Blueberry Cheesecake French Toast

Name: Blueberry Cheesecake French Toast
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3/4 cup coconut milk; 2 eggs; 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (ground nutmeg works too); 2 teaspoons vanilla; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or brown sugar); Pinch salt; 8 slices of whole wheat bread; Extra make syrup (for serving); 8 oz light cream cheese (softened); 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream (or full fat coconut milk); 1/3 cup powered sugar (I used Whole Earth Powdered Allulose Baking Blend); 1 tablespoon lemon zest; 2 teaspoons vanilla; 1 cup fresh blueberries; 1 tablespoon water; Pinch salt; 1/4 cup sugar or 1:1 allulose (I used Whole Earth Sweetener allulose baking blend); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon vanilla; Pinch cinnamon (optional)

Danielle

5 years ago

Brunch Time!

In our house, we brunch on the weekends. When we lived in Chicago, that meant going to a fun, new restaurant that offered bottomless mimosas. Now as parents living in central IL, brunch means cooking with our sons at home in our pjs with big glasses of orange juice 😂 The one thing both have in common is a delicious, decadent brunch treat!

Enter my blueberry cheesecake french toast. It’s rich, luscious, a little fancy, and absolutely delicious. It’s also easy to whip together and kid-friendly. Best yet, it’s secretly healthy and full of nutritious, wholesome ingredients. It’s an all around brunch win!

Our brunch situation may look a little different these days, but it’s still just as fun and even more tasty!

Ingredients in this Blueberry Cheesecake French Toast

Here’s what you’ll need to make this treat:

For the custard:

coconut milk, makes the custard rich and velvety while adding a beautiful touch of coconut flavor. If you’re not a coconut fan, you could also use regular milk (I do recommend a creamier, fattier milk to create a rich custard).
eggs, helps create a rich custard and golden brown crust to the french toast.
cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, imparts lovely flavor and balance to the french toast.
pure maple syrup & coconut sugar (or allulose brown sugar baking blend), gives the custard the perfect amount of rich, sweetness.

For the cheesecake filling:

light cream cheese, the base of the filling; cream cheese is a key to making any cheesecake goodies! I use light and it works great! You could use regular too!
heavy cream (or coconut milk): helps whip the cream cheese so it’s light and airy.
powdered sugar (I used Whole Earth’s powdered allulose baking blend), creates a perfectly sweet and creamy cheesecake filling.
lemon zest, helps add brightness and balance to the cheesecake filling.
vanilla, adds pure richness sweetness.
salt, a pinch helps balance the sweetness.

For the quick blueberry jam:

blueberries, I used fresh blueberries (but I think frozen would work too). With just a touch of sugar and lemon, it creates a beautiful sweet and tart jam. The natural pectin in the blueberries creates the jammy texture (no cornstarch needed!).
water, helps bring out the moisture in the blueberries to create a luscious jam.
sugar (I used Whole Earth’s allulose baking blend), a little sweetness is needed to bring out the natural sweetness in the blueberries. I don’t like over-sweet jams, so only a little is used – it allows the fruit to shine!
lemon juice, helps brighten and balance the sweetness.
vanilla, the rich, pure sweetness wakes up the jam!

Tips for making blueberry cheesecake french toast:

Use crusty, day old bread. You want the bread to be slightly hard (so not fresh)so it stands up to the custard and does not become too soggy in the custard.
Soak the bread. Allow the bread to soak up the creamy, delicious custard for about 15-30 minutes so it achieves a delicious, creamy, flavorful center and golden brown crust when cooked.
Fresh or frozen blueberries for the jam: both work great here! The natural pectin in the berries help create a jammy, delicious spread.
Cook the french toast over medium heat. Heat up a skillet with butter or coconut oil and allow it to start bubbly gently. Then cooke the french toast, about 3-4 minutes per side, so it achieves a golden brown crust but remain soft and creamy on the inside.
Make the cheesecake filling and blueberry jam first. That way they are ready to go when the french toast is done cooking and you can top the french toast and dig in!

The Swaps I Used to Lighten this Dish

I used a whole grain bread (one made from scratch from my local grocer), so it’s free of preservatives and high in fiber and nutrients.
I used coconut milk for the custard as it’s dairy-free and naturally sweetened but still rich and flavorful.
For the jam and cheesecake filling, I used an alluose baking blend (the powdered blend for the filling) which is an all-natural zero calories sweetener that tastes and acts just like sugar. I highly recommend it!
I made a homemade blueberry jam so it uses only a few simple ingredients and is not overly sweetened.

How to make it your own.

Here’s how you can make this treat your own:

Use a different fruit: if blueberries aren’t your thing, try another berry, like strawberries or blackberries (just make sure to pick a fruit with some natural pectin so it thickens properly).
Flavor the custard: you could amp the flavor of the custard by adding an almond or coconut extract.
Switch up the bread: I prefer a seedy whole wheat bread for it’s nutrition benefits and texture. But you could also use a brioche or french bread, if you prefer!
Skip the extras: Now, the cheesecake filling and blueberry jam are delicious, and highly recommended. Butttt, if you are short on time or like a more simple breakfast treat (like my hubby), you can just top the french toast with powdered sugar and rich, maple syrup. It will still be delish!

other healthy breakfast treats

Enjoy!

This blueberry cheesecake french toast is next level! Tender, golden brown french toast topped with a velvety, rich cheesecake filling with swirls of sweet and tart blueberry jam….It deserves a spot on your brunch table!

If you make this Blueberry Cheesecake French Toast, please leave a comment below. I absolutely love to hear from you guys and your thoughts on my recipes. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or pin it on pinterest, cuz sharing is caring!