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Meet the French toast with the most! Jam-sweetened cream cheese, fresh strawberries, and banana slices layered between thick, fluffy slices of bread, this Stuffed French Toast is pure breakfast pampering. Treat yourself!

A stuffed french toast sandwich with banana, strawberry, and maple syrup

One of my “in another life” careers is to own a bed and breakfast. We’d have a wrap-around porch, five-star rating on Trip Advisor, and be renown for our homemade breakfasts. The house special: stuffed French toast.

Now that our lives are busier, cooking an all-out breakfast isn’t something I do often for just Ben and myself (or if I do, it’s a 100% make-ahead option like Overnight French Toast).

The weekend I was testing this stuffed French toast, however, it was just the two of us. I channeled my inner B&B host and threw in a side of Oven Baked Bacon to seal the deal.

syrup drizzling on stuffed french toast

SO. FUN.

Indulging in a big breakfast turned a normal weekend at home into a memorable, relaxing day spent in PJs just because.

Whether you need a special breakfast for a crowd, someone’s birthday or Mother’s Day, or just because, this stuffed French toast will put you in a happy mood that’s sure to last the day through.

5 Star Review

“So refreshing to see a French toast that uses some restraint in the amount of sugar! Just what I’ve been looking for!”

— Janet —
A plate with syrup being drizzled on stuffed french toast stuffed with berries and cream cheese

How to Make Stuffed French Toast

This creamy stuffed French toast recipe is on the decadent side but (per usual) I used a few simple swaps to lighten it up.

Go ahead, have another piece!

I tested both a stovetop method and a baked stuffed French toast. We both preferred the stovetop method.

  • Cooking French toast on the stovetop helps the outsides to turn golden and crisp and the extra thick French toast “sandwich” to cook through evenly.
  • For a baked French toast option, check out this Blueberry French Toast Casserole or classic Baked French Toast.

Equipment Tip!

Overall, I prefer to cook French toast on a nonstick surface. It is less likely to stick, and you don’t need as much butter.

  • An electric griddle like this one (which doubles as a panini press—I LOVE this model!) will allow the most control over the heat. Great for Brioche French Toast too!
  • For a stovetop option, try a longer, griddle-shaped skillet like this one, which will allow to you cook more French toast pieces at the same time.
  • Determined to cook in a cast iron skillet? Be sure to melt a generous amount of butter to prevent sticking (but not so much butter that your French toast turns soggy; it’s a balance).
stuffed French toast sandwich on a plate

The Ingredients

  • Bread. It’s not French toast without it! For a healthy stuffed French toast, use whole wheat bread (just like I do for French Toast Sticks). Whole grains offer additional fiber and nutrients compared to white bread. Plus, this French toast has so much going on, the swap doesn’t take away from it.

Substitution Tip!

Not worried about baking a healthy French toast? Make brioche stuffed French toast instead. Brioche is a soft, enriched bread that contains butter, milk, and eggs. It’s divine.

  • Eggs + Milk. I found 1% milk gave us a French toast that was plenty rich. For even more decadence, use whole milk or swap part of the milk for half-and-half.
  • Strawberries + Banana (or fruit of choice). French toast topped with fruit is tasty but French toast stuffed WITH bananas and strawberries is next level! Feel free to use one or both fruits.

Market Swap

For a seasonal variation, take a note from Peach Pancakes and use thinly sliced fresh peaches. Or, try raspberries or a combo.

  • Cream Cheese. I used reduced fat cream cheese, and the filling was every bit as creamy as I dreamed.

Substitution Tip!

To make stuffed French toast without cream cheese, try swapping:

  • A smear of almond butter or peanut butter (the ultimate healthy stuffed French toast option).
  • A different mild, creamy cheese. Stuffed French toast with mascarpone would be particularly heavenly.
  • For chocolate stuffed French toast, spread your bread slices with Nutella or add a few mini chocolate chips.
  • Jam. Instead of sweetening the cream cheese filling with sugar, I used pure fruit jam.

Market Swap

  • Use whatever fruit jam is in season, pairs with the fresh fruit you are stuffing inside the French toast, or you have open in your refrigerator.
  • Apricot was our flavor of the day, but strawberry jam or even orange marmalade would be equally scrumptious.
  • No jam on hand? You can use honey or pure maple syrup instead.

The Directions

reduced fat cream cheese filling for stuffed French toast
  1. Prepare the reduced-fat cream cheese filling.
stuffed French toast with reduced fat cream cheese on a plate
  1. To begin assembling the stuffed French toast, spread the filling on one side of each slice of bread.
two slices of bread spread with cream cheese filling and fresh fruit for making stuffed french toast
  1. Layer the fruit of your choice on top of the filling.
stuffed French toast with banana filling
  1. Put the two sides together like a sandwich.
creamy cinnamon stuffed French toast batter in a dish
  1. Whisk the French toast batter together in a shallow baking dish.
healthy strawberry stuffed French toast batter in a dish
  1. Dip each sandwich in the batter, turning it a few times to thoroughly coat.
  1. Cook the sandwiches for 8 to 10 minutes over medium-low heat, until golden on both sides and the custard is cooked through, gently flipping once halfway through. ENJOY!

Why is My French Toast Soggy?

