Strawberry stuffed french toast is a perfect breakfast or brunch idea made with healthy ingredients like strawberry, brioche, cream cheese, and eggs.
If you love classic french toast then I am sure you will enjoy this strawberry cheesecake stuffed french toast as well on special occasions like valentines day, family get-togethers, holidays, mother's day, father's day, bridal shower, Easter, or just anytime.
This simple stuffed french toast is easy to make, and the flavors are high. Strawberry and cream cheese is stuffed between two bread slices, dipped in egg custard, and pan-fried with oil till golden brown. It's mildly sweet with maple syrup, creamy, and juicy.
The post contains helpful tips and tricks to make a successful recipe on your first attempt. Please use the link above to jump to the recipe card at the end if you want to skip.
Jump To Recipe
What Is Stuffed French Toast
Traditionally french toast is a single bread slice dipped in egg custard and cooked for a few minutes until golden brown. Stuffed toast is a "French Toast Sandwich". It has two bread slices with a creamy filling inside, that are further sealed by pressing all sides gently. These stuffed bread slices are then dipped in egg mixture carefully and cooked golden brown from both sides.
You can make a variety of fillings in a stuffed french toast for variation. Today I am sharing a stuffed french toast with strawberry and cream cheese filling. It is healthy, a complete meal in itself, and gets ready in 20 minutes.
Why You Will Love This
- Easy & Delicious- This cream cheese and strawberries stuffed french toast is next level of traditional french toast. Chunky strawberries mixed with creamy cream cheese stuffed in bread slices, dipped in cinnamon egg mixture and cooked to perfection. Crunchy from outside and creamy soft from inside, this is a perfect go to breakfast any day.
- Healthy & Flavorful- We are using all healthy ingredients to make this breakfast stuffed french toast. You can always use low fat or vegan substitutes to make it in case you need a low calorie version.
- Kids-friendly- Who doesn't like strawberries? Strawberry stuffed french toast is kids friendly and they may want to eat more. You only need 20 minutes to make this from start to finish.
- Fits in diets- You can easily make vegan substitutions to this. Use gluten-free bread, low fat cream cheese and milk, this strawberry stuffed french toast fits in macros as well.
- Customize as per needs- You can easily make some changes and customize as per requirements. Fruits, cream cheese, diets, breads, you name it, and there is a customized verson of stuffed french toast.
Ingredients & Notes
Please check the recipe card for full ingredient list and measurements
- Eggs- This is the base of any french toast. Use the best quality of eggs, organic or free-range.
- Bread- French toasts are best to make with old brioche bread slices. They are soft, moist, and little sweet in taste. Brioche also soaks up egg custard nicely and cooks well with butter or oil.
- Strawberry- Chop strawberries in small pieces. It is easy to combine them with cream cheese when in small size. Also use few slices to garnish while serving.
- Spices- Ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Vanilla essence and cinnamon both add flavors to cream cheese stuffed french toast.
- Dairy- I used 2% milk with full fat cream cheese. You can use low fat cream cheese as well. Cream cheese should be at room temperature else it will not whip well.
- Sweetener- I used maple syrup to sweeten the cream cheese instead of sugar. You can use sugar as well if that fits in your daily calories.
- Oil/Butter- You can use any of them. I use oil to pan-fry. Butter adds a nice buttery aroma and flavors as well.
Variations & Substitutions
- Vegan- To make vegan version you can use flex egg. It is a mixture of flex seeds with water. Combine 1 tablespoon of flex seeds in 3 tablespoon of water. You can also use corn starch or chickpea flour to make vegan french toast. For dairy, use plant based milk and vegan cream cheese.
- Dairy-free- Any plant based milk with vegan cream cheese work well for the recipe.
- Gluten-free- You can use any gluten-free bread for this recipe. Make sure bread soaks up the custard.
- Sweetener- Normal sugar, brown sugar, honey, agave syrup, stevia, or monk fruit sweetener are other options to use.
- Fruit- Apple, banana, raspberry, blueberry, mixed berries are other few fruits to use in making filling.
- Cheese- Mascarpone, ricotta, Greek yogurt, whipped cream, and vegan cheese are other cheese substitutions in making stuffed french toast without cream cheese.
- Milk- Whole milk, 1%, half n half, or any plant based milk works just fine. Milk is added for the egg custard's uniform consistency.
- Bread- You can use almost any bread to make this recipe. Italian, challah, baguette, sour dough, gluten-free, white, wheat, Texas toast, any of these works.
How To Make Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Prepare cream cheese stuffing
At first, we need to prepare the strawberry cheesecake filling. Cream cheese should be at room temperature and chop strawberries into small pieces. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and maple syrup.
Once both are combined well, fold in the chopped strawberries. This whole mixture would be chunky, do not expect a smooth consistency.
Spead the filling
Divide the cream cheese mixture with strawberries into 3 of the brioche slices equally. Spread it in the middle, do not spread it all around the corners.
Top this with the second slice of the bread and seal around the edges. The filling should not ooze out of the sandwich while cooking.
Prepare egg custard
In a flat bottom bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla essence, cinnamon, and salt.
Dip stuffed sandwich and cook
Heat a nonstick griddle on medium heat. Once hot, add oil. Dip the prepared stuffed bread sandwich in the egg mixture on both sides.
Transfer it to the hot griddle. Cook it on one side without touching it. It takes 2-3 minutes on medium heat to become golden brown.
Flip the stuffed french toast on the second side and cook again for 2-3 minutes.
