Take a breakfast basic to a whole new level with this fast and fresh recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast.
If you’ve ever sampled a taste (or 27) of my crowd favorite Strawberry Cheesecake Chimichangas, then allow me to introduce you to your new breakfast best friend: Strawberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast.
An indulgence? Yes. Worth the indulgence? H-E double hockey sticks YES. Just imagine your favorite slice of strawberry cheesecake tucked inside an egg-battered sourdough bread pocket that’s pan-fried until golden brown then drizzled with maple syrup.
Are you still with me or did you leave for the store already?
Still here? OK, thank goodness because while you’re at the store, you’ll want to complete this French toast trifecta by grabbing ingredients for Banana and Nutella Stuffed French Toast and, my all-time favorite, Easy Cinnamon French Toast Sticks. Ready? Go!
And if you’re ready to see this breakfast-slash-dessert deliciousness in action, tune in to the video below and get those forks ready for the ultimate update on a brunchtime classic.
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Ingredients
- 8 (1-inch thick) slices bread (See Kelly’s Note)
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temp
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups diced strawberries, divided
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- Unsalted butter, for cooking
- Maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Cut a wide pocket into each slice of bread without cutting all the way through the bread.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, vanilla extract, lemon juice, lemon zest and ½ cup diced strawberries until well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Slather a portion of the cream cheese mixture inside each bread pocket and press each bread pocket closed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, cinnamon and sugar.
- Place a large pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted, dip each stuffed slice of toast into the egg mixture on all sides and shake off any excess. Place the bread immediately into the pan and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Flip once and continue cooking until golden, about 2 minutes. Repeat the coating the cooking process with the remaining slices of bread. (Do not overcrowd the pan.)
- Serve the French toast immediately topped with maple syrup and the remaining diced strawberries.
Kelly’s Note:
- Any variety of bread will work in this recipe. A few of my favorites include a loaf of sourdough, a French baguette or (extra-thick) Texas toast. Use whatever type of bread you prefer, however stale bread works best for French Toast, as it absorbs the most liquid.
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
I dissolved the sugar in the cream cheese during step one to avoid any grainy texture. Excellent flavors, great crowd pleaser. Thank you!
You are so welcome, Sara! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I hate to be a nitpicker but in the video you said to cut the bread 2 inches thick but in the recipe it says 1 inch thick. Which is it?
Hi Margie – Feel free to follow the recipe as written :)
Loved this yummy French toast recipe!
Made this today for my hubby and 4 kids and they were in love! Followed the recipe exactly as you wrote it and it turned out perfect. I doubled the filling which was enough to use an entire loaf of the cheap grocery store French bread that I had sliced sandwich style. This will definitely become a family favorite!
Love hearing this, Luanne! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe.
Great Mother’s Day recipe! I made it for my mom yesterday, although me and my sister ate most of it….:)
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)
I made the recipe today- a little too lemony for my taste. I think without the lemon zest and some sugar in the cream cheese would have made the filling less lemony and more sweet. Mine turned out runny as well and I used the whipped cream cheese. Good idea though- just will have to make some alterations. :)
You should use regular cream cheese
If I woke up every morning next to you I would be happy too, of course while we eat the French toast lol Tony
Hahah! Thank you, Tony!
I tried this recipe & it did not turn out. Maybe would have tried that pre whipped cream cheese instead. As is, the mixture was all runny & didn’t hold up well, plus the pieces didn’t cook through so it was all mush. Very disappointed in the waste of ingredients used.
Hi Sherrie – What type of cream cheese did you use? The mixture should be very thick since the cream cheese is so thick.
Wondering if I could use Texas bread instead of French bread
That should work! You’ll just want to make sure it’s thick enough to hold the filling. Enjoy!
I use canned evaporated milk instead of cream, and even the non-fat tastes rich.
I’ll have to try it without now! Thanks again! :)
Made this today and it’s delicious! I did notice you didn’t have any sweetener in the cream cheese filling… I added some sugar which made the filling the same as a no bake cheesecake recipe I use for desserts. Do you normally not put sugar in it or is it just missing from the recipe? Thanks for the wonderful recipe :)
Hi Renee! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. I don’t add extra sugar to the filling in this recipe because the syrup on top is so sweet it tends to be overwhelming sweet. But if you prefer to add sugar, you totally can :)
I use canned evaporated milk instead of cream, and even the non-fat tastes rich.
I was wondering if there was a way to substitute the strawberries for something else? I wanted to make a vanilla flavored cheesecake filling to stuff inside the french toast. I don’t like strawberries but I love french toast and would love to try stuffed french toast.
Definitely! Use whatever fruit you prefer or just leave them out :)
if you dont have heavy cream will milk be a good sub and still use a 3/4 cup? For some reason i can never get heavy cream at the store.
Yes indeed, Sam!
I was totally swept up. Love the cheese stuffed inside toast. Here’s come the perfect brunch for hot summer days. Thank you dear!
My mouth is totally watering! This looks incredible!
“Magical”. That word describes this french toast perfectly!
Cheesecake stuffed french toast sounds like the perfect breakfast to make this weekend! Lovely!
That looks amazing!
If I could wake up to a plate of this cheesecake french toast every morning… I would be one happy person.