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French toast is a constant staple in our home, particularly this strawberry and cream cheese French toast recipe. This French toast is prepared ahead of time, then baked in the morning.
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This is a really good Strawberry and Cream Cheese French Toast recipe that I got from our friends, the Budges. It has become an all-time Walker family favorite. Perhaps my favorite thing about this French toast is that you can prepare it ahead of time and throw it in the oven in the morning. This is not your classic French toast recipe kind of like a stuffed French toast recipe, but instead you make a sandwich with the bread and the sweet cream cheese filling. Instead of having to individually dip and pan fry each slice on a skillet or griddle, you whisk the mixture together and pour the mixture over all the bread and bake it.
Ingredients
- French bread – you can also use brioche, challah, or Texas toast. You can also use gluten free bread.
- Whipped cream cheese – I like to use the whipped cream cheese because it is so much easier to spread, but regular cream cheese will work as long as you soften it.
- Eggs
- Milk
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Butter
- Strawberries
- Optional – maple syrup for topping
Whipped Topping Ingredients
- Whipping Cream
- Sugar
- Almond Extract or Vanilla Extract
More Cream Cheese Combinations
I love the strawberry and cream cheese flavor on this french toast, but there are so many other great combinations as well. It’s fun to try this recipe with a flavored cream cheese like mixed berry or pineapple, and with other types of fresh fruit. You can make a tropical version by using a pineapple cream cheese layer with bananas and coconut, or use a mixed berry cream cheese with fresh berries like raspberries and blueberries. Additionally, you can add in amaretto or almond flavoring into the whipped cream…it is a must-try! Try mixing Nutella or peanut butter into the cream cheese. Top with nuts like walnuts or pecans.
How to Soften Cream Cheese for Spreading
For this strawberry and cream cheese french toast recipe, the cream cheese will need to be softened so it can spread easily. You can easily do this by setting it out on the counter for an hour or so to soften, but if you’re anything like me, you might forget! If that’s the case, you can quickly soften cream cheese in the microwave. Simply take off the foil wrapper, set it on a plate and microwave on high for about 15 seconds. Additionally, you can also place the unopened foil package (remove the outside box) in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes. Easy!
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How to Make Strawberry and Cream Cheese French Toast
Strawberry and Cream Cheese French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf french bread cut into 1 inch slices.
- whipped cream cheese
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- sliced strawberries mixed with a little sugar
WHIPPED TOPPING:
- 1 pint whipping cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoon almond or amaretto flavoring
Instructions
- Spread a layer of cream cheese between two slices of bread, place sandwiched slices in a glass pan sprayed with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Pour the egg mixture over bread and let sit for five minutes, turn bread over and cover pan with saran wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Drizzle melted butter over the top and bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Beat together the whipped topping ingredients until stiff peaks form. Top with strawberries mixed with sugar and the whipped topping.
Notes
- For this strawberry and cream cheese french toast recipe, the cream cheese will need to be softened so it can spread easily.
- You can easily do this by setting it out on the counter for an hour or so to soften, but if you’re anything like me, you might forget! If that’s the case, you can quickly soften cream cheese in the microwave. Simply take off the foil wrapper, set it on a plate and microwave on high for about 15 seconds.
- Additionally, you can also place the unopened foil package (remove the outside box) in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes. Easy!
I'm sure it would be great!
Do you think this would work with Texas Toast???
I was thinking the French bread would be more dense than the Texas toast [which came to my mind at first, too!]. Did you try the Texas toast? how did it hold up?
Susie
Delicious! I think the almond extract was absolutely yummy, but I couldn’t really taste much of the French toast. If I were to donut again, I’d add a bit less, and also put the strawberries on before the whipped cream in the hopes that it won’t melt quite so quickly. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Hi. I’m posting a Recipe Roundup for the FoodieView blog and would like to use your recipe and photo. Could you please contact me at readablefeast@gmail.com letting me know it’s o.k. to use. I couldn’t find any contact info on your blog.