Strawberry Stuffed French Toast! Thick-sliced bread is stuffed with a sweet strawberry cream cheese filling with a hint of lemon in this decadent breakfast treat!
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Strawberry Stuffed French Toast is the perfect way to enjoy the bounty of lush, juicy berries in the spring!
Filled with a creamy and flavorful cheesecake-like filling that has fresh strawberries and lemon zest folded into the mix, this French toast is like no other. The crunchy outside of the slices are coated in cookie crumbs (although they can be omitted, if desired) and cooked to golden perfection.
Looking for more mouthwatering breakfast & brunch recipes? Try my Blueberry Toast, Jumbo Breakfast Cookies or Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling!
This recipe is naturally vegetarian and can be made gluten-free and vegan. (See Variations & Substitutions below.)
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Ingredients
- Milk
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Pulverized cookies (such as vanilla wafers)
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon zest
- Strawberries
- Bread - preferably a thick, sturdy bread like challah or brioche
Instructions
Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add butter to melt.
Prepare your dipping station: In a small pan or dish, whisk together milk, egg, and vanilla extract. On a plate or small pan, place pulverized cookie crumbs and pat into one layer. Set aside.
Note: The cookie crust can be omitted if desired.
In a small bowl, beat together softened cream cheese with powdered sugar, lemon zest. Gently fold in chopped strawberries.
Spread filling onto 2 slices of bread, dividing the mixture evenly. Top each piece with another piece of bread to make a "sandwich".
Quickly dunk the each sandwich into the egg mixture (make sure to flip so both sides are coated) allowing excess liquid to drip off.
Immediately place onto cookie crumbs and dredge each side, pressing lightly to adhere the crumbs to the outside of the bread. Repeat with second sandwich.
Place each piece in skillet. Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side until they're golden and have a bit of a crunch.
Serve warm with powdered sugar and extra strawberries if desired.
Recipe FAQ's
I have 2 methods: The sandwich method or the pocket method.
For the sandwich method, spread the filling between two slices of bread as you would for regular sandwich before dunking in the egg mixture.
For the pocket method, you'll need a whole loaf of bread. Cut the slices quite thick, about an inch, then use a paring knife to create a "pocket" (think of a pita). The easiest way to fill French toast for this method is by placing the filling into a piping bag or zip top bag and piping it in to the pocket.
Brioche, Challah or French Baguettes are the best for French toast. Brioche and Challah add a nice decadent richness, while French baguettes tend to be sturdy and hold up well to dunking in the egg mixture.
Variations & Substitutions
Try these variations!
- Omit the lemon zest and stir mini chocolate chips into the filling mixture for a "Chocolate Covered Strawberry" inspired French toast!
- Swap out lemon zest for orange zest.
- Add ¼ teaspoon of almond extract to the filling for a sweet, subtle hint of almond.
Diet-Specific Substitutions
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free bread instead of regular.
- Vegan: Use plant-based cream cheese, butter and eggs (such as JustEgg) instead of regular.
Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk of choice
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15 vanilla cookies, such as Nilla Wafers pulverized
- 4 ounces softened cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ cup finely diced strawberries
- 4 slices bread preferably a thick, sturdy bread like challah or brioche
Instructions
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add butter to melt.
- Prepare your dipping station: In a small pan or dish, whisk together milk, egg, and vanilla extract. On a plate or small pan, place pulverized cookie crumbs and pat into one layer. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, beat together softened cream cheese with powdered sugar, lemon zest. Gently fold in chopped strawberries.
- Spread filling onto 2 slices of bread, dividing the mixture evenly. Top each piece with another piece of bread to make a "sandwich".
- Quickly dunk the each sandwich into the egg mixture {make sure to flip so both sides are coated, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Immediately place onto cookie crumbs and dredge each side, pressing lightly to adhere the crumbs to the outside of the bread. Repeat with second sandwich.
- Place each piece in skillet. Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side until they're golden and have a bit of a crunch.*
- Serve warm with powdered sugar and extra strawberries if desired.
Notes
- Omit the lemon zest and stir mini chocolate chips into the filling mixture for a "Chocolate Covered Strawberry" inspired French toast!
- Swap out lemon zest for orange zest.
- Add ¼ teaspoon of almond extract to the filling for a sweet, subtle hint of almond.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free bread instead of regular.
- Vegan: Use plant-based cream cheese, butter and eggs (such as JustEgg) instead of regular.
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