Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Cherry Compote
If your usual weekend brunch is starting to feel repetitive, this chocolate stuffed French toast is an easy way to add some much-needed variety. It uses simple ingredients and straightforward steps. Make it for a slow weekend morning, serve it for Mother’s Day, or just treat yourself to something special. Pull Up A Chair Rachel:…
This chocolate stuffed French toast with cherry compote is life-changingly good. Thick slices of challah bread are filled with chocolate, briefly soaked in custard and cooked until golden, then topped with a sweet cherry compote. It's a super luxurious but completely beginner friendly brunch option.
If your usual weekend brunch is starting to feel repetitive, this chocolate stuffed French toast is an easy way to add some much-needed variety. It uses simple ingredients and straightforward steps. Make it for a slow weekend morning, serve it for Mother’s Day, or just treat yourself to something special.
Pull Up A Chair
Rachel: I’m a sucker for chocolate…and French toast in general. The cherry compote balances it out so it doesn’t feel too one-note, which makes it easier to go back for another bite.
Emily: This is one of those recipes that looks impressive when you put it on the table, but it’s actually really straightforward. I like to make this when people come over and not tell them how simple it is.
Quick Recipe Snapshot
- Skill level: Beginner-friendly
- Time: About 40 minutes, including prep
- Key flavors: Chocolate, lightly sweet custard, bright cherry
- Best for: Weekend breakfast, Mother’s Day, sharing with friends, or brunch buffet
- Brunch buffet menu: serve alongside Lemon Vanilla Scones, Bagel Strata with Salmon, Cranberry Orange Almond Granola, and a pitcher of mimosas (or regular OJ).
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate French Toast Recipe
- Simple, easy-to-find ingredients. You can find the recipe ingredients at most grocery stores.
- No special equipment needed. You just need a dish to soak the bread in, a pan to cook the bread in, and a pot for the compote.
- Beginner-friendly. The steps are straightforward and don’t require any fancy techniques.
- Classic flavor combo. Chocolate, cherry, and even an optional boost from almond extract. These flavors are great on their own but even more irresistible together.
- Great for casual brunch or special occasions. It works for both a casual weekend breakfast or something you’d serve to guests.
- Can be easily customized. If you don’t like cherries, you can use frozen or fresh strawberries or raspberries in the compote instead (skip the almond extract), or stuff the French toast with dark or white chocolate.
- Super, super impressive. Just look at her! This French toast recipe is insanely gorgeous and delicious, and will absolutely impress whoever you’re serving.
Before You Start (To Avoid Overwhelm)
Ingredients in Chocolate Stuffed French Toast
- Chocolate French toast – challah bread, egg custard mixture (eggs, whole milk, sugar, nutmeg), chocolate bars, butter for pan, powdered sugar for finishing (optional).
- Cherry Compote – frozen dark sweet cherries (pitted), sugar, lemon juice and zest, water, pinch of salt, cornstarch, almond extract (optional).
How to Make Chocolate French Toast with Cherry Compote
- Add all cherry compote ingredients except cornstarch to a pot and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Note: you can start cooking the French toast while the compote cooks.
- Carefully spoon 2 tbsp of the hot cherry liquid from the pot into a cup and whisk with cornstarch to make a slurry.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the cherries to thicken, whisking constantly as you pour so it doesn’t clump. Cook for 1 minute to thicken the sauce, then remove from heat.
- In a wide dish about 2 inches deep, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, and nutmeg.
- Make a 2 inch wide cut into the top of each piece of bread to create a deep pocket without going through to the other side. Place 1 chocolate square into each pocket. You may have to break the chocolate pieces in half to fit them into the pocket, depending on the size of your bread slices.
- Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture and let sit for 1-2 minutes, then flip the bread over and let it soak for another 1-2 minutes on the second side. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your dish.
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a pan set over medium heat. Place 4 slices of soaked bread in the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, then flip each bread over and cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove from the heat, then add more butter and cook the rest of the French toast the same way.
