This crowd-pleasing Apple Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast features thick buttery brioche filled with stewed cinnamon apples, and spiced cream cheese. It's topped with toasted pecans and warm apple maple syrup topping for a restaurant-worthy fall and holiday breakfast made with simple ingredients.
What you should know first
Cooking the apples first creates both the filling and the warm maple topping in one step. Using brioche or an enriched egg bread, and room-temperature cream cheese are the two details that make the biggest difference in texture.
⏱ Prep Time: 30 minutes / Total Time: 50 minutes. 🍽 Serves: 6. 🧾 Ingredients: 13. 📊 Difficulty: Moderate. 🥛 Dietary: Vegetarian.
- Use firm, crisp baking apples like Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Fuji or Granny Smith. Softer varieties turn mushy when stewed.
- Soften the cream cheese to room temperature before mixing. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps in the filling.
- Use egg enriched bread like brioche or challah as it holds up best with this French toast. Sliced potato bread can also work.
- Cook on medium heat. High heat browns the outside before the center cooks through.
- The stewed apples can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, making this a great recipe for entertaining.
Generated with AI and experts from the Tara Teaspoon team.
The French toast recipe that tastes like a New York brunch
Several years ago on the eve of a huge New York storm, I stopped by a local grocery store to stock up on supplies. I managed to grab a loaf of brioche, some cream cheese, and a few sweet-tart apples before the store shelves were emptied.
It was going to to be a long weekend, and I was determined to make the most of it.
Inspired by the kind of indulgent, over-the-top brunch you'd pay top dollar for at a fancy New York City restaurant like Norma's or Sarabeth's, I put my culinary expertise to the test and turned those simple ingredients into something gourmet worth staying in for.
The result was a golden stacked French toast filled with stewed cinnamon apples and a creamy spiced filling. To make it extra indulgent, I drizzled it with warm maple syrup, more stewed apples, and a sprinkling of toasted pecans for added crunch.
If you love a restaurant-worthy breakfast, you'll also want to try my Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes, Carrot Cake Pancakes, and Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding.
What makes impressive apple stuffed french toast
From the spiced cream cheese filling to the golden brioche crust, every element of this recipe is designed to impress, and there's so much more to love:
- Simple pantry ingredients: No specialty ingredients or complicated equipment needed. Bring a few everyday staples together for a gourmet result that's ready in less than an hour.
- Impressive and approachable: It looks and tastes like something you'd order at a fancy brunch restaurant, but the straightforward technique makes it completely manageable at home.
- Made for entertaining: Whether it's a holiday morning, a weekend brunch, or a special occasion, this stuffed French toast is the kind of showstopper that feeds a crowd and has them coming back for seconds.
Jump to:
- What you should know first
- The French toast recipe that tastes like a New York brunch
- What makes impressive apple stuffed french toast
- Ingredients
- How to make apple French toast
- How to toast pecans
- Tara's tips for perfect stuffed French toast
- Flavor variations
- What to serve with apple French toast
- Equipment
- Make-ahead and storage
- FAQ
- More easy breakfast recipes
- 📖 Full Recipe
- 💬 Comments & Reviews
Ingredients
A short list of simple ingredients is all you need to make this stunning stuffed French toast. Check out these tips as you gather your ingredients. See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
- Cream cheese: I recommend using full-fat, softened cream cheese for the filling. It holds up well during the cooking process and won't leak out.
- Confectioners' sugar
- Spices: You'll need ground cinnamon and ground ginger.
- Apples: Use firm, crisp baking apples such as Honey Crisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, and Jonagold.
- Granulated sugar: If you like richer, more caramelized flavor, you can toss the apples with brown sugar in place of granulated sugar.
- Butter: Either salted or unsalted butter works for this recipe.
- Large eggs
- Whole milk: The fat content in whole milk helps the French toast crisp to a lovely golden brown on the outside.
