Warm, creamy and loaded with blueberries, this Panera favorite turns French toast into something closer to a full-on dessert.
Photo by Mark H. Anbinder
Copycat Panera Bread Blueberry Stuffed French Toast
Panera Bread Blueberry Stuffed French Toast features thick slices of cinnamon raisin bread filled with a sweet cream cheese and blueberry mixture, then soaked and griddled until golden.
This one is all about the soak. Let the bread take it in, don’t rush it. That’s what gives you the soft center and crisp edges that make it feel like the real thing.
Quick Recipe Overview
- Best For: Brunch, breakfast, holidays, and special occasion mornings.
- Flavor Profile: Sweet, creamy, fruity, and lightly spiced.
- Skill Level: Moderate.
- What Makes It Like the Restaurant: Thick-cut stuffed bread and full custard soak recreate the signature texture.
Panera Bread
Panera Bread built its identity around fresh-baked goods and a bakery-cafe experience that blends quick service with a slightly more upscale feel. Founded in 1987, the brand emphasizes quality ingredients and approachable comfort foods, particularly in its breakfast and brunch offerings.
Items like Blueberry Stuffed French Toast highlight that focus, combining bakery bread with simple, indulgent fillings to create dishes that feel both familiar and elevated. It reflects Panera’s ability to turn everyday staples into something a little more memorable.
A Bakery Take on French Toast
Stuffed French toast is an evolution of a traditional breakfast dish, adding a filled component to create more texture and richness. By using thicker bread and a custard soak, the dish becomes softer inside while maintaining a crisp exterior when cooked.
Fruit and cream cheese fillings are especially common in American brunch settings, offering a balance of sweetness and tang. This style has become a staple in cafes and brunch restaurants, where presentation and indulgence are just as important as flavor.
Straight-From-the-Restaurant
Way back in the simpler days of the internet, restaurants were kind enough to share recipes on their new websites so that fans could enjoy their favorite dishes at home. Alton has spent hours tracking down these recipes preserved in archived restaurant sources. We are proud that we can help the restaurants share these vintage recipes with a whole new generation of fans.
Panera Bread Blueberry Stuffed French Toast Recipe from 2012 is a Straight-From-the-Restaurant Recipe.
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Panera Bread Blueberry Stuffed French Toast Recipe
Warm, creamy and loaded with blueberries, this Panera favorite turns French toast into something closer to a full-on dessert.
Yield: 6
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Panera Bread Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- 8 ounces reduced-fat Cream Cheese Spread at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons Confectioners’ Sugar
- 2 tablespoons grated Orange Zest
- 3/4 cup fresh Blueberries
- 6 large Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups Whole Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
- Cut bread into 1 1/4-inch-thick slices to yield about 8 slices. Cut a slit through the top crust of each slice to form a deep pocket.
- In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, 3 tablespoons sugar and orange zest.
- Stir in blueberries.
- Spoon filling evenly into bread pockets.
- Place stuffed slices in a shallow 4-quart baking dish.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
- Pour mixture evenly over bread, tilting dish to coat completely.
- Let sit until liquid is absorbed, at least 30 minutes at room temperature or covered in refrigerator overnight.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray, oil or butter.
- Cook stuffed bread slices about 5 minutes per side until browned and crisp outside.
- Serve warm, with syrup, if desired.
Related Copycat Recipes
- IHOP Stuffed French Toast – Decadent breakfast classic with creamy center and syrup-soaked comfort
- Panera Bread Chicken and Dumplings – Hearty café classic with savory depth and old-fashioned comfort appeal
- Village Tavern Brioche French Toast – Rich, buttery French toast with a soft center and crisp, caramelized edges
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Questions People Ask
Do I have to use cinnamon raisin bread?
That is what gives the dish its signature flavor, but other thick breads can be used if needed.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes. It can be assembled and soaked overnight for easier cooking the next day.
Why is soaking important?
It allows the custard to fully absorb into the bread, creating a soft interior texture.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes, but fresh blueberries provide better texture and flavor.
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Photo of “Stuffed French Toast” is by Mark H. Anbinder and is used by permission under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode. Photo of “Panera Bread” is by Mike Mozart and is used by permission under the CC BY 2.0 Deed Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.Thank you, Mark and Mike. Great Pictures. Photos may be representative of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe courtesy of Panera Bread from their website in 2012, recovered by Alton of Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes using the Wayback Machine. Recipe source – often, but not exclusively, the restaurant’s website, a magazine or newspaper article, a promotional video or a promotