Nutella-Stuffed French Toast
Breakfast foods are the best foods. Bacon, eggs, hash browns. Eggs benedict, omelets, quiche. Muffins, bagels, pancakes, waffles. And you get to consume it all with coffee! I'm starting to drool just typing this up. I unequivocally love breakfast. But funny enough, there was always one breakfast food that I never really enjoyed very much. Something about french toast just never really did it for me!
Enter: nutella.
There are a lot of different ways to enjoy french toast. I've had some awesome brûléed french toast, and I've had it covered in fresh berries, and I've had it made from big slices of delicious french bread. It's just the standard sandwich-bread french toast that I could never get into. But this recipe allows you to "stuff" the french toast, and it really takes it over the top. It's not just bread dipped in eggs and cinnamon any more, my friends! Now it's filled with wonderful, perfect, melty nutella, and that makes all the difference.
I chose to top this nutella french toast with a something a little different, because I wanted to test my creativity a little. You can use genuine maple syrup as the base for this topping, or you can use the fake stuff. I'll be honest with you – I use the fake stuff the vast majority of the time (since it's more mild), and I used it when I made this recipe. By adding a little vanilla-flavored greek yogurt to the syrup, I ended up with was a slightly creamier version of maple syrup that made this french toast feel even more unique (and tasty). I may or may not have overdone it and made a big pool of syrup around the toast when I served it. Time for swimming lessons, french toast!
If you want to make a lot of this at once, I recommend you use a griddle instead of a frying pan! I have the Presto griddle, and I would definitely recommend it. It's pretty big, so there's lots of room on it to cook multiple foods at once – like bacon and eggs at the same time – and you can definitely fit lots of french toast on it at once!
Since the end result here was sweet and delicious and husband-approved, I'll definitely be trying this recipe again soon, but with different fillings and breads! It's an easy and fun breakfast – or brunch or lunch, or dinner – and it's simple enough to play around with and turn it into something new. My favorite kind of recipe!
NUTELLA-STUFFED FRENCH TOAST
Prep Time: minutes
Bake Time: minutes
Serves 2 - 4
Ingredients
8 slices of sandwich bread
1/4 cup (approximately) nutella
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup
2.5 T vanilla greek yogurt
powdered sugar (optional)
Directions
With a rolling pin, gently press down each slice of bread. Don't completely flatten it, just make it a little more thin and dense than normal. Each piece of french toast will actually be two slices of bread, so that's why this is helpful!
Prepare your syrup in a small bowl by whisking together the syrup with the vanilla greek yogurt. Set aside. Start a nonstick frying pan on the stovetop (or a griddle). Spray it with cooking spray, and put it at medium heat. Let it heat up while you finish prepping the french toast.
Generously, and depending on your taste, spread one side of each flattened bread slice with nutella. Then make 4 "sandwiches" from the 8 slices, both nutella sides facing inward. Then give each sandwich another good roll with the rolling pin.
In a shallow bowl – like a pasta bowl – whisk the eggs with the milk and cinnamon, until it's all well incorporated. Then, dunk each french toast "sandwich" into the egg mixture. Soak it well on each side, and then place it in the pan to start cooking. It's best to start the frying right away so the bread doesn't get soggy!
After the first side of the french toast is golden and looks crispy, usually around a few minutes in the pan, flip it carefully and let the second side cook as well. Continue with each piece of french toast until you've done them all!
While still warm, serve with some powdered sugar on top if the nutella and syrup won't be enough sugar for you, and pour however much syrup you'd like over it as well!
Happy Eating,
Natalie