- Brioche: Use thick-cut (about 1.5-inches) slices of bread. Brioche, Challah, potato bread or soft French bread work best. They are sturdy and enriched; perfect for a stuffed recipe.
- Chopped toasted pecans: Check out my tips for toasting pecans below.
- Maple syrup
- Canola oil or avocado oil
How to make apple French toast
Gourmet cream cheese stuffed French toast is easy to make. Follow this photo tutorial for everything you need to know. See recipe card for comprehensive directions.
- Step 1: Mix softened cream cheese with confectioners' sugar and spices until creamy.
- Step 2: Prep the apples by peeling, coring, and slicing them.
- Step 3: Begin melting the butter in a skillet. Mix the apples with granulated sugar and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
- Step 4: Add the apples to the melted butter and stir occasionally while cooking until the apples are just tender.
- Step 5: Mix the eggs, milk, and remaining cinnamon together in a 9x13-inch pan.
- Step 6: Divide the filling into thirds, spreading a liberal portion onto three slices of bread.
- Step 7: Top the cream cheese filling with stewed apples.
- Step 8: Place the top piece of bread on each sandwich and place them in the custard mixture.
- Step 9: Soak for 5 minutes and then flip to the other side. Soak for another 5 minutes.
- Step 10: While the sandwiches soak, add the maple syrup to the rest of the apples for the topping. Heat a griddle or pan to cook the French toast.
- Step 11: Cook the stuffed sandwiches for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side until golden brown.
- Step 12: Flip gently and finish cooking the opposite side for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Hint: For a stunning presentation, cut each sandwich in half on the diagonal before plating. Spoon the warm maple apple topping generously over each piece and finish with a handful of toasted pecans.
How to toast pecans
To lightly toast pecans, spread them on a baking sheet and bake in a 350ºF oven for 7 to 10 minutes. You'll know they are done when they start to smell toasty and nutty. The color of the nuts may darken a little as well. Be careful not to over-toast the nuts or they can become bitter.
Tara's tips for perfect stuffed French toast
Use day-old or slightly stale bread: This is a great recipe to use with day-old or slightly stale bread because it will soak up the custard more easily without getting soggy.
Soften the cream cheese: It's easier to make a lump-free filling if the cream cheese has had time to soften to room temperature. It will take about 30 minutes to fully soften.
Slice the apples evenly: I use an apple corer that cuts the apples into perfect ¼-inch slices. If you're going to be cutting your apples by hand, make sure to cut them into thin, even slices or wedges so they cook evenly and lay nicely between the bread. Diced or chopped apples don't work as well for this recipe.
Don't overstuff the French toast: Since the combination of cream cheese filling and cinnamon apples is so flavorful, you might be tempted to add a little extra of each before cooking the stacked French toast, but overstuffing the center might cause the filling to fall out.
Medium heat is best: It takes several minutes to cook stuffed French toast through. Keep the heat at medium and don't rush the process. If you try to turn the heat up, the outside will burn before the center has finished cooking.
Keep it warm: If you aren't serving your French toast immediately, place it in a warm 200°F oven to keep it toasty until you're ready.
Flavor variations
Stuffed French toast is easy to customize. Here are a few ideas to make this dish your own:
- Change the fruit: Swap out the apples and use pears instead.
- Use orange zest: Stir a tablespoon of orange zest into the cream cheese mixture for a burst of winter citrus.
- Add a different topping: In place of the syrup topping, add a drizzle of salted caramel sauce, a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar, or a dollop of whipped cream.
- Vary the crunch: Replace the chopped toasted pecans with toasted walnuts or toffee bits.
What to serve with apple French toast
My favorite way to serve this French toast is with the apple maple syrup topping. It only takes a few minutes to make and creates a gorgeous, restaurant-worthy presentation.
You can also serve it with melted butter and the remaining stewed apples, plain maple syrup, or your favorite mock maple syrup.
If you're planning to serve your French toast as part of a larger meal, pair it with classic recipes from my breakfast and brunch collection along with a side of crispy bacon!
