Cinnamon Roll French Toast (Printable)

Soft bread rolls filled with spiced cream cheese, dipped in egg, pan-fried and rolled in cinnamon-sugar for a golden, handheld brunch.

# What You Need:

→ Filling

01 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
02 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Roll Ups

04 - 8 slices soft white sandwich bread, crusts removed
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
06 - 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

→ Egg Mixture

08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 1/4 cup milk
10 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ For Cooking

11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

# Steps:

01 - Blend cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until smooth.
02 - Use a rolling pin to flatten each slice of bread until thin.
03 - Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture along one edge of each flattened bread slice; roll tightly into a log.
04 - In a shallow dish, whisk eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
05 - Stir granulated sugar and ground cinnamon together in a separate bowl.
06 - Lightly coat each assembled roll up in the egg mixture on all sides.
07 - Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Fry roll ups 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp.
08 - Immediately brush or roll the hot roll ups in cinnamon sugar to ensure even coating.
09 - Transfer roll ups to a plate and serve warm. Optionally garnish with maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • They taste like bakery-style cinnamon rolls, but you can eat them with your hands and barely any mess.
  • Rich cream cheese filling and a cinnamon-sugar crust make every bite an instant crowd-pleaser in my house.
02 -
  • If you leave the roll ups in the egg mixture too long, they’ll fall apart and get mushy.
  • Flattening the bread really well makes for neater, tighter rolls—don’t be shy with that rolling pin.
03 -
  • The softer the bread, the easier it rolls—avoid anything crusty or dense.
  • Brushing the finished roll ups with a tiny bit more melted butter makes the sugar coat extra sticky and satisfying.

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