Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

This has been on my breakfast menu for quite some time but I’ve been putting it off for as long as I could because it seemed so complicated to make. But once I started making it, I couldn’t believe how simple it was. Yes, there were a lot of steps to it but the instructions were very simple and filling the toast with the strawberry cream cheese filling wasn’t as messy as anticipated. Actually, it wasn’t messy at all! The filling stayed put when it was coated in the egg mixture and it also stayed put when I was flipping it on the skillet. Not only was it mess-free but it tasted amazing! The creamy filling in between the crisp yet tender slices of bread wasn’t too sweet but sweet enough to really let you indulge during breakfast time. They were so good, I devoured 2 of these in less than 10 minutes and I was ready to steal some more from the boyfriend.

These are absolutely perfect to make for your special someone on Valentine’s Day or even an anniversary.

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast (adapted from Annie’s Eats):

Yields 4 servings

1 cup strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons sugar
4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 thick slices challah bread
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

To make the strawberry filling, combine the strawberries and sugar in a medium bowl. Let sit 15 minutes until strawberries give off juices.

Add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.

Beat in melted butter and vanilla until well combined.

Beat in flour, cinnamon and salt until well combined.

Carefully slice a pocket into the center of each slice of bread, taking care not to cut all the way through to the other side.

Fill the pocket of each slice of bread with the strawberry filling mixture.

One at a time, soak the filled slices of bread in the egg mixture, about 30-40 seconds per side. Remove the bread and allow the excess batter to drip off. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining bread slices.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the filled slices of bread and cook until light golden brown and crisp, about 1-2 minutes per side. Repeating with remaining slices of bread, adding more butter to the skillet as needed.