Stuffed french toast is made with thick slices of buttery bread soaked in a rich vanilla custard, filled with a sweetened cream cheese filling, fried to golden perfection. The filled french toast can be topped with freshly whipped cream, maple syrup and berries for the perfect easy and decadent breakfast or brunch treat.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I love wonderfully indulgent french toast inspired recipes. My Brioche French Toast, Croissant French Toast, Brioche French Toast Casserole and Banana French Toast are just a few of many that I love making when I want an extra special, but quick breakfast or brunch. This brioche french toast recipe is another french toast recipe I know you’ll reach for again and again.
- Easy to make, bake and eat: This cream cheese filled french toast tastes like you just bought it from the best restaurant in town, but is so simple to make at home. Simply make the cream cheese filling, assemble the stuffed toast, mix the rich custard, dip the toast in the custard, fry until golden, top and serve.
- Perfectly cozy and made for a special breakfast or brunch. There’s nothing more satisfying than enjoying a deliciously indulgent breakfast everyone will love and that’s also easy to make. This stuffed french toast is endlessly adaptable and is equally perfect for a special weekend brunch or holiday breakfast.
Ingredients
This easy cream cheese filled french toast requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you need.
Gather stale or day old slices of buttery bread, cream cheese, powdered sugar, eggs, milk, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon and butter for cooking. To serve the cream cheese french toast as shown in the recipe, gather powdered sugar, freshly whipped cream, maple syrup and fresh strawberries.
Substitutions
This rich and golden stuffed french toast recipe is as easy to make as it is delicious. Should you need them, here are my recommended substitutions for this recipe.
- Cream Cheese: Feel free to swap the cream cheese with mascarpone cheese.
- Bread: This french toast recipe works well with any thick and buttery bread such as brioche bread, Texas toast, challah bread, french bread or even cinnamon swirl bread all work well in place of the brioche bread.
- Eggs: While eggs are essential to the custard, they can be substituted using an egg replacement like Just Egg. Substitute 3 tablespoons (45 ml) egg replacement for every 1 egg in the recipe.
- Milk: Whole milk is preferred, but feel free to use any milk you like.
- Sugar: Maple sugar or light brown sugar will also work well.
- Flour: This may seem a bit unusual in a french toast recipe. However, adding flour to the custard gives the bread a lovely, crisp exterior when fried in the butter.
- Vanilla Extract: This gives a lovely flavor boost to the french toast stuffed with cream cheese. Omit if you don’t have this ingredient.
- Ground Cinnamon: I love ground cinnamon with vanilla. Feel free to use ½ - 1 teaspoon of any ground spices or spice blends you like.
- Butter: Feel free to use any butter or cooking oil you like.
Variations
- Fruit: Swap the strawberries for any berries or stone fruit. For warmed, syrupy fruit toppings, I suggest blueberry compote, cherry compote, blackberry compote or apple compote. Swap any berries or stone fruit and follow my macerated strawberries recipe for a fresh fruit topping.
- Fillings: Feel free to swap the cream cheese for Nutella or Biscoff. Swirl some jam into the cream cheese for a flavored cream cheese. Use mascarpone cheese in place of the cream cheese.
- Toppings: Feel free to top this filled french toast with all your favorite toppings. For a crunch, chop up some nuts or sprinkle toffee bits on top. For a nutty topping, drizzle nut butter or melted Nutella. Top with freshly whipped cream and fruit, a dusting of powdered sugar and maple syrup or simply enjoy as is.
How To Make
Learn how to make stuffed french toast in a few easy steps.
- Allow slices of brioche bread to sit out, uncovered, overnight to help dry out the bread. If the bread is still soft and fresh, arrange the slices of brioche bread on a lined baking sheet. Bake the slices in a 300 F (149 C) oven for about 15 minutes. Make the cream cheese filling by mixing the room temperature cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and well combined. Spread a large dollop in the center of half of the stale bread. Leave a small border without cream cheese around the edges of the bread. Top the pieces of bread with cream cheese filling with the remaining half of the stale bread.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk in the eggs, milk, sugar, flour, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon until smooth and well combined.
- Heat the pan over medium heat until the butter fully melts and begins to sizzle. Swirl the butter around the pan to fully coat the bottom of the pan. Dip each side of filled french toast bread in the vanilla custard right before frying on the skillet or griddle. Place 2 - 4 cream cheese stuffed french toast “sandwiches” onto the hot pan. Fry one side for 3 - 4 minutes or until the toast is golden brown. Flip the toasted french toast and repeat frying on the other side for 3 - 4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the french toast to a serving plate or lined baking sheet.
- When its time to serve the stuffed french toast, top the slices with a light dusting of powdered sugar, a large dollop of whipped cream and fresh strawberries. If you would like, heat up maple syrup to serve alongside the cream cheese french toast.
How To Make Ahead, Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Make Ahead: Assemble the french toast “sandwiches” through to the cream cheese filling step. Wrap each assembled cream cheese french toast sandwich in plastic wrap or wax paper, transfer the slices of french toast to an airtight container to chill in the fridge for up to 1 day. When the french toast is ready to be cooked, set the french toast on the counter to thaw at room temperature for 20 minutes, dip into the egg mixture, fry and serve.
- Store: Fully cool the cream cheese filled french toast. Individually wrap each french toast “sandwich” and transfer the toast to an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days.
