Churro Stuffed French Toast is the kind of breakfast I make when regular French toast just doesn’t sound exciting enough. Two slices of challah are filled with sweet vanilla cream cheese, dipped in a simple egg mixture, and cooked in a skillet until the outside is golden.
While the toast is still hot, it gets coated in cinnamon sugar. That’s my favorite part. The warm, buttery surface grabs onto the sugar, giving you that familiar churro flavor and a little crunch around the edges. Inside, the challah stays soft and the cream cheese turns warm and creamy.
It’s a great option for a weekend breakfast or brunch when you want something a little more special than everyday French toast. Serve it with fresh berries, a little maple syrup, or simply enjoy it warm with its cinnamon-sugar coating.
What You’ll Need
The main thing is choosing bread that can hold the filling without falling apart once it hits the custard. Here’s what to know about the key ingredients before you start.
Challah Bread
Challah is my first choice here. It’s rich and tender, but it still has enough structure to hold the cream cheese filling. Slightly day-old challah is even easier to work with because it doesn’t soak up the egg mixture quite as quickly as very fresh, soft bread.
Cream Cheese Filling
Cream cheese makes the filling thick and creamy, while powdered sugar adds sweetness without making it gritty. Vanilla brings in extra flavor, and a small splash of whole milk makes the mixture soft enough to spread easily.
French Toast Custard
The custard is a simple mix of eggs, whole milk, and vanilla. I keep it uncomplicated because the cream cheese filling and cinnamon-sugar coating already bring plenty of sweetness to the French toast.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
This coating uses granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. The brown sugar gives it a deeper sweetness and a slight caramel note, which is especially good with the tangy cream cheese filling.
Butter and Oil for Cooking
Butter gives the French toast its rich flavor and helps it brown nicely. A little neutral oil keeps the butter from browning too quickly, which is helpful when you have several pieces to cook.
How to Make Churro Stuffed French Toast
Prepare the Filling, Custard, and Cinnamon Sugar
- Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and whole milk together until smooth and creamy. The filling should spread easily but still be thick enough to hold its shape.
- Whisk the eggs, whole milk, and vanilla together in a shallow bowl until the eggs are fully blended into the mixture.
- In a separate shallow dish, mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together. Keep it near the stove so it’s ready to coat the French toast as soon as it comes out of the pan.
Assemble the Stuffed French Toast
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over one slice of challah, leaving a small border around the edges. Top with a second slice and press gently. I don’t press too hard here; you just want the slices to hold together without pushing the filling out.
- Repeat with the remaining bread and filling.
Dip and Cook
- Heat a little butter and canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Dip each sandwich briefly into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Don’t let it soak for too long, since challah absorbs liquid quickly and can become soggy in the center.
- Cook the sandwich in the hot skillet for about 2–4 minutes per side, until evenly golden brown. Use the color as your guide rather than watching the clock alone. The outside should be lightly crisp, and the filling should be warm when it’s done.
Add the Churro Coating
- As soon as each sandwich comes out of the skillet, place it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and coat both sides. If it looks especially buttery, let the excess drip off for a moment first, but don’t wait for the toast to cool—the warm surface is what helps the sugar stick.
- Serve the French toast while it’s warm, with the cinnamon-sugar coating still fresh and the cream cheese center soft and creamy.
How to Keep Stuffed French Toast From Getting Soggy
A soft center is part of good French toast, but it shouldn’t feel wet or heavy. With stuffed French toast, this matters even more because you already have a creamy layer in the middle.
- Bread that’s too soft: Very thin or extra-soft bread can become fragile once it meets the custard. Thick, sturdy challah holds up much better.
- Too much custard: If the bread feels heavy and wet inside, it may have absorbed too much of the egg mixture.
- A skillet that isn’t hot enough: When the pan is too cool, the bread can absorb more of the cooking fat instead of developing a golden surface.
- An overcrowded pan: Packing too many sandwiches into the skillet can make it harder to maintain steady heat and get good browning.
- Soggy versus custardy: The inside should be tender, but it shouldn’t be wet with uncooked egg mixture.
Variations and Substitutions
You can switch up the filling or use a different bread and still get great results. Just watch the moisture level with any additions, since the filling needs to stay thick enough to hold between the bread slices while they cook.
Filling Variations
- Add fresh berries: A few thinly sliced strawberries work well with the cream cheese. Pat them dry first and don’t pile them on too heavily.
