Stuffed French Toast

French toast recipes can vary from pretty simple to over-the-top decadent. STUFFED French toast is a major upgrade to classic French toast and the one you’ll want to make for holidays and special occasions. Nutella French toast tastes just like something you’d order off the menu in a fancy restaurant!

It tastes more like dessert than breakfast! Thick slices of challah or brioche bread get stuffed with your favorite filling, then dipped in a cinnamon/vanilla egg custard, and pan-fried until crisp and caramelized on the outside. The inside stays soft and fluffy with chocolate goodness, and melts in your mouth. We love this Nutella stuffed French toast served with fresh berries, a drizzle of maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar. Yum!

I love regular French toast, but it’s even better STUFFED! If you’ve never tried it this way, now is the time! Keep reading for all of the delicious details.

Ingredients needed

This stuffed French toast recipe requires just a handful of simple ingredients. It’s even easy to make it dairy free by adjusting the filling and using your favorite plant-based milk. Here’s the lineup:

• Bread – The bread you use in this recipe makes ALL the difference. My favorite is challah bread but brioche is also great and the classic option. See more about bread options below.
• Nutella – My go to filling for this recipe is Nutella but I have also made it with peanut butter and it turns out delicious! Other stuffing options are softened cream cheese or jelly/jam of choice. So many options!
• Eggs – French toast is also known as “eggy bread” because the bread is dipped into an egg custard mixture and then fried.
• Milk – Whichever milk you prefer will work in this recipe! Whole milk is great or try full fat oat milk to keep this dairy free.
• Spices – This recipe uses cinnamon and nutmeg for delicious cozy flavor. 
• Pure vanilla extract – Vanilla brings out the sweetness and adds warmth to each slice of toast.
• Salt – To balance out the sweetness.
• Butter – Use butter to grease the pan or griddle for added richness. However, you can just use cooking spray if desired.

Best bread for French toast

The bread is the star of the show! You’ll need half a loaf of good quality, thick cut bread. If the bread is not already sliced, the ideal thickness is at least 1-inch thick and 1 1/4-inch thick is even better. When picking bread for French toast, it’s important to get a bread that is sturdy enough to not fall apart during cooking, but is also spongy enough to absorb the custard mixture. Here’s a note about the options:

• Challah bread – This is my favorite! The texture is rich and spongy from the egg yolks, with a little tang and sweetness from the honey.
• Brioche bread – Very similar to challah, but traditionally made with butter instead of oil. This would be my second pick when making French toast.
• French bread – This is a sturdy bread that will hold up well to soaking in the egg mixture.
• Sourdough – Try using a sourdough baguette that is 2 to 3 days old, sliced into thick strips. The stale bread helps to soak up all of the egg custard and won’t get too soggy.
• White bread – In a pinch, white bread will work for this recipe. I recommend using one with thick slices, like Texas toast, that is slightly stale.

How to make this recipe

This breakfast may look fancy and taste incredible, but it’s actually super easy to make!

Here’s a quick rundown of the process for how to make stuffed french toast, but for full (printable) instructions, reference the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

1. Prep. Slice the bread into thick slices. Slice a wide slit into the middle of the top of each of the bread slices. See video for reference.
2. Add the stuffing. Gently stuff about 1 tablespoon Nutella (or other filling) into the center of each bread slice. Feel free to stuff some fruit inside with the Nutella, if you’d like.
3. Make the custard. In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt until fully combined.
4. Cook. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter (or spray with cooking spray). Once the skillet is ready, place a slice of bread in the egg mixture and let it soak on each side for a couple seconds. Place the soaked bread in the skillet being careful not to overcrowd. Pan-fry the French toast in the skillet for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat with all of the bread.
5. Serve. Once done, top with syrup, fruit, and a dusting of powdered sugar and ENJOY!!

Tips for recipe success

• Mix the custard thoroughly. To avoid random bits of egg white or yolk showing up on your nicely browned French toast, be sure to briskly whisk together the custard mixture until the eggs, milk, and other ingredients are completely incorporated.
• Stuffing tip. Many stuffed French toast recipes have you put the filling on a slice of bread and then place another piece of bread on top. I really like my method better of actually stuffing a single slice of thick bread. I’ve tried both ways and this method works so much better and is much easier to cook and flip in the pan.
• Make ahead. The batter/custard mixture can be made a day before using. Store it in the refrigerator and stir again before dunking bread.
• Dunking slices. When you dip your slices of bread in the egg mixture, be sure to only soak them for several seconds on each side to avoid making your french toast being soggy. If you’re using stale bread or something like a french loaf, you can soak it just a bit longer.

Variations

This recipe is easy to customize based on your preferences. There are endless combinations of fillings and toppings you can add! Here are some suggestions:

• Stuffing. Aside from a hazelnut spread, try almond butter, peanut butter, cream cheese, jam/jelly. You can use a single filling or a combination, like cream cheese and strawberries. Oh and pb&j stuffed French toast would be amazing!
• Toppings. Keep it simple with a drizzle of maple syrup or add more deliciousness with fun toppings. Any of these would be delicious – Greek yogurt, chopped walnuts or pecans, shredded coconut, whipped cream, ice cream or powdered sugar.
• Make it vegan. Here is my vegan French toast recipe that has great reviews. You can use that base to make this recipe. Nutella is not vegan but there are vegan Nutella options on the market or you can make your own!
• Make it gluten free. Use any favorite gluten free bread in this recipe. A thicker, fluffier gluten free bread will work best.

Serving suggestions

Since French toast is such a sweet breakfast, especially Nutella stuffed French toast, it’s nice to offset that sugar with something hearty and savory. Here’s what we typically serve on the side:

• Hash browns, breakfast potatoes or vegan hash
• Fresh fruit or fruit salad
• Bacon, sausage, or ham
• Eggs or vegan “egg” cups
• Tofu scramble or zucchini crust quiche

As usual, please let me know if you end up making this recipe and how you like it. You can come back here to leave a comment or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @foodwithfeeling! I always love to see what y’all are making from the blog!