Stuffed French Toast Recipe

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast has all the flavor and elegance of a gourmet brunch, yet it could not be easier to make. With a beautiful golden exterior and rich, luscious strawberry cream cheese filling, this brunch recipe makes you look like a culinary superstar. The best part? Your guests will never know it only took you 20 minutes to pull off!

Serve this alongside a help-yourself bloody Mary bar, fluffy scrambled eggs, and a savory lox spread for effortless entertaining. Heavy on the fancy, light on the effort.

If my bakery years taught me anything it's that balance--in both flavor and texture--is of the utmost importance when it comes to sweet treats like the perfect chocolate chip cookie and gourmet muffins. But this is especially true in the case of French toast, where texture can make or break the dish.

Lucky for you (and your soon-to-be obsessed French toast recipients), this recipe delivers in every which way--a golden, crispy exterior and a custardy, never-soggy interior filled with sweet, slightly tang strawberry cheesecake-like filling.

As for the flavor, a dish as decadent as stuffed French toast often falls prey to becoming cloyingly sweet once the toppings come into play. That's why both the filling and the custard are carefully crafted to be just sweet enough, whether you smother it with powdered sugar, whipped cream, maple syrup...or not.

Meet my new go-to brunch recipe for indulging with family and friends this spring. Guaranteed, you're going to adore this cream-cheese-stuffed French toast recipe.

Why This Recipe Works

This One's the Real Deal | Many recipes floating around online for stuffed French toast aren't really stuffed at all. They're more like French toast sandwiches. For the real deal, stuffed French toast that impresses guests tastes absolutely amazing, and stays intact come serving time, do this.

The Bread | Buying bakery bread two to three days in advance and slicing it yourself is the only way to make perfect stuffed French toast. You need the bread to be thick enough to create a pocket. You can use either challah or brioche for this recipe. In addition to this, making sure the bread is slightly stale before use ensures it can absorb the custard and stand up to the highest of French toast expectations.

The Custard | This custard is a smart blend of ingredients that results in rich flavor and amazing texture. The flour better enables the exterior to crisp up, while the half-and-half, eggs, and vanilla make it extra decadent and flavorful.

Efficiency | If you follow the instructions below and sync up your cooking and bread soaking time, this brunch will take less than 20 minutes to make from start to finish!

Balance | It is important to consider French toast isn't often served as is. In fact, it's almost as much about the toppings as it is the French toast itself. This recipe ensures that the strawberry cream cheese filling, the custard-soaked bread, and the toppings work beautifully together.

Versatility | You can use different types of bread: challah for a less sweet, sturdier French toast or brioche if buttery, rich vibes are of the essence. Or even sourdough for added complexity and excellent structure. You can also change up the flavor of the filling by using any flavor jam or preserves you like. Just swap out the cream cheese for a less tangy mascarpone or switch it up altogether and try a nut butter filling like peanut butter or Nutella. Or, add fresh fruit to the filling to bulk up the flavor. Fold in up to 1 cup of fresh berries or sliced strawberries to your filling base for extra decadence.

How to Make Stuffed French Toast

Slice the Bread | A sharp, serrated knife is best for cutting clean slices into bread. With that in mind, use your bread knife to cut the loaf into two- to three-inch pieces. Then, using a small paring knife, cut a pocket into the top of each slice. Be careful when cutting this pocket for the stuffing--make sure you leave the sides and bottom intact. Set aside.

Mix Cream Cheese + Preserves | Add the cream cheese and strawberry preserves to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Your cream cheese needs to be at room temperature so that it will blend seamlessly with the jam. Use a handheld mixer on medium speed to mix until well combined.

Stuff the Pockets | Add a generous spoonful of the cream cheese filling into each bread pocket and set aside.

Make the Custard | Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a small mixing bowl and whisk. Slowly pour in the half-and-half, whisking all the while. Then, add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined.

Soak the Bread | The dish size you use to soak your toast is key to the recipe. Make sure your skillet is big enough to accommodate two slices because you'll want to have both pieces of toast in there at once (no one likes a crowded pan).

Pour the custard mixture into a small casserole dish or pie dish and add two slices of bread. Soak for about three minutes, then turn and soak for another two to three minutes.

Pro-Tip: Once you remove one set of sliced bread from the custard dish, add the next couple of slices to soak. Once you flip the bread in the pan, also take care to flip the bread in the custard as well. This will keep the recipe moving along quickly. Depending on the size of your loaf, you should have six to eight thick-cut slices of bread.

Cook the Bread | For this step, you want to stay close by to watch the butter and make sure it doesn't burn. This is a recipe where you need to pay attention to the heat level throughout the entire process.

Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter. As soon as the butter has melted, transfer the soaked bread to the pan and cook for about three minutes. Lower the heat if necessary to keep the toast from over-browning in the allotted cooking time. Flip and cook for another two to three minutes or until golden brown.

Cool | Remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack. A wire rack levels up dishes this, letting air circulate and keeping heat from building up on the bottom. No more soggy French toast!

Repeat | Carefully wipe out the pan between batches if necessary and repeat with the remaining butter and sourdough slices. There is a rhythm to the process between the soaking and cooking--you'll pick it up!

Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

5 More Recipes to Make for Brunch

• If you're looking to show off your culinary skills even further and add some savory protein to the menu, eggs Florentine is the way to go.
• Brunch is best with appetizers. To keep things easy, try this baked brie with jam. It only takes 10 minutes to assemble and everyone loves it!
• Hit that easy button one more time with our simple avocado spread. Great for spreading on toasts or featuring on a crudité board.
• Double down on strawberry goodness with our strawberry shortcake biscuits for dessert.
• If your brunch is closer to the afternoon, consider bulking up the menu with a Panera copycat favorite: the Fuji Apple Salad. This salad is hearty, light, and packed with flavor.