French toast should be moist and tender inside, but it is not supposed to be gooey. If your French toast is soggy, it’s likely because:

  • Your bread is too fresh. The best bread for French toast is day-old bread. Because it’s dry, it can absorb the custard but won’t become soggy. (No day-old bread? Simply toast your slices in the oven for a few minutes first to help dry it out.)
  • You let the bread sit too long in the custard. It’s a fine line. You want the bread to be moist almost all the way through, but you don’t want it completely wet or falling apart.
  • Your pan is too hot. If your French toast is burning outside before the inside is cooked, lower your skillet heat. For extra-thick stuffed French toast sandwiches like these in particular, you need low-to-medium heat to ensure the custard cooks all the way though.
a slice of brioche stuffed french toast with strawberry, banana, and syrup on a white plate

Side Dishes that Go Well with French Toast

  • Fresh fruit. Slice up whatever is in season, or serve this Fruit Salad for a special meal.
  • Yogurt + Granola. For a double hit of creaminess, serve plain or vanilla Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of Healthy Granola (or the Ridiculously Addictive Maple Quinoa Granola from my cookbook) on top for crunch.
  • Egg Muffins or Breakfast Casserole. Rather than tossing more carbs into the mix (delish, but this stuffed French toast has them covered), serve your French toast alongside protein-rich Egg Muffins, this Healthy Breakfast Casserole, or this veggie-packed Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole.
  • Air Fryer Bacon. The sweet and savory combo of bacon and French toast is a forever favorite.

Storage Tips

  • To Store. Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • To Reheat. Gently rewarm French toast in a nonstick skillet until cooked through.
  • To Freeze. Tightly wrap individual stuffed French toast “sandwiches.” Freeze for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Meal Prep Tip

The night before, slice your bread and leave it out to dry. Mix up the cream cheese filling and store in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, let the filling sit at room temperature until it becomes easily spreadable.

Serve up this stuffed French toast at your own pretend family “B&B.” It’s 5-star review guaranteed!

Stuffed French Toast

4.75 from 4 votes
This stuffed French toast sandwich recipe shines at breakfast and brunch. Bananas, strawberries, and low-calorie cream cheese keep it healthy.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Servings: 6 sandwiches

Ingredients
  

FOR THE FILLING:

  • 8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese or Neufchatel, softened to room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons fruit jam or maple syrup, or honey (I used apricot jam)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh strawberries or try peaches!
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced banana or more strawberries, peaches, or fruit of choice

FOR THE FRENCH TOAST:

  • 12 thick about 1/2-inch slices of day-old bread* (about 1 large loaf; I used whole grain sourdough)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk any kind you like. I used 1%
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Butter or nonstick spray

FOR SERVING:

  • Pure maple syrup
  • Sliced bananas and strawberries
  • Whipped Cream

Instructions
 

  • If you’d like to keep the French toast warm between batches, preheat your oven to 225 degrees F.
  • Prepare the cream cheese filling: In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, jam, vanilla, and salt.
  • Assemble the stuffed French toast: Spread 1 side of each of the 12 slices of bread with a layer of the cream cheese mixture, dividing it evenly between each and leaving a 1/4-inch border around all sides.
  • Arrange a layer of strawberry and banana slices on top of 6 of the slices. (It's okay for the fruit to overlap a little bit).
  • Lay the remaining 6 slices on top, cream-cheese side down, to create a French toast “sandwich.”
  • In a shallow baking dish or bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
  • To cook the French toast: Heat a large non-stick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat (about 325 to 350 degrees F on an electric griddle). Melt butter in the skillet, or coat with nonstick spray. Working one or two at a time, dip each sandwich in egg mixture, turning it a few times to thoroughly coat. If your bread is very dense and doesn't readily absorb the egg mixture (mine was), let the sandwich sit in the egg mixture for 10 to 20 seconds on each side to give the bread time to absorb it (the sandwiches shouldn't be completely soggy, but you do want the egg mixture to penetrate more than just the very outsides; if your bread is very dense, it may need closer to 30 seconds a side).
  • Lift up each sandwich and allow any excess mixture to drip off the bread and back into the bowl. Cook the sandwiches for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden on both sides and the custard is cooked through, gently flipping once halfway through. Keep the heat low and adjust as needed so that the French toast cooks and turns lightly crisp and golden on the outside but does not burn.
  • If desired, place the French toast on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you prepare remaining batches. Serve hot with toppings of choice.

Video

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Notes

  • *For a more decadent spin, make brioche French toast (swapping brioche bread for the whole grain bread) or challah. For max speed and ease, use Texas Toast. If your bread isn’t stale or is very fresh/soft, toast it in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes, flipping it once halfway through.
  • TO STORE: Place leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm French toast in a nonstick skillet until cooked through.
  • TO FREEZE: Tightly wrap individual stuffed French toast “sandwiches.” Freeze for up to 1 month. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1stuffed slice without toppingsCalories: 465kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 17gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 179mgPotassium: 377mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 459IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 120mgIron: 1mg

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Erin Clarke

Hi, I'm Erin Clarke, and I'm fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food that's affordable, easy-to-make, and best of all DELISH. I'm the author and recipe developer here at wellplated.com and of The Well Plated Cookbook. I adore both sweets and veggies, and I am on a mission to save you time and dishes. WELCOME!

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32 Comments

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  1. this looks sooooooooooooo goooooooooooooood, I have a quick question or two. can I use canned peached and another kind of milk instead of non fat4 stars

    1. Hi Sharyn! Canned peaches should work fine, and you can use any type of milk you prefer. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

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