are just a quick fry away from the perfect breakfast. Early rising is not required. 🤫
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve stuffed French toast hot out of the pan with your favorite toppings like sliced bananas, maple syrup, whipped cream, fresh berries, cinnamon sugar, chopped walnuts, or pecans.
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container. They will keep for three days. Reheat stuffed French toast in the microwave for a minute or less for each slice, in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350℉/177℃, or in the air fryer for 2-3 minutes at 350℉/177℃. The last two options will make the outer crust the crispiest.
FAQs
There’s no hard and fast rule here because the bread will soak up the mixture at different rates. Aim for bread that is saturated but not soggy and falling apart. Regular white bread may only take a few seconds, whereas denser bread might need up to a minute to fully absorb the egg mixture.
French toast can get soggy if you soak the bread in the egg mixture too long or if your frying pan isn’t fully heated before you put it in the pan. Another factor could be the milk. Fat-free and low-fat milk are slightly more watery than whole milk and can contribute to soggy slices. Go for whole milk, or even half and half, for a more custard-like texture, without the sog.
I use butter because the flavor is rich and compliments all those breakfast flavors so well. But neutral-flavored oil will give your toast an extra crispy exterior. Another option is to use a mixture of both!
What Goes With Stuffed French Toast
If your sweet tooth rules the day, serve your stuffed French toast with a tropical fruit salad and some Southern sweet tea. Delish!
If you like a combination of savory and sweet, serve this recipe with a hearty side of oven-baked bacon. It also goes great with a side of Southern-style fried potatoes. And, of course, a steaming cup of coffee.
More Hearty Breakfast Recipes to Try
- Banana Pancakes
- Baked Plantain Frittata
- Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
- Western Omelette
- Easy Cinnamon French Toast Sticks
- Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole
Conclusion
Stuffed French toast is absolute heaven, with the perfect balance of creamy and crispy! Would you like more decadent breakfast ideas? Follow me on Facebook and Instagram. 😘
Watch How to Make It
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Maggie lee says
I make this often but cook both sides of each piece pls (!) because of the egg. Wait a minute after to cool a little and then spread cream cheese on one and place second piece on top. It’s delicious. The only change is cooking all parts that are soaked in egg.
Imma says
Amazing!!!!! That looks absolutely delicious!! Glad you loved it. Looking forward to you trying more of my recipes.