Looking for a simple but special brunch dish? Whip up some Strawberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast for the ultimate breakfast favorite!
This recipe. It has my heart.
I’ve been making it since… What, 2010? And it’s still as special as it has ever been.
Because it’s not just French Toast. It’s stuffed French Toast. With strawberries and cream cheese and all the feels.
Then there’s the crust. The cinnamon sugar crust, people! You can’t beat that.
The best part though? It’s so, so impressive. And delicious. But SO incredibly easy to whip up!
Strawberry Stuffed French Toast Tutorial:
We definitely make this recipe for all the big spring occasions: Mother’s Day, Easter, our wedding anniversary…
Only sometimes I’m lazy (or need a make ahead option!) and make Strawberry French Toast Casserole with Cream Cheese instead 😉
It’s quick and easy to put together, the kids can help (and they LOVE eating this) and with the creamy strawberry filling, it’s just perfect for when the days start getting warmer.
How to Make Stuffed French Toast:
This is such an easy recipe, I don’t even know what to tell you about it, ha!
Essentially, you do this:
- You sweeten some cream cheese
- Shmear it onto some thick toast (or day-old brioche, or challah, or French bread)
- Cover it with sliced strawberries and sandwich with another slice of toast
- Dip the whole thing into an egg/milk mix, only to then dip it into cinnamon sugar ❤️
- Cook and eat and wonder how you’ve gone through life without this so far
A few notes about this stuffed French toast recipe:
Why is my french toast soggy?
If your French Toast is soggy, you likely used bread that’s too thin/too fresh.
Make sure you use thicker slices (you don’t have to go crazy, but don’t use the thinnest sliced bread you can find) the are dry.
Should you use stale bread for French toast?
Yes, IF you’re using a very soft bread like challah, brioche or French bread, it should be stale.
If you’re going for a healthy brunch option and choose to use a thicker wheat toast, it’s usually sturdy/dry enough without having to be stale.
How do I quickly dry bread for French toast?
Dry out your slices in the oven at 275°F for 10 minutes to quickly stale your bread if it’s fresh.
How can I switch this up?
If you want to switch things up, here are some variations you can try:
- use strawberry preserves (or any fruit!) instead of fresh strawberries for a sweeter filling
- make it healthy (OK… healthier) by using whole wheat bread and breadcrumbs and sweetening your cream cheese with maple syrup
- make it decadent by using ricotta or mascarpone in place of the cream cheese
- if you’re not a fan of cheesecake stuffed French toast, try Nutella instead of cream cheese… Shhhh, you didn’t hear it from me 😉
More Stuffed French Toast Recipes:
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
- Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast
- Berries and Cream French Toast Bake
Strawberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
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Ingredients
- 4 heaping tablespoons cream cheese use low fat if desired
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup OR honey OR powdered sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons bread crumbs divided
- 2 tablespoons sugar divided
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon divided
- 8 strawberries hulled and sliced
- 8 slices stale bread challah, brioche or thick whole wheat toast all work!
- 4 teaspoons oil OR butter divided
- additional strawberries and syrup (optional) for serving
Instructions
- Prep: To make the filling mix, the cream cheese with your choice of sweetener and set aside. In a shallow dish, whisk the eggs and milk together. On a large plate, combine 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Assemble French Toast: Spread a slice of bread with 1/4 of the cream cheese mixture. Top with two sliced strawberries and cover with a second slice of bread. Coat first with the egg mixture and then with bread crumbs.
- Cook: Heat 1 teaspoon oil OR butter in a large non-stick frying pan. Fry over medium-high heat until golden brown and crunchy, gently pushing down on the edges of the bread to sea (NOT the middle, or you’ll squish it!)l.
- Finish: Continue the same way with the other six bread slices. Halfway through wipe the plate with the breadcrumb mixture clean and mix the rest of the bread crumbs, sugar and cinnamon for making the other two French Toasts.
- Serve warm with additional strawberries and syrup, if you like.
