Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast Recipe

This Stuffed French Toast recipe makes a terrific breakfast treat for special occasions, holidays, or any time you have overnight houseguests! It's seriously one of my favorite breakfast treat!  I love both the French toast with cream cheese filling and the crumbly topping!  Both are nothing short of perfection!

Cream cheese stuffed French toast is a delightful twist on the classic breakfast favorite.

Imagine biting into the warm, golden streusel crust of a perfectly cooked French toast, only to discover a sweet and creamy cream cheese surprise hidden inside.

Preparing this delicious dish is simpler than you might think and it's perfect to make a day ahead to bake in the morning.

This was inspired by my pumpkin spice french toast recipe! Serve it up with candied bacon strips, sausage patties, or choose of these other sides to serve with french toast to plan out your meal.

Why You Will Love Baked Stuffed French Toast

• Create a mouthwatering breakfast dish in just a few simple steps!
• It's a dish that's sure to impress your family and friends.
• Perfect for brunch, parties, holidays, or any special occasion when you want to treat your loved ones to something extraordinary.
• While this French toast recipe seems extra special, it uses common ingredients, many of which you may already have in your pantry or refrigerator.

Ingredients

Here's a look at the main ingredients you're going to need. They're easy to find in most grocery stores if you don't already have them on hand.

For best results, use day old bread because slightly stale bread absorbs the egg mixture better than fresh bread.

• Cream cheese: The main ingredient in the cream cheese filling for French toast.
• Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor!
• Egg: Added to the cream cheese filling to make it fluffier but also used for dipping the bread. It's what gives the bread it's pillowy inside when cooked.
• Bread: Any type of bread works but choosing a quality French bread, cinnamon raisin, white, or egg bread (Challah) really make it special.
• Milk and heavy cream: Also used to soak the bread. The heavy cream adds an extra layer of richness than milk alone.
• Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg add gentle warming spices to this French toast bake.
• Brown sugar: The perfect sugar to make the crumbly topping for your baked French toast.
• Pecans: Added to the topping for some crunch. But you can also use your favorite chopped nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts.

Variations

Don't have the correct ingredients on hand? Or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this French toast with cream cheese filling.

• Add Chips - Add some chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips or caramel chips to the cream cheese mixture or sprinkle them between the layers before baking. You can also add them on top as soon as removed from oven.
• Add Fruit - Add your favorite berries (raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries) or sliced fruits like apples, pears, peaches, mangoes to cream cheese mixture or in between layers. You can also include fruit as a side or addition to the French toast casserole when serving it.

How to Make Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

This easy stuffed French Toast baked in the oven goes together in just a few steps. Here's a look at the main steps.

1. Combine the softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg, and flour.
2. Whisk until the ingredients are well blended.  

3. Place the slices of bread in the bottom of your prepared pan. Use half slices of bread and smaller pieces to fully cover the bottom of the pan.
4. Spread your cream cheese mixture on top of this layer of bread. The cream cheese layer will be thick.

5. Top with the remaining bread slices on top of the cream cheese mixture overlapping the bread in a different pattern for the top layer. 
6. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in another bowl.

7. Pour the egg mixture slowly over bread stuffed with cream cheese coating all of the bread pieces as much as possible. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate the french toast casserole overnight. 

PRO TIP: Use a butter knife to adjust and lift the top slices of bread slightly especially along the outer edge, to allow egg mixture to flow between bread slices.

8. Remove the pan from the fridge the next morning and keep on the counter to rest for 30 minutes before baking. 
9. Combine the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and flour.

10. Mix with a fork or your fingers until crumbly and well combined. Once the butter is totally mixed in add the chopped pecans. 
11. Cover the bread in your prepared pan with the streusel topping.

12. Bake in the oven until golden brown. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center of the pan. 
13. Cut into slices and serve with a dusting of icing or powdered sugar and fresh fruits, whipped cream, chocolate chips or maple syrup. Enjoy with your favorite sides for french toast.

⭐️ Hint: If you use a larger pan to make your french toast you may need to add another scrambled egg or two. The egg mixture must cover the cream cheese mixture and end near the edge of the top bread layer, in whichever pan you use.

If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy our croissant french toast, blueberry croissant french toast, Apple French Toast Casserole, or our cream cheese strawberry stuffed French toast recipe.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store cream cheese stuffed french toast after it's completely cooked in the fridge. Place it in an airtight container or wrap individual slices in plastic wrap. It should last up to three days.

Freezer: If packing in a container, place a piece of parchment paper between slices to prevent them from sticking together. You can also wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in a freezer-safe airtight container or plastic bag. Store for up to 3 months. Thaw it out in the fridge overnight.

Reheat: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a baking sheet. Place defrosted portions of baked french toast on sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes or heated through.

Make Ahead: It's not called overnight French toast for nothing! Completely make the casserole except for the topping and then store in the fridge overnight. Let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature before baking as directed.

What to Serve with Stuffed French Toast

Serve it up with a variety of toppings to allow everyone to add their own. Here are the basics to offer:

• icing or powdered sugar
• maple syrup
• whipped cream
• fresh fruit
• chocolate chips

Serve with a sauce or syrup. Add a drizzle of caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, or butter pecan syrup.

Add a scoop of ice cream.

Sprinkle some nuts on top.

Crumble up some salty cooked bacon and sprinkle it over the top or serve it on the side. It complements the sweetness of French toast beautifully.

Tips

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when making french toast with cream cheese filling.

• Use bread that is thick and dense. I recommend brioche, Texas toast, French bread or challah (egg bread). These hold up better when stuffed with cream cheese filling.
• Use a pan or casserole dish that is at least 2 ½ inches deep and at least 8 x 8 inches. 
• Using a larger pan? You may need to add another scrambled egg or two. The egg mixture must cover the cream cheese mixture and end near the edge of the top bread layer, in whichever pan you use.
• Let it sit overnight. This allows the egg mixture to fully soak into the bread. This ensures a crisp exterior and soft, custard-like interior.
• Preheat your oven for even cooking.
• Allow your cooked french toast to rest before serving to set so you end up with nice slices.

FAQ

How to Make This Recipe Video

Check out our video below and you will be able to see exactly how this wonderful dish is made!

More French Toast Recipes

We are huge french toast fans in this house and I have included links below to some of our other favorites.  Hopefully you have a moment to take a peek at those recipes as well!

Ready to get cooking? Remember you can print this recipe if you would like.

This post was originally published October 2018. It has been updated with new images and content.