Cream Cheese Strawberry French Toast Muffins Recipe for Brunch

Cream Cheese Strawberry French Toast Muffins

These Cream Cheese Strawberry French Toast Muffins are stuffed with fresh strawberries and cream cheese, and they turn an ordinary weekend brunch into something worth setting the table for.

Each muffin is built from two rounds of bread, filled with a creamy strawberry center, and finished with a sweet cinnamon sugar topping.

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They are fun to make and even more fun to eat, and you should make this recipe the next time you want a breakfast that feels a little special without a lot of fuss.

Cream Cheese Strawberry French Toast Muffins

French toast is one of those breakfasts that never really goes out of style. It is warm, a little sweet, and comforting in a way that makes a lazy Sunday morning feel complete.

In my kitchen, though, plain slices of French toast can start to feel routine after a while, so I like to change up the shape and the presentation whenever I can.

That habit is exactly how this muffin version came to be. I have used cookie cutters to cut bread into fun shapes before, including hearts for Valentine’s Day, and I have played with stuffed French toast more times than I can count.

Some of my favorite variations along the way include French Toast Churro Bites, French Toast Roll Ups, Nutella French Toast Roll Ups, and Blueberry French Toast Roll Ups.

Stuffed French toast with berries and cream cheese is a combination I come back to again and again. There is something about the tang of cream cheese against sweet, juicy fruit that just works, and it turns an ordinary breakfast into a warm, comforting treat. This muffin version takes that same idea and gives it a new shape.

Instead of a flat slice, each muffin holds a creamy center made with cream cheese and fresh fruit. You can use strawberries, which is what I reach for most often, or blueberries when they look good at the market.

The bread bakes up golden around the edges, the filling stays soft and creamy, and the cinnamon sugar topping adds a light crunch. The result is soft, creamy and crisp at the same time, which is a combination that keeps everyone at the table happy.

They are also wonderfully portable. If you are hosting brunch, you can set a basket of these on the table and let everyone help themselves. If you are feeding busy kids before school or work, they are easy to grab and eat without a fork.

If you like it too, you can double the batch and warm the extras the next morning.

How to Make These Tasty French Toast Muffins

Classic French toast starts with bread that is a day or two old. You dip it in an egg custard, then bake or fry it with butter in a pan until the outside is golden and the middle is soft.

It is simple and delicious, but it does ask you to stand at the stove and cook slice after slice, which is not always realistic when the whole family is waiting.

Casserole style French toast solves the standing problem, but some people find it boring, and I get that. Everything comes out in one flat layer and every bite tastes the same. This recipe takes a different approach. It gives you individual muffins, each one with its own creamy center, so every serving feels a little special.

It is worth saying what this recipe is not. It is not the type of French toast muffin made by arranging bread cubes in a muffin pan and pouring egg custard over the top.

That version is delicious too, and it is a great use for leftover bread, but it gives you a different texture. Here, each muffin is built from two circles cut out of bread slices.

One circle goes into the bottom of the cupcake cavity, where it forms the base and the sides of the muffin. Then a generous amount of the cream cheese and fresh strawberry mixture goes in.

The second circle, which is cut a little smaller, is dipped in the custard and placed on top as a lid. The edges get pressed gently against the pan so the filling stays where it belongs.

Before baking, the muffins get a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. That topping is what turns the tops golden and slightly crisp while the inside stays tender. Then the pan goes into the oven for about 25 minutes.

What comes out is a muffin that is crisp and soft at the same time, with a sweet, creamy filling and fresh berries in every bite. The custard soaks into the bread just enough to make it rich without turning it soggy.

If you can cut a circle out of a slice of bread, you can make these muffins. The assembly takes a few minutes, and the oven does the rest.

Ingredients

This recipe makes 6 muffins, and the ingredient list is short enough to keep on hand for spontaneous brunch mornings.

For the muffins

• 12 slices white bread
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, for greasing the pan

For the filling

• 1 Tablespoon sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 4 oz softened cream cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup small diced strawberries or blueberries

For the topping

• 4 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, to taste

For the glaze

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon milk

The fruit is flexible. Small diced strawberries are the classic choice here, and blueberries work beautifully when you want a different berry. Whichever you pick, dice the fruit small so each muffin gets an even share of the filling.

Instructions

Here is the whole process, step by step. Read it once before you start, then work through it at your own pace.