- Top the chocolate stuffed French toast with some cherry compote and dust with powdered sugar.
Our Tips for This Stuffed French Toast Recipe
Storage, Serving Ideas, and Variations
Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. Reheat in a skillet or oven to keep the texture.
Serving ideas: Serve with coffee and something fresh like fruit on the side. You can also add eggs or bacon if you want a more balanced meal.
Variations:
- Use strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries instead of cherries.
- Try different types of chocolate depending on what you like.
- Add orange or lime zest to the compote instead of lemon.
- Use dairy-free milk and butter if needed (but note that brioche and challah may not be dairy free).
FAQs: Chocolate Stuffed French Toast
Chocolate Stuffed French Toast with Cherry Compote
This chocolate stuffed French toast with cherry compote is life-changingly good. Thick slices of challah bread are filled with chocolate, briefly soaked in custard and cooked until golden, then topped with a sweet cherry compote. It's a super luxurious but completely beginner friendly brunch option.
Equipment
- 12 inch non-stick frying pan or can use stainless steel, but you may need more butter/oil
Ingredients
Cherry Compote
- 1 lb frozen pitted dark sweet cherries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Chocolate French Toast
- 8 slices challah bread, sliced 1 ¼ inch thick (about 1 standard loaf)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- Few dashes freshly grated nutmeg can use ground nutmeg instead
- 4 oz semi sweet chocolate, broken into 8 squares (each 1/2 oz)
- 4 tbsp butter plus more if needed
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Add all compote ingredients except cornstarch to a pot and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 lb frozen pitted dark sweet cherries, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup water, Zest of 1 lemon, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp almond extract (optional), Pinch of salt
- Note: While the compote cooks, you can start the French toast (optional).
- Spoon about 2 tbsp of the warm cherry juice into a cup and whisk with cornstarch to make a slurry.1 tbsp cornstarch
- Slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into the cherries and cook for a minute or 2 to thicken, then remove the compote from heat.
- In a wide dish that's a couple inches deep, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, and nutmeg.4 eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 4 tbsp granulated sugar, Few dashes freshly grated nutmeg
- Cut into the top of each bread slice to create a deep pocket without going through to the other side. Leave a ¼ to ½ inch border around the sides. Place 1 chocolate square into each pocket.8 slices challah bread, sliced 1 ¼ inch thick (about 1 standard loaf), 4 oz semi sweet chocolate, broken into 8 squares (each 1/2 oz)
- Dip each bread slice into the egg mixture and let sit for 1-2 minutes, then flip each bread and soak another 1-2 minutes on the other side. Be careful not to soak much longer or the bread will be too soggy to work with. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your dish.
- Add 2 tbsp butter to a pan set over medium heat. Add 4 slices of soaked bread and cook for about 2-3 minutes on the first side, then flip each bread over and cook another 2-3 minutes on the second side or until golden brown. Remove from pan, then add the rest of the butter and cook the 2nd batch of French toast the same way.4 tbsp butter
- Top the chocolate stuffed French toast with cherry compote and dust with powdered sugar (optional).Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Notes
1 serving = 2 pieces of stuffed French toast with compote.
Tips:
- Slice the bread yourself instead of using pre-sliced. This allows you to cut the pieces thick enough to stuff the chocolate.
- Don’t overfill with chocolate or it may spill out and burn while cooking.
- Don’t oversoak or let the bread sit in the custard too long or it’ll get too soggy and harder to work with.
- Keep the heat at medium so the inside warms through before the outside browns too much.
- Let it sit for a minute before serving so the chocolate settles a bit and doesn’t burn your mouth.
Brunch buffet menu:
Serve alongside Lemon Vanilla Scones, Bagel Strata with Salmon, Cranberry Orange Almond Granola, and a pitcher of mimosas (or regular OJ).Final Thoughts
This chocolate stuffed French toast with cherry compote is warm, simple, and ridiculously good. It looks like it belongs on a plate from a fancy brunch spot, but you can pull it together in about 40 minutes. We dare you to make this and not immediately crave it again!
