Stuffed French Toast with Berries

This easy recipe for Stuffed French Toast with Berries is a rich and decadent breakfast that's perfect for the holidays! Thick slices of bread are stuffed with cream cheese, soaked in a rich custard and then griddled until buttery and crisp. Serve with maple syrup and fresh berries for a very special breakfast or brunch.

Are you ready? Presents wrapped? Cookies baked? Mistletoe hung? I am nowhere near what I would consider to be "ready" for Christmas, but I know I'll somehow manage to get there in time. It's like this every year - a mad dash to the finish line. But that's all part of the excitement!

Christmas morning breakfast is major. Do you know what you'll be serving yet? Growing up, my mom always popped open a can of cinnamon rolls, which was everything a kid could want after an exhausting morning of opening up presents. This year, we'll be heading up to Grandma and Grandpa Graff's house for Christmas brunch. The Graff's do Christmas right - I consider them professionals, and I always look forward to spending the day at their home. But this year, I'm especially excited that we get to enjoy their famous Christmas brunch.

The Graff's put out the most amazing breakfast spread, and the past few years we've had to miss it. They have coffee, mimosas and bloody Maries, plus French toast, bacon, fresh fruit and - get this - eggs Benedict made to order with perfectly poached eggs and buttery homemade hollandaise. Jealous? You should be. A lot of work goes into that brunch and I'm so grateful that I get to just sit back and enjoy it. But an extra special Christmas breakfast doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming, and this stuffed French toast is proof.

Serve it up with pure maple syrup (warm it up first for best results) and some mixed fresh berries to make your Christmas morning extra special, extra delicious - and most importantly - extra easy.

One Year Ago: Pumpkin Cinnamon RollsAnd Coquito
Two Years Ago: Scallops with Pomegranate Beurre Blanc

Stuffed French Toast

Print Recipe

This easy recipe for Stuffed French Toast with Berries is a rich and decadent breakfast that's perfect for the holidays! Thick slices of bread are stuffed with cream cheese, soaked in a rich custard and then griddled until buttery and crisp. Serve with maple syrup and fresh berries for a very special breakfast or brunch.

• Author: Nicole Gaffney (ColeyCooks.com)
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 pieces, 4 servings 1x
• Category: breakfast
• Method: sautéed
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Filling:

• 1 8oz package cream cheese softened to room temperature
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the French Toast:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup half and half or whole milk 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 pieces thick sliced brioche, challah or Texas toast
• 3 tablespoons (or more) salted butter
• maple syrup and mixed berries for serving

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Make the filling: Use an electric mixer to beat together the softened cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half and half, cinnamon and vanilla, then set aside.
3. Spread 2 tablespoons (eyeball it) of filling on a slice of bread, leaving roughly a ½ inch border around the edges. Top with another piece of bread and gently press to secure. Repeat with the remaining bread and filling.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Dip one sandwiched piece of bread into the custard, turning a few times to thoroughly coat, then transfer to the hot pan. Repeat with one more. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes on the other side. Be sure to keep the heat at a relatively low temperature to avoid burning. Melt more butter in the pan and repeat with the remaining pieces.
5. Cooked french toast can be held in a 250 degree oven for up to 1 hour before serving.
6. Slice each piece of french toast in half on a diagonal, then place 3 halves on each plate. Serve with mixed berries and maple syrup.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 505
• Sugar: 13.4 g
• Sodium: 610.8 mg
• Fat: 27.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 49.5 g
• Protein: 15.4 g
• Cholesterol: 191.6 mg

Keywords: breakfast, brunch, stuffed, french toast, cream cheese, berries, maple syrup, holidays, christmas

SaveSave