Strawberry Stuffed French Toast is a decadent treat for breakfast. Traditional French Toast is stuffed with a sweet cream cheese filling then layered with fresh strawberries and browned to perfection. It's like having dessert for breakfast!
This delicious breakfast is perfect for lazy weekends, Sunday brunch, a special Mother's Day treat, or a simple breakfast in bed.
Table of Contents
Special Breakfasts
Strawberry Stuffed French toast is a decadent dish that comes together quickly with pantry staples like bread, eggs, fresh strawberries, and cream cheese. The sweet, tangy filling sandwiched between thick slices of bread creates the perfect flavor pairing of melt-in-your-mouth sweetness and rich tangy cream cheese.
When I want a special breakfast, or get a chance to dine out, I always opt for French Toast. I mean I love my Healthy Banana Pancakes, Perfect Waffles, and Egg Muffins but there is something about French Toast that calls my name.
I mean, who wouldn’t love brioche bread dipped in a sweetened egg mixture, stuffed with a sweet and creamy strawberry center, then toasted to a crispy golden brown? Drizzle this decadent cream cheese stuffed french toast with maple syrup and top it with more fruit for an unforgettable, scrumptious morning meal.
What is French Toast?
Did you know that French Toast was not even invented in France? Nope, it actually originated long before France was even a country. The first mention of it was found in a cookbook written in 4th century Rome and was called Pain a la Romaine or Roman Bread.
What is Stuffed French Toast?
Stuffed French toast is a delectable twist on the classic breakfast dish. It's an ingenious combination of two comfort food favorites: French toast and scrumptious fillings.
At its core, stuffed French toast is made from thick slices of bread, often brioche or challah, that are filled with sweet or savory ingredients. Popular sweet fillings include cream cheese, fruit, chocolate, or even Nutella, while savory versions might feature ham, cheese, or spinach.
The filled slices are then dipped in a flavorful custard mixture, typically composed of eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla, before being pan-fried to golden-brown perfection.
The result is a delightful harmony of textures and flavors: crispy on the outside, tender and pillowy on the inside, and bursting with a luscious, flavorful center.
Stuffed French toast is often served with a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup, or a dollop of whipped cream.
Why You'll Love Stuffed French Toast with Strawberries
This Strawberry Stuffed French Toast goes one better than the original Roman Toast. It’s stuffed with a sweetened cream cheese filling and layered with strawberries. It’s almost like having dessert for breakfast!
And, the best part, it’s quite easy to make and takes only about 30 minutes from prep to table. The ingredients are all something you probably have sitting in your refrigerator or pantry.
Ingredients
For the French toast bread and batter:
- Thick slices of challah or brioche bread
- Butter
- Eggs
- Milk - Almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, soy milk, or low-fat milk
- Brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
For the stuffed French toast filling:
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Fresh strawberries
Suggested strawberry French toast topping:
- Fresh berries
- Powdered sugar
- Maple syrup
Best Bread for French Toast
A sturdy bread that won't get mushy when soaking in the egg mixture. Brioche, Challah, French Bread, or Texas toast are the best choices.
Thick-cut bread will hold up better. It's best to buy an uncut loaf and cut it into 1-inch slices.
Day old bread that's a little dried out. It will soak up the egg mixture better.
How to Make Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Making stuffed French toast is easy! Here are the steps:
- Place eggs in a large bowl.
- Add milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Whisk well.
- Whip cream cheese in a separate bowl with an electric mixer.
- Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar and mix until blended.
- Lay 4 slices of bread on a plate.
- Spread the cream cheese filling on the bread slices, making sure not to layer too thick. Top with sliced strawberries.
- Place the other bread slices on top to create a sandwich.
- Dip both sides of the filled bread into the egg mixture.
- Melt butter on a hot griddle or skillet. Lay each of the stuffed French toast "sandwiches" on the hot griddle.
- Brown each side well.
Place browned Stuffed French Toast on a plate and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and additional strawberries. If you like, drizzle a little pure maple syrup over it too.
Now take a bite. Sigh, it’s sooooo good! Now isn’t this the perfect breakfast for a special occasion? Maybe you can surprise mom on Mother's Day, your special someone on Valentine's Day, or a surprise breakfast in bed, just 'cause you want to! Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Use strawberry cream cheese for extra strawberry flavor and omit the sugar
- If using fresh bread, dry it out in a warm 300°F oven for a few minutes.
- Make sure the cream cheese is softened so the mixture will spread easily.
- Remember to cut the strawberries into thin slices, about ⅛-inch thick.
- Don't use too much cream cheese filling or it will spill out into the pan.
- Let the excess egg mixture drip off before placing the soaked bread into the pan.
- Cook on medium heat. Too high and the outside will burn and the inside won't be cooked all the way.
- Make sure the pan is heated before cooking the toast. The hot pan will create the right crust and a lukewarm pan won't fry the bread properly.
- Keep French toast warm in the oven on the lowest heat setting. Place it on a wire rack over a baking sheet so air circulates around it and the bottom won't get soft or soggy.
- Do not stack French toast on a plate because stacking it will cause steam that will make the toast lose its crispness.
Strawberry French Toast Topping
There's more than just syrup, powdered sugar, and berries for topping French toast. Here are some ideas:
- Butter
- Strawberry Syrup
- Strawberry Compote
- Other fresh fruit
- Banana slices
- Chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
- Whipped cream
- Ice cream
- Fresh mint leaves
Recipe Variations
There are many ways you can change up this recipe. Here are some stuffed French toast filling ideas:
- Use mascarpone or ricotta instead of cream cheese.
- Use Nutella or peanut butter instead of the cream cheese mixture.
- Use a different berry instead of strawberry - blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, or a combo of berries.
- Use a different fruit such as mango, peach, or pineapple.
How to Store and Reheat
Wrap cooled stuffed French toast leftovers with plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing is not recommended because it will become soggy and watery after thawing.
To Reheat:
- Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Air fry the stuffed French toast for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.
- Microwave: This is a quick way to reheat it but it will lose its crispness. Microwave on high for 30 seconds then in 20-second increments until heated through.
- Oven: Place the stuffed French toast on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
More Tasty Breakfast Recipes
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Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Ingredients
- 4 1" thick slices of challah or brioche bread
- 2+ Tablespoons butter
Batter
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk regular, almond, coconut, rice, soy or lowfat milk can be used
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Filling
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ cup strawberries, sliced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients together for batter. Set aside.
- Prepare the filling by whipping the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add in powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Place slices of bread on a plate. Divide the filling between the slices, making sure to cover the top of each slice completely.
- Place sliced strawberries on top of 2 slices of bread.
- Place one slice of bread on top of another to make a sandwich and press together.
- Place 2 tablespoons butter on large flat griddle or skillet, turn heat to medium and wait until butter has melted.
- Take each french toast "sandwich" and, holding together, dip into batter until covered and well soaked.
- Place both sandwiches on a hot griddle. Brown well then turn and brown the other side.
- Add more butter to the pan if the toast begins to stick. Check to make sure that the cream cheese has melted before serving.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and garnish with more strawberries. Serve maple syrup on the side.
Notes
- Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Air fry the stuffed French toast for 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through.
- Microwave: This is a quick way to reheat it but it will lose its crispness. Microwave on high for 30 seconds then in 20-second increments until heated through.
- Oven: Place the stuffed French toast on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition
This post has been updated with new photos and more helpful information. It was first published on February 25, 2018.
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