- Freeze: Fully cool the stuffed french toast slices to room temperature. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap or wax paper. Transfer the slices of french toast to an airtight and freezer safe container. Keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. To freeze uncooked french toast, assemble the french toast “sandwiches” and stop right before dipping into the egg mixture. Wrap each assembled cream cheese french toast sandwich in plastic wrap or wax paper, transfer the slices of french toast to an airtight and freezer safe container. When you are ready to make the french toast, thaw in the fridge overnight and continue cooking starting at the custard dipping step.
- Thaw: Transfer slices of frozen french toast to the fridge to thaw overnight. Heat in a microwave in 30 second intervals until heated through, top with your desired toppings and enjoy. To reheat in the oven, bake the slices at 325 F (160 C) for 10 - 15 minutes or reheat in the air fryer at 350 F (177 C) for about 2 -3 minutes.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly and easily resulting in a smoother custard filling. For the smoothest cream cheese filling, make sure the cream cheese is very soft and room temperature before mixing with the other ingredients.
- Leave a border. As noted in the recipe, make sure to leave a border between the edge of the bread and the filling.
- Add some flour. Adding some flour to the custard helps to thicken the overall texture. This allows the custard to stick more easily to the bread and creates a lighter, fluffier exterior texture for the french toast.
- Use the right “day old” bread: French toast more easily absorbs the egg and vanilla custard when the bread is a bit dried out. Alternatively, dry the bread out the same day by baking slices in a 300 F (149 C) oven for about 15 minutes. The best bread for french toast is a thick slice of buttery bread such as brioche, challah or texas toast.
- Keep the heat to medium. To get the perfect golden, crispy exterior on french toast, keep the pan heat to medium. Too high risks burning the toast while a lower temperature may not crisp the outside as well.
- Top the french toast with your favorite toppings. Although this recipe for cream cheese french toast tastes amazing without toppings, I love topping mine with a light dusting of powdered sugar, dollop of whipped cream, maple syrup and berries.
FAQs
What is stuffed french toast?
This recipe for stuffed french toast is just like classic french toast, but with a layer of sweetened cream cheese (or other filling of your choice) between two slices of bread.
Should I dry out my bread to make french toast?
Yes, the key to great french toast is to use dried out bread. The easiest way to get dried out bread is to use day old bread that’s been left out overnight. To achieve the same affect, fresh bread can be toasted in the toaster or in the oven until dried out.
How can I dry out my bread quickly?
Lay the slices of brioche or other slices of buttery bread bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake the bread in a 300 F (149 C) for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through the baking time.
How do you keep stuffed french toast from getting soggy?
Use slightly dried out bread, dip the bread (rather than soak it) for a few seconds on each side, shake off the excess custard, then fry until golden brown.
Other Decadent Breakfast Recipes to Try
If you try this Stuffed French Toast recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! -M
Stuffed French Toast Recipe
Stuffed french toast is made with thick slices of buttery bread soaked in a rich vanilla custard, filled with a sweetened cream cheese filling, fried to golden perfection. The filled french toast can be topped with freshly whipped cream, maple syrup and berries for the perfect easy and decadent breakfast or brunch treat.
Equipment
- 1 large pan or griddle
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz. (226 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
French Toast
- 12 slices thick buttery bread about 1 pound (454 g)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30 g) all purpose flour, optional
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- 4 tablespoons, (57 g) unsalted butter or oil for frying, as needed
Instructions
- Allow slices of brioche bread to sit out, uncovered, overnight to help dry out the bread. If the bread is still soft and fresh, arrange the slices of brioche bread on a lined baking sheet. Bake the slices in a 300 F (149 C) oven for about 15 minutes.
- Make the cream cheese filling by mixing the room temperature cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth and well combined.8 oz. (226 g) cream cheese, room temperature, ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
- Spread a large dollop in the center of half of the stale bread. Leave a small border without cream cheese around the edges of the bread. Top the pieces of bread with cream cheese filling with the remaining half of the stale bread.12 slices thick buttery bread
- In a large mixing bowl whisk in the eggs, milk, sugar, flour, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon until smooth and well combined.4 large eggs, room temperature, 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, room temperature, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (30 g) all purpose flour, optional , 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract , 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan or griddle. Heat the pan over medium heat until the butter fully melts and begins to sizzle. Swirl the butter around the pan to fully coat the bottom of the pan.4 tablespoons, (57 g) unsalted butter or oil for frying, as needed
- Dip each side of filled french toast bread in the vanilla custard right before frying on the skillet or griddle. Place 2 - 4 cream cheese stuffed french toast “sandwiches” onto the hot pan. Fry one side for 3 - 4 minutes or until the toast is golden brown. Flip the toasted french toast and repeat frying on the other side for 3 - 4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the french toast to a serving plate or lined baking sheet.
- When its time to serve the stuffed french toast, top the slices with a light dusting of powdered sugar, a large dollop of whipped cream and fresh strawberries. If you would like, heat up maple syrup to serve alongside the cream cheese french toast.
Notes
Serve: To serve the cream cheese stuffed french toast as shown in the recipe, top with powdered sugar, freshly whipped cream, maple syrup and fresh strawberries.
Store: Fully cool the cream cheese filled french toast. Individually wrap each french toast “sandwich” and transfer the toast to an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days.
See the Storage section of the blog post to learn how to make this french toast recipe ahead of time and how to freeze for later.
For other topping or filling suggestions see the Variations section of the blog post.
Tip: Flour may seem a bit unusual to add to the custard in this french toast recipe. However, adding flour to the custard gives the bread a lovely, crisp exterior when fried in the butter. Keep if you perfer or omit if not.
did you make this recipe?tag @olivesnthyme on Instagram
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