Name: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 8 slices brioche or Texas toast (cut about 1 inch thick, day-old works great); 8 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature); 1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling); 3 tbsp powdered sugar; 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (divided); 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for the filling); 3 large eggs; 1/2 cup whole milk; 1 tbsp granulated sugar (for the custard); 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (for the custard); 2 tbsp unsalted butter (for the griddle, plus more as needed); maple syrup and ground cinnamon (for serving)

From the roundup: 22 Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin Recipes for Fall Baking

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Pumpkin cream cheese stuffed French toast is the breakfast I make when I want something that feels special but I am not willing to stand in the kitchen for an hour. The whole thing, filling and all, is done in about 25 minutes. Ten of those are just mixing and assembling, so the actual cooking goes fast.

The filling is a simple beat-together situation: softened cream cheese, canned pumpkin, powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Spread it thick on brioche, press the second slice on top, and dip the whole sandwich in a spiced egg custard before it hits the buttered griddle. The cream cheese stays warm and creamy inside while the outside browns up.

I have made this on a random Tuesday and also on Christmas morning. It works either way. The one thing I will say: do not rush the first flip. Waiting a full three to four minutes before you touch it is what gets you that deep golden crust instead of a pale, soft one.

Why you will love this

Done in 25 minutes start to finish, including making the filling from scratch
Day-old brioche or Texas toast works better here than fresh bread because it holds up in the custard without going soggy
The cream cheese filling can be mixed the night before, so morning assembly takes about five minutes
One batch feeds four people, and the recipe doubles easily if you have a crowd
Leftovers reheat well in a toaster oven and taste almost as good as fresh

Tips for success

Make sure your cream cheese is fully softened before mixing. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps in the filling that you cannot beat out, and those lumps make the filling harder to spread evenly.
Press the edges of the assembled sandwich firmly but gently all the way around before dipping. This seals the filling in. If you skip this step, the custard pushes the filling toward the center and some of it will leak out onto the griddle.
Wait for the butter foam to start subsiding before you add the bread. If you add it too early while the butter is still foaming hard, the outside steams instead of browns and you lose the crisp edge.
Resist flipping early. Three to four minutes on medium heat is the right window. I have flipped at two minutes before when I was impatient and the bottom was pale and soft. Give it the full time.

Common questions

Can I use regular sandwich bread? Yes, but slice it thick, at least an inch, or it will fall apart when you dip it. Thin sandwich bread gets too soggy in the custard to flip cleanly.
What if my filling is too loose to spread? Your cream cheese may still be a little cold. Let it sit another five minutes and beat it again. It should be thick enough to mound slightly on the bread.
Can I cook all four sandwiches at once? Only if your griddle is large enough to give each one space. Crowding them causes steaming, not browning. Two at a time is the better move.
Is canned pumpkin the same as pumpkin pie filling? No, and this matters. Pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and spiced. Use plain canned pumpkin puree or your filling will be too sweet and the spice balance will be off.

Substitutions

Brioche is the first choice here because it is sturdy and rich, but thick-cut Texas toast or any thick bakery bread works fine. Neufchatel cheese can replace full-fat cream cheese if you want to cut some of the richness. The texture of the filling will be slightly thinner but still spreadable. For the custard, oat milk or whole almond milk both work in place of whole milk, though the custard will be a little less custardy and the bread may brown slightly faster.

If anyone at your table does not love pumpkin, you can make a plain sweetened cream cheese filling with just the powdered sugar and vanilla and leave out the pumpkin and spice entirely. It is a different flavor but the method is identical.

Make-ahead and storage

The cream cheese filling keeps well covered in the refrigerator for up to two days. You can also assemble the stuffed sandwiches the night before, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate them so all you have to do in the morning is dip and cook. They may need an extra 30 seconds per side since they start cold. Cooked leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

To reheat, use a toaster oven at 350 degrees for five to seven minutes. This brings back the crisp edges better than a microwave, which makes the outside soft and a little rubbery. I would not recommend freezing cooked stuffed French toast. The cream cheese filling gets grainy after freezing and thawing, and it is not worth it when the whole recipe only takes 25 minutes to begin with.

Brittany Stage