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Baked Cinnamon Crunch French Toast Recipe

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4.1 from 15 reviews

This Baked Cinnamon Crunch French Toast is a decadent breakfast treat featuring challah bread stuffed with a fluffy cream cheese filling, soaked in a rich cinnamon egg custard, and topped with a crunchy cinnamon sugar streusel. Baked to golden perfection, it’s perfect for special occasions or weekend brunches and serves 8 people.

Ingredients

For the Cinnamon Sugar Base

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the French Toast

  • 1 loaf challah bread, sliced into 1-inch thick slices
  • 8 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons flour
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Baking Dish and Cinnamon Sugar Base: Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Sprinkle half of this cinnamon sugar mixture over the bottom of the baking dish to create a flavorful base for the French toast.
  2. Make the Cream Cheese Filling: Using an electric mixer, whip the room-temperature cream cheese for about 1 minute until smooth. Gradually add the heavy cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, increasing the mixer speed to high. Continue whipping until the mixture is fluffy and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Stuff the Bread: Take each challah bread slice and make a 1-inch slit at the top. Carefully create space inside the slice by moving the knife horizontally without piercing through the other side. Spoon and spread the whipped cream cheese mixture inside this opening to fill the bread. Press to enclose the filling well. Reserve any leftover cream cheese mixture for serving.
  4. Soak the Bread in Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together beaten eggs, whole milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and kosher salt until combined. Submerge each stuffed bread slice into this egg mixture, letting it soak for at least one minute so the bread absorbs the custard well. Arrange the soaked bread slices in the prepared baking dish, then pour any remaining egg mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle the remaining half of the cinnamon sugar base over the top. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight to allow thorough soaking and flavor melding.
  5. Preheat Oven and Prepare Topping: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a medium bowl, combine 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, flour, and melted butter. Mix until crumbly and well combined. This will form the cinnamon crunch topping.
  6. Top and Bake: Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator, uncover, and evenly sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping over the soaked bread slices. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until the French toast is deeply golden brown and the topping is crunchy.
  7. Serve: Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Serve warm, topped with any remaining whipped cream cheese mixture or your favorite syrup or fruit. Enjoy this indulgent breakfast treat!

Notes

  • For best results, soak the bread overnight to allow deeper custard absorption.
  • Using challah bread adds a rich, slightly sweet flavor and sturdy texture. Brioche can be a good substitute.
  • Make sure not to pierce through the bread slices when stuffing to prevent the filling from leaking out.
  • You can prepare this dessert a day ahead and bake it fresh in the morning.
  • Leftover cream cheese mixture makes a delicious topping or spread for serving.
  • To reduce sweetness, adjust the amount of brown sugar used in the topping and base.

Find it online: https://cozyplatter.com/baked-cinnamon-crunch-french-toast-recipe/