Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
This thick vanilla and cinnamon french toast is stuffed with sweet cream cheese filling and sugar-coated strawberries for a quick and easy indulgent breakfast!
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Table of Contents
- About Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
- How much cream cheese is too much?
- What if the cream cheese consistency or flavor isn’t right?
- Can this dish be prepped ahead of time?
- Is there a way to lessen the time it takes to prep the strawberries?
- What is the best kind of bread to use for stuffed french toast?
- So, which breads can you use?
- Should you use stale bread?
- More tasty breakfast recipes
- How to make stuffed french toast
- Recipe Details
About Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
After making my very first French bread from scratch, I was itching to find a delicious way to use it! My mind immediately went to Mimi’s Cafe because, for a very long time, it was my absolute favorite place to eat for breakfast. That is, until our favorite location closed down.
So, what’s a girl supposed to do when she has a craving she cannot satisfy with a 5-minute drive to her favorite cafe?
She figures out how to make her favorite dish herself, of course!
My go-to order at Mimi’s Cafe was always strawberry stuffed french toast. It took a few minutes of negotiating with my waiter to get the order just right, but it always came out perfect. And now I had the chance to make-it-to-order at home.
How much cream cheese is too much?
My first attempt at recreating this stuffed french toast recipe resulted in an absolute mess of cream cheese ooze sizzling all over my skillet. I took a “less is more” approach during my next attempt and found a balance. I spread a thin, even layer over the bread, making sure to completely cover it, taking extra caution to not just glob it on.
What if the cream cheese consistency or flavor isn’t right?
If you’ve whipped up the cream cheese filling and it’s not what you expected, check out the tips below:
My cream cheese isn’t creamy enough to get an even spread. What do I do?
One trick to an even cream cheese spread is to freeze your cream cheese overnight and grate the cheese onto your bread the next day.
I found my cream cheese to be too tangy for this sweet dish.
Adding extra sugar to your cream cheese filling (to taste) is an easy way to get the sweeter taste that you want to add to your decadent stuffed french toast.
My cream cheese filling came out way too runny. How do I fix this?
Make sure you are using a block of regular cream cheese that has just been softened. Whipped cream cheese is not suitable for this particular recipe.
I’d like more cream cheese filling in my dish. Is there a way to add more without turning my meal into a mess?
Yes! You can create what is called a “bread pocket” in your bread slices if they are sliced thick enough. This is created by taking a knife and carefully cutting a small dip into the middle of your slices. This dip allows for more cream cheese to be put into your dish without allowing it to ooze out onto the sides.
Can this dish be prepped ahead of time?
Busy lives leave little time to make great tasting meals. This meal can be prepped in only 15 minutes! In addition to that, the strawberry and cream cheese filling can actually be prepped the night before.
Is there a way to lessen the time it takes to prep the strawberries?
It is not suggested to slice fresh fruit before it is actually needed. So, I would not prep fresh fruit the night before. However, if you do not have access to sweet, fresh strawberries and are using frozen ones, you can slice them the night before and put them back into the freezer until you intend to use them.
What is the best kind of bread to use for stuffed french toast?
When it comes to choosing the best bread to use for strawberry cream cheese stuffed french toast, you definitely want to choose a sturdy bread that will not turn directly into mush when put into the egg mixture before frying. You also want to make sure your bread is able to be cooked to a perfect golden brown.
Forget about pre-sliced bread!
Perhaps most importantly, you must choose a bread that is available by the loaf. French toast requires thicker slices than every day pre-sliced bread. In addition, the bread must be sturdy and, obviously, tasty – which largely depends on the preferences of the cook.
So, which breads can you use?
What you choose is ultimately up to your own taste (there’s no wrong answer here) but if you’re looking for ideas, here’s a quick rundown of the most popular options:
- Brioche bread is, simply put, a richer version of regular sandwich bread that easily holds its shape when drenched with wet mixtures.
- Challah bread is known for being able to toast beautifully on the outside and maintain softness on the inside.
- Pullman Loaf – also known as “sandwich bread” – can still be a suitable choice for stuffed french toast. However, it should be sliced thicker than normal. Think “Texas Toast” thickness.
- Lastly, but used most often for this particular type of recipe, is French bread. One benefit of using French bread is that its texture does not allow it to turn too soft too fast when put into the egg mixture. In fact, it normally requires a few more moments of soaking than other bread.
Should you use stale bread?
If you’ve heard that french toast is better with stale bread, you certainly have not heard wrong. The softer the bread, the more likely your french toast will be a mushy disaster.
To avoid this, grab your preferred bread loaf a couple of days before you plan to make this dish. Or if you’ve decided to make this recipe at the last minute, slice your bread and leave it on your counter for a few hours so it can dry it out a bit.
More tasty breakfast recipes
How to make stuffed french toast
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – In a large bowl, whip together the cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until nice and smooth.
Step 2 – Prepare the strawberries by slicing them, patting them dry, and then tossing them in sugar.
Step 3 – Whisk together the milk, egg, vanilla, and cinnamon until the eggs are broken and the mixture is mostly smooth.
Step 4 – Assemble the french toast by spread the cream cheese mixture on one side of sliced french bread, add some strawberries, then top it with another slice of french bread. Dip the finished sandwich into the milk & egg mixture, coating both sides.
Step 5 – Melt some butter in a large, wide skillet, then add the prepared stuffed french toast. Fry each side until the bread turns a nice golden brown color.
Step 6 – Serve immediately with more slices of strawberries, powdered sugar, and maple syrup.
Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Ingredients
- 8 ounce cream cheese, (1 pkg) softened
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen, sliced thin
- 3 large egg
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch slices
- maple syrup, for topping, optional
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer
(or a hand mixer + large bowl ), add softened cream cheese, sour cream, powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat on low until cream cheese has broken down, then mix on medium high until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Use a spatula to scrape around the sides and bottom, then beat again on medium for 30 seconds. Set filling aside. 8 ounce cream cheese, 1/4 cup sour cream, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract - For the strawberries, slice them as thin as you are able. If using frozen strawberries, use a paper towel
to absorb any extra juice; wet strawberries will cause the french toast pieces slip and be hard to flip while cooking. When strawberries are sliced and ready, place them in a small bowl with 1/4 cup sugar. Gently toss strawberries until they are all coated in sugar. Set bowl nearby. 1 cup strawberries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar - In a small bowl with a flat bottom (or pro tip: use an aluminum pie tin), whisk
together milk, eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon until thoroughly mixed. Set bowl nearby. 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 large egg, 1 1/2 cup milk, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon - Spread a layer of cream cheese filling on one side of sliced french bread. Filling should be spread thin (not globbed on) but still thick enough to thoroughly cover bread.1 loaf french bread
- Arrange strawberries in an even layer on top of the cream cheese spread, keeping a 1/4 inch gap around the sides of the bread.
- Spread another thin layer of cream cheese on a new slice of french bread, then gently press it to the other slice with the strawberries (like a sandwich).
- Spray a skillet
with cooking spray and warm over medium heat. - Dip the french toast into the egg and milk mixture, gently flipping to coat both the top and the bottom.
- Drop the french toast in the skillet and cook each side until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per side. To make flipping easier, use a thin spatula to scoop under the french toast and gently press your finger on top to secure it while the french toast is turned over. Save time by cooking 2-3 sandwiches at once.
- Serve immediately with powdered sugar and syrup.
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
