Strawberry Cheesecake Crunch French Toast
It's french toast coated in crushed cereal, and stuffed with strawberries and sweetened cream cheese.
Equipment
- 8" chef's knife
- cutting board
- pairing knife
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- whisk
- food processor
- rolling pin
- spoon
- large (12") skillet
- spatula
- tongs
- sifter
Ingredients
- 1 loaf King's Hawaiian Round Bread (you can use whatever kind of bread you like)
- 8 Tbsp cream cheese room temperature, divided into 4 tbsp + 4 tbsp
- 1/2 C fresh strawberries
- 2 Tbsp strawberry jam
- 5 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 C powdered sugar divided into 1/2 C + 1/2 C
- 1/4 C whole milk
- 1 Tsp vanilla extract divided into 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 Tsp nutmeg
- 2 Tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 C heavy whipping cream
- 2 C Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to warm, or it's lowest temperature, and slicing your King’s Hawaiian Round Bread into two-inch thick wedges.
- Now, with a sharp knife, carefully cut a small pocket in the top center of each slice, digging around gently to create space for the filling without cutting through the sides or bottom. Once done, set these bread slices aside for later.
- Dice up your fresh strawberries into small pieces. In a small bowl, mix 4 tablespoons of cream cheese with the strawberry jam until it’s smooth and creamy. Then, fold in the diced strawberries, making sure they’re well distributed throughout the mixture. Set this aside; it's going to be your delicious filling!
- In another bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, the remaining 4 tablespoons of cream cheese, and the whole milk. Whisk until everything is smooth and lump-free. If it’s too thick, you can thin it out with a little more milk—this is your glaze, so adjust it to your preference.
- In a separate bowl, combine the heavy cream, eggs, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, the remaining vanilla extract, and the last 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Whisk it all together until the eggs are fully incorporated, and there are no streaks left. This is your milk bath where the bread slices will take a quick dip.
- Next up, grab your Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal and either pulse it in a food processor until you have fine crumbs, or put the cereal in a ziploc bag and go to town with a rolling pin. You want these crumbs to be fine enough to coat the bread. Pour the crumbs into a shallow dish and set it aside.
- Take a small spoon and carefully fill the pockets you made in the bread with the strawberry cream cheese mixture. Don’t over-stuff them, or the filling will spill out during cooking.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While the pan is heating, dip each filled bread slice into the milk bath, coating all sides but not soaking it. Then, roll the bread in the cereal crumbs, pressing them in to coat well. Shake off any excess crumbs before transferring the slices to the hot pan.
- Cook each side of the bread until it’s golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Use tongs to hold the bread upright and brown the edges too. Keep the cooked slices warm in a 300°F oven while you fry up the rest.
- Once all the slices are ready, sift powdered sugar over the top and drizzle with the cream cheese glaze you made earlier. Garnish with extra strawberries, whipped cream, and more cereal crumbs if you’re feeling fancy. Dassit!
Notes
- Cereal Variety: Cinnamon Toast Crunch is my go-to, but feel free to get creative. Try using Cap’n Crunch or even Fruity Pebbles for a different flavor twist.
- Milk Bath: Don’t soak the bread too long in the milk bath—it should be quick so that the bread doesn’t get too soggy and lose its structure.
- Texture Tip: If you prefer a more uniform texture for the filling, you can blend the strawberries with the cream cheese mixture before filling the bread.