Here are a few of my favorite dishes to get you started:
Make-ahead and storage
Make-ahead: The stewed apples can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Warm them gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before using. It's best to completely assemble the French toast just before cooking.
Refrigerate: Leftover French toast can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave and serve as you would leftover bread pudding.
Freeze: I do not suggest freezing this recipe.
FAQ
Yes, canned apple pie filling works as a convenient substitute for the homemade stewed apples. Keep in mind that canned filling has more liquid and is sweeter and softer than fresh stewed apples. The texture and flavor will be slightly different. Since homemade stewed apples are quick and easy to make, I recommend making them from scratch so that you have more control over the flavor and texture.
The key is not to overfill the bread. Spread the cream cheese filling in an even layer and leave a small border around the edges of each slice so the filling has room to stay contained as the bread soaks in the custard and cooks. If a little filling escapes during cooking, don't worry, it will just caramelize on the pan and add extra flavor.
Yes, and it will be similar to a baked bread pudding. To bake stuffed French toast, heat your oven to 375°F and place the soaked sandwiches in a buttered baking dish; cover dish with foil. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the center is hot and cooked through. The stovetop method gives you more control over the color and crust, but the oven method is a great option when you are making a large batch for a crowd.
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📖 Full Recipe
Apple Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (¾ package) cream cheese (softened)
- 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon (divided)
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 4 medium apples (about 1½ pounds, peeled, cored and cut into ⅛- to ¼-inch thick slices)
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter (divided)
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 6 slices brioche (or soft French bread, preferably ¾-inch-thick slices)
- ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans (plus more for garnish)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon canola oil (or avocado oil)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and the ginger until combined well. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together apples, granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. In a large nonstick skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over high heat. Add apple mixture and cook stirring occasionally until just softened, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a 9-by-13-inch shallow dish, whisk together eggs, milk, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon, set aside.
- Spread a heaping ¼ cup cream cheese mixture onto each of 3 bread slices. Top each with 6 to 8 apple slices and sprinkle with nuts. Cover with remaining 3 bread slices to make sandwiches.
- Soak sandwiches in the milk-egg mixture 5 minutes per side, flipping gently half-way through. Don't skimp on the soaking time.
- Add maple syrup to remaining apples in skillet and stir to combine for the topping.
- Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Grease pan with remaining butter and the oil. Add sandwiches and cook, turning once, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes total.
- Cut sandwiches in half and serve immediately topped with apples in syrup. Garnish with toasted nuts, if desired. Makes 6 half-sandwich servings. For a more generous portion, serve each sandwich whole.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Julie F says
What a great recipe for holiday breakfasts! I'm planning on making this for Christmas morning this year.
Tara Teaspoon Admin says
I hope it makes the best Christmas breakfast ever!
Karyn Erb says
This French toast is SO good! The cinnamon apples and spiced cream cheese are the perfect combination.
Tara Teaspoon Admin says
Thank you!
Jill says
This French toast is what my breakfast dreams are made of! Thank you so much for this recipe. It's perfection!
Tara Teaspoon Admin says
I think we have the same breakfast dreams! Thank you for trying the recipe.
Ellen Schwartz says
5 stars but since I changed the recipe, I subtracted a star. I reduced the sugar to half in every measurement and left the maple syrup on the side for the family to pour on. They didn't use any. They said it was sweet enough with the stewed apples. They said, "Restaurant Quality!!!" Trader Joe's Brioche loaf was perfect for this dish.
Julie Fleischhacker says
Hi Ellen, I’m sorry you changed the rating even though your family liked it, but I’m always happy when people adjust my recipes for their own tastes. I have a lot of people who love this recipe as is, but I am glad that with your changes, your family thinks it’s restaurant quality! Thanks, Tara
Mary Bench says
Apples and cinnamon equals breakfast! Looks wonderful! Tomorrow's breakfast feast.