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush a cupcake pan with the melted butter and set it aside. This recipe makes 6 muffins.
2. Using a 4 inch round cookie cutter, cut out the center of 6 slices of bread. Using a 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out the remaining 6 slices of bread for the tops.
3. To make the filling, stir together the cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Fold in the fruit, then set the bowl aside.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, and vanilla. Dip a 4 inch round of bread in the egg mixture, then press it into the center of a cupcake cavity. Repeat with the remaining rounds.
5. Divide the filling between the cups.
6. Take a 3 inch circle of bread, dip it in the egg mixture, and place it on top of the filling. Gently press the edges to adhere and press them into the sides of the pan. Seal it well.
7. Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle it generously on top of each muffin.
8. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown and crisp on top.
9. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove them and serve. If they stick slightly, run a thin knife around each muffin.
10. To make the glaze, stir the powdered sugar and milk together. If it is too thick, add more milk. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar until it reaches the consistency you like. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins.

A few notes that help

Start with softened cream cheese. If it comes straight from the refrigerator it will stay lumpy no matter how long you stir, and you want that filling smooth. Leave it on the counter for a while before you begin, or give it a short rest in a warm spot in the kitchen.

When you cut the bread, a cookie cutter is the easiest tool, but a small glass with a round rim works too. Keep the bread scraps. They freeze well and make a nice crunchy topping for a salad or a bake later in the week.

Dip the bread quickly. You want the custard to coat both sides, not to soak the slice through. A quick dip keeps the muffin tender without turning the middle to mush.

Sealing the edges matters more than it sounds. Press the top circle gently into the sides of the pan so the filling stays inside while it bakes. If a little filling peeks out, it will still taste wonderful, but a good seal gives you a cleaner muffin.

Ovens run at different temperatures, so treat 25 minutes as a guide. You are looking for tops that are golden brown and crisp. If yours need a few more minutes, give them a few more minutes.

Recipe details

Here is everything at a glance so you can plan your brunch morning without guessing.

Source nutrition for one muffin: 333 calories, 46.1 g carbohydrates, 9 g protein, 12.6 g fat, 376 mg sodium, and 87.9 mg cholesterol. Values will shift a little depending on the fruit you use and how generously you drizzle the glaze, so treat them as a helpful estimate rather than an exact measure.

Serve these muffins warm, when the glaze is still glossy and the tops are at their crispest. Any extras keep well in the refrigerator for a day or two, and a quick warm up brings back most of that fresh from the oven feel.

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Cream Cheese Strawberry French Toast Muffins

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Cream Cheese Strawberry French Toast Muffins These Cream Cheese Strawberry French Toast Muffins are stuffed with fresh strawberries and cream cheese, and they turn an ordinary weekend brunch into something worth setting the table for. Each muffin is built from two rounds of bread, filled with a creamy strawberry center, and finished with a sweet cinnamon sugar topping.

• Total Time: 45 min
• Yield: 6 muffins 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients
12 slices white bread
1/4 cup whole milk
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (to grease the pan)

For filling
1 Tablespoon sour cream
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/3–1/2 cup fruit (small diced strawberries or blueberries)

For topping
4 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 –1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, (to taste)

Glaze
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon milk

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Instructions

1-Preheat the oven to 350F: Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush cupcake pan with melted butter and set aside. This recipe makes 6 muffins.
2-Using 4-inch round cookie cutter cut out: Using 4-inch round cookie cutter cut out the center of 6 slices of bread. Using 3-inches cookie cutter cut out remaining 6 slices of bread for tops.
3-To make the filling stir together cream: To make the filling stir together cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla and sugar until smooth. Fold in the fruit, set aside.
4-In another bowl whisk together eggs, milk,: In another bowl whisk together eggs, milk, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar and vanilla. Dip 4-inches round of bread in the egg mixture, then press into the center of a cupcake cavity. Repeat with remaining rounds.
5-Divide the filling between the cups: Divide the filling between the cups.
6-Now use 3-inches circle of bread, dip: Now use 3-inches circle of bread, dip in egg mixture and place on top of the filling. Gently press the edges to adhere and press into the sides of the pan. Seal it well.
7-Mix ¼ cup of brown sugar with: Mix ¼ cup of brown sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle generously on top of each muffin.
8-Bake for about 25 minutes until golden: Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown and crisp on top.
9-Let it cool in the pan for: Let it cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then remove from the pan and serve. If the muffins are slightly stick to the pan, run a thin knife around each muffin.
10-To make the glaze, stir powdered sugar: To make the glaze, stir powdered sugar and milk. If it’s too thick add more milk, and if it’s too thin add more powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over the muffins.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 25 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 333
• Sodium: 376 mg
• Fat: 12.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 46.1 g
• Protein: 9 g
• Cholesterol: 87.9 mg