Pumpkin and Almond Stuffed French Toast 

Maybe the words “stuffed french toast” conjures up vision of messy and overly sweet dinner-pancake-house-chain food. If so, believe me, I get it. But I promise this is so much better. I LOVE stuffed french toast. It’s one of those homemade breakfasts that is simple but feels so decadent that it’s not something I make often. I think maybe that’s why spicing it up with some seasonal flavors makes it even more special.

To me, stuffed french toast almost feels like the breakfast version of grilled cheese (or maybe even a dessert version of grilled cheese?). And if that doesn’t get you excited to make this, well then I don’t know what will!

These are chewy, sweet but not overly so, nutty, and full of my favorite flavor for this season: PUMPKIN. They almost taste like a little slice of pumpkin pie got tucked into your french toast!

Also, realize that loving pumpkin in the fall is SO basic. And I DO. NOT. CARE. Long live pumpkin spice!

Pumpkin and Almond Stuffed French Toast, makes 3-4 servings.

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
4 oz. softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 loaf of French bread (6-8 thick slices, see instructions)
2 eggs
2-3 tablespoons whole milk or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup almond meal
butter and olive oil for cooking
powdered sugar and maple syrup for serving

Oh! You can find those cute plates and notebook tray here. 🙂

First make the filling. In a small to medium sized bowl, cream together the pumpkin, cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined. Set aside.

Here’s the trick with stuffed French toast. I think it’s best if you slice your French bread so that each thick piece a slice down the center that only goes about 1/2 to 3/4 through the bread (see photo above). These leaves a kind of pocket for your filling and also makes flipping the french toast easier as you cook. If you’re bread is already pre sliced that’s OK, it will still work fine. But this is an easy little trick that makes cooking stuffed French toast even easier.

On a large plate with a lip, add the eggs, milk or cream, and vanilla extract. Whisk until just combined. Then sprinkle a little cinnamon over the top of the mixture. On another plate, add the almond meal in a thin layer.

Add a little pad (1/2 tablespoon or so) of butter, plus a small drizzle of oil to a large pan or skillet over low/medium heat. Once the butter is melted, give the pan a swirl to distribute the mixture all over the surface.

Take each piece of bread and add filling to the center. Press the edges together to seal the filling into the bread, like a PB&J sandwich. Dip each side of the bread in the egg mixture and then into the almond meal. Cook in the prepared pan for 2-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and fragrant (the almond meal will become especially fragrant as it cooks). Remove to a plate and repeat until you’ve cooked all the pieces. Top each piece with a little bit of butter, powdered sugar, and serve alongside some maple syrup. If you add a latte in there, then you’re doing it right! This is a total weekend worthy breakfast that only takes about 20 minutes to make from start to finish. Enjoy! xo. Emma

Note: You can cook the French toast in only butter or only oil. I like to use a combination as I think the butter adds flavor and the oil adds a little more of a crispy edge to the final dish, which I love. But if you want to use just one or the other, that’s totally OK too.

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with the ACS Desktop actions. Check them out and you can get 20% off with the code abeautifulmess20