- Try chocolate: Sprinkle a small amount of mini chocolate chips over the cream cheese filling before closing the sandwich.
- Add more cinnamon: A pinch of cinnamon mixed directly into the cream cheese gives the center a little extra warmth.
- Use citrus zest: A little orange zest is especially good with cinnamon and adds flavor without making the filling thinner.
Bread and Dairy Substitutions
Brioche is the easiest swap for challah. It has a similarly rich texture and holds up well to filling and dipping. Thick-cut white bread can also work, as long as it’s sturdy enough to handle the custard without tearing.
For the milk, you can use 2% instead of whole milk, though the custard and filling won’t be quite as rich. If you change the cream cheese, stick with something thick and spreadable; whipped or very soft cream cheese can make the filling more likely to squeeze out during cooking.
What to Serve With Churro Stuffed French Toast
This French toast is already rich and sweet, so I prefer to keep the toppings simple. With the warm cinnamon-sugar coating and creamy filling, it really doesn’t need much on top.
- Fresh berries: Strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries add a fresh, slightly tart contrast to the sweet filling.
- Maple syrup: A light drizzle is plenty. Too much can soften the cinnamon-sugar coating and cover up its flavor.
- Whipped cream: Add a spoonful on top if you want to lean into the dessert-for-breakfast side of things. If you love that dessert-like cinnamon flavor, you might also like this churro cheesecake.
- Fresh fruit: Sliced bananas or peaches are easy options when berries aren’t around. These fried cinnamon apple rings are another cinnamon-spiced option if you’re making a bigger brunch.
My favorite way to serve it is straight from the skillet with berries on the side. For a weekend breakfast spread, these cinnamon roll pancakes fit right in, too.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Churro Stuffed French Toast is at its best right after cooking, but you can save leftovers. The cinnamon-sugar coating will soften in the fridge, so reheating it the right way makes a noticeable difference.
- Refrigerate: Let the French toast cool briefly, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Store for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Warm it in a skillet over low to medium-low heat until the outside is lightly crisp again and the cream cheese filling is hot. An air fryer or toaster oven also works well.
- Skip the microwave when possible: It will warm the French toast, but the bread and cinnamon-sugar coating tend to turn soft.
- Freeze: Cooked stuffed French toast can be frozen, though the cream cheese filling and cinnamon-sugar coating may have a slightly different texture after thawing.
Churro Stuffed French Toast FAQs
Can I prepare the components ahead of time?
Yes. You can mix the cream cheese filling and cinnamon sugar ahead of time and keep them covered separately. Refrigerate the filling, then let it soften slightly before spreading. I wouldn’t dip the assembled sandwiches in the custard ahead of time, though. The longer challah sits in the egg mixture, the more likely it is to become soggy.
Why is my French toast browned outside but not hot in the middle?
If the outside is already brown but the cream cheese center is still cool, lower the heat and give the thick sandwich more time to warm through.
How do I stop the cream cheese filling from leaking out?
If the filling leaks even when you leave a border around the bread, you may be adding too much or the mixture may be too loose. It should be creamy and spreadable but still thick enough to hold its shape.
Churro Stuffed French Toast Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Make the filling. Beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk together until smooth and spreadable. The mixture should be creamy but thick enough to hold its shape.
- Prepare the custard. Whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla together in a shallow bowl until well combined.
- Make the cinnamon sugar. Stir the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a separate shallow dish. Set it near the stove.
- Assemble the sandwiches. Divide the cream cheese filling among 6 slices of challah, leaving a small border around the edges. Top each with another slice and press gently.
- Heat the skillet. Add some of the butter and canola oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Use enough to lightly coat the bottom, reserving the rest for additional batches.
- Dip the sandwiches. Dip one sandwich at a time into the custard and turn to lightly coat both sides without leaving it to soak.
- Cook. Place the sandwiches in the skillet without overcrowding the pan. Cook for about 2–4 minutes per side, until evenly golden brown and warmed through. Add more of the reserved butter and oil between batches as needed.
- Add the cinnamon sugar. Transfer each sandwich to the cinnamon-sugar mixture while it’s still hot and coat both sides.
- Serve. Serve warm.
Notes
- Thick challah works especially well because it can hold the filling without falling apart during dipping. Brioche is a good alternative.
- Keep the skillet over medium heat. If the bread browns before the center warms, reduce the heat slightly.
- Coat the French toast with cinnamon sugar while it’s still hot so the mixture sticks to the surface.
- Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