Serve this strawberry cream cheese stuffed french toast immediately. Cut it diagonally and pair it with maple syrup and sliced strawberries.
Tips & FAQ's
- Do not use fresh brioche to make stuffed french toast. Fresh bread is too soft to dip and it may fall apart after soaking up too much egg mixture. 20-30 seconds are good to dip brioche in the egg custard.
- If you are using different breads slices then give them enough time to absorb the egg mixture.
- Skillet should not be high on heat. High heat will burn the toasts and leave cream cheese and strawberry filling not warm enough. Always heat the griddle on medium heat and then cook the toasts.
- In case cream cheese filling comes out while cooking, don't worry. Flip gently and continue to cook.
- Don't add too many strawberries. It may fall out while flipping or bread slices won't stick with each other.
- Don't soak the bread slices for long. 20-30 seconds are enough to absorb the egg mixture. Soaking longer will result in soggy toasts.
- Cream cheese should be at room temperature. It turns lumpy if using cold one. Due to lumps you can not make a uniform filling.
Avoid spreading filling all the way to all edges. Leave a little border and keep the filling in the middle. Also, make sure not to use overripe strawberries in the filling.
Use any gluten-free bread to make stuffed french toast gluten-free.
If you want to freeze strawberry stuffed french toast then do not dip in egg mixture. Prepare the sandwiches with filling and seal nicely. Transfer these sandwiches into freezer-friendly zip lock bags and store them in the freezer for 1-2 months. The key is to freeze these stuffed sandwiches without dipping them in an egg custard.
For making stuffed french toast you definitely need bread that does not fall apart after dipping in egg mixture. Another factor is for french toasts you need thicker slices which is not possible with pre-sliced bread. So better to buy a loaf and then cut thick slices. Challah, brioche, sourdough bread are good to make any variation of french toasts.
How Can I Plan Ahead?
This stuffed french toast recipe is easy to plan ahead and helps in meal planning. Follow the below points and you are set to just dip and pan-fry.
- Prepare the cream cheese and strawberry filling. Make the sandwiches, wrap in the cling wrap separately and store in a single layer. This whole process will ensure that sandwiches are in shape and stuffing is not pressed.
- Make the cinnamon egg mixture and store it in a container. Make sure to whisk once again just before using it.
- After doing this preparation, all you need is to dip the sandwich in the egg mixture and cook.
The whole process takes 15-20 minutes from start to finish. You can plan it ahead of time by preparing a cream cheese strawberry mixture and store in the fridge. As soon as you need to make the stuffed french toast, just fill in the bread and cook.
How To Serve
Stuffed french toast with strawberry and cream cheese filling is already delicious and a complete meal in itself. You can top it with mixed berries, maple syrup, candied nuts, cinnamon sugar, fruit jams, strawberry coulis, fruit syrup, or whipped cream for extra deliciousness.
Nutritional values are counted without any toppings.
How To Store
Any leftover strawberry cream cheese stuffed french toast can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days. Whenever you are ready to consume, preheat the oven at 350C. Transfer the stuffed french toasts to a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. Flip on another side in the middle of the time.
You can reheat these on a medium-hot griddle as well on the stovetop. I do not recommend reheating in the microwave. It becomes soggy and stuffing comes out.
How To Reheat
- Oven- Preheat the oven at 350C. Transfer the stuffed french toasts to a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake them for 10-15 mintes. Make sure to flip them half way through.
- Air-fryer- Reheating in air fryer is fun as you can quickly reheat any leftovers. Preheat the air fryer at 350C and than cook toasts for 2-3 minutes.
- Microwave- I do not recommend using microwave to reheat the stuffed toasts. But if you do not have any other option then microwave it for 30 seconds and then in 10 seconds intervals.
More Breakfast Recipes
Strawberry Recipes
You can check the post that pairs well with strawberries to know more.
If you try this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a star rating. Don't forget to tag #fitmealideas20 on Instagram or @fitmealideas on Pinterest!
Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast
Ingredients
- 6 slice broiche
- 4 oz cream cheese using full fat. Check substitutions.
- 1.5 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ cup strawberries chopped finely
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup 2% milk 2% milk. Check substitutions.
- ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1.5 tablespoon olive oil Check substitutions
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and maple syrup. Once both are combined well, fold in the chopped strawberries.4 oz cream cheese, 1.5 tablespoon maple syrup, ½ cup strawberries
- Divide the cheesecake mixture with into 3 of the brioche slices equally. Spread it in the middle. Top this with the second slice of the bread and seal around the edges.6 slice broiche
- In a flat bottom bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla essence, cinnamon, and salt.2 eggs, ¼ cup 2% milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla essence, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 pinch salt
- Heat a nonstick griddle on medium heat. Once hot, add oil. Dip the prepared stuffed bread sandwich in the egg mixture on both sides.1.5 tablespoon olive oil
- Transfer it to the hot griddle. Cook it on one side without touching it. Flip the stuffed french toast on the second side and cook again for 2-3 minutes.Serve this strawberry cream cheese stuffed french toast immediately.
Notes
- Do not use fresh brioche to make stuffed french toast.
- 20-30 seconds are good to dip brioche in the egg custard.
- If using different slices of bread then give them enough time to absorb the egg mixture.
- The skillet should not be high on heat. Always heat the griddle on medium heat and then cook the toasts.
- In case cream cheese filling comes out while cooking, don't worry.
- Don't add too many strawberries. It may fall out while flipping or bread slices won't stick with each other.
- Cream cheese should be at room temperature. It turns lumpy if using a cold one.
Leave a Reply