Strawberry french toast may be the most delicious and surprisingly simple summer breakfast you can make to wow your family and friends. This simple stuffed french toast recipe is perfect to prep in advance or to enjoy for a weekend brunch.
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Can I use other berries for stuffed french toast?
Yes, you absolutely can! I have made this with blueberries and blackberries before, and it tastes amazing. Have fun with your favorite fruit.
Whatever fresh fruit you find in season, go for it. In fact, you can go so far as to use frozen peaches, if you like. They work well in this because they retain their texture.
I do avoid most other frozen fruit because it breaks down too much when it thaws. For that reason, use fresh strawberries only in this recipe.
Why should I macerate my strawberries?
When you slice fresh strawberries, even perfectly ripe fresh strawberries, they are more firm than you want them to be. It also adds sweetness and flavor to the strawberries.
This is a quick step you can easily do before you mix up your cream cheese filling and doesn’t add much time to the overall prep.
That said, do not macerate your strawberries for more than a half hour or so. They continue to soften release their juices, and you do not want that for your breakfast.
What kind of bread should I use for strawberry french toast?
I absolutely love to use sourdough bread for this recipe because it adds a perfect contrast to the sweetness of the cream cheese filling inside. While you can use brioche or Texas toast or even challah, try this with sourdough bread and I bet you’ll stick with it.
I love the Wildgrain sourdough bread, and this is a perfect use for the loaf you receive each month in the subscription box. (You can read all about how it works in this Wildgrain subscription review.)
The small-batch artisan bread is absolutely delicious, and it pairs perfectly with the cream cheese and fresh strawberries to create an ideal breakfast treat.
Even better, use the code HONEST10 for $10 off your first box to try it out.
Since Wildgrain sends their products frozen, keep your loaf in the freezer until you are ready to make this recipe, and you know your sourdough will be perfectly fresh and delicious, straight from the oven.
Everything comes perfectly prepped, and you just need to cook it in the oven (or stove for pasta) for 30 minutes or less. Easy peasy!
In addition to the fabulous sourdough bread, they also include plenty of other fantastic treats ranging from croissants to artisan English muffins to pasta and more. Each month has a different rotation of delicious treats that includes the makes for 30 or more individual meals.
What milk should I use?
You can use whatever milk you have in the fridge to make this recipe, though I suggest at least 2% if not whole milk. To make it even more decadent, you can easily use half and half (I often do) or heavy cream instead.
Note that the less fat in your milk, the less time you need to soak your bread because it absorbs faster. You do want to have some fat in your egg mixture, as it does definitely taste better and have a better texture when you use whole milk or half and half.
How long should I soak my bread for stuffed french toast?
When you soak the bread for this sourdough french toast recipe, you want the bread to be saturated with the egg mixture, but you don’t want it so soaked that it gets soggy and starts to fall apart.
If you have more stale sourdough bread, then you want to soak it a little longer. If you use milk instead of half and half and fresh sourdough bread, you may need to only soak it for a few seconds.
Because you stuff your french toast before you soak it, you can’t really squeeze it to help it absorb the egg mixture like a sponge, so be patient and let it hang out for 5-10 seconds to start.
You can always soak it for a little longer, but you cannot as easily remove excess moisture.
What should I serve with strawberry stuffed french toast?
This simple stuffed french toast recipe is delicious with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar and more sliced strawberries, but it tastes equally as good with additional toppings, so have fun!
Enjoy it with maple syrup or whipped cream – or both – to really take it over the top.
How to Make Stuffed French Toast
Macerate your fresh strawberries first. Slice them, then add them to a bowl and sprinkle granulated sugar over them.
Stir the strawberries gently, then let them sit for at least 10 minutes and up to a half hour.
In a separate mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then set aside.
Note: Be sure that you use softened cream cheese. You’ll want to set it on your counter for an hour or so before you make the filling.
Slice your bread into 3/4 inch slices if you have not already. If it is incredibly fresh and soft, place it on a wire rack inside a baking sheet in your oven at 200 degrees for 15 or so minutes until it is dry to the touch.
Ideally, slice your bread a day or two in advance and let it get lightly stale in its bag, but this trick works, too.
Spread a generous layer of the cream cheese mixture onto one side of each slice of bread. On half the slices, layer your macerated strawberries.
Place the second slice of bread atop the slice with strawberries, and gently press it closed to seal the stuffed toast.
In a shallow dish, whisk together the milk with the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium heat, then melt butter on it.
Gently dip the french toast sandwiches into the milk mixture to coat them but not saturate them, usually 10-15 seconds. Flip them over and repeat the process.
Place the toast on your griddle or skillet and cook each side until golden brown and crispy. This generally takes 2-3 minutes per side.
Serve them immediately sprinkled with powdered sugar and lots of berries sliced on top or with whatever additions you prefer.
Be sure to save this recipe to make strawberry French toast again soon!
Strawberry Stuffed French Toast
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 1 cup fresh strawberries
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For the french toast
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 12 slices sourdough bread slightly stale
Instructions
- Slice strawberries, then add them to a bowl and sprinkle granulated sugar over them. Stir, then let sit for 10-30 minutes.1 cup fresh strawberries, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- In a separate mixing bowl, add cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then set aside.8 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Spread one side of each slice of bread with cream cheese mixture. On half the slices, layer macerated strawberries. Place the other halves on top to form a sandwich.
- In a shallow dish, whisk milk, vanilla, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg.3 eggs, 2/3 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium heat, then melt butter on it.
- Dip sandwiches into the egg mixture to coat each tide, then place on griddle or skillet and cook each side 2-3 minutes until golden brown.12 slices sourdough bread
- Serve immediately, topped as you choose.
Notes
- To quickly stale fresh bread, place slices on a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet at 200 degrees for 15 minutes until dry to the touch.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
This was a huge hit with everybody, they devoured it. My kids have requested this for our Easter brunch this year.
I’m so glad they liked it! My kids love this, too.
My kids loved helping me make this recipe. It’s easy enough for them to get involved. Our favorite was the cream cheese filling, it was so creamy and delicious. Can I use almond milk instead of regular milk for soaking the bread? I’d love to make a dairy-free version for my husband.
Yep – you can absolutely use almond milk for this. I have used rice milk before to make it, too. And obviously you know about the dairy free cream cheese that works as a perfect sub, too!
The strawberries were perfectly macerated, so juicy and sweet. We enjoyed it with a whipped cream over the top and it was so good. Such a perfect romantic breakfast in bed I prepared for my hubby!
Awwwww your husband is lucky! That’s such a fun treat, and I love that he enjoyed it.
The sourdough bread really adds a nice tangy flavor to this French toast. Great suggestion! I love that I can use different berries for this recipe. Thinking of trying it with raspberries next time.
Right? I love sourdough for French toast. And yum! Let me know how it tastes with raspberries – that sounds great.
I used frozen peaches instead of strawberries because that’s what I had on hand and still turned out so good. It is so creamy and so perfect with a Texas toast. Absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to try it again with different fruits!
Peaches would be delicious with this, too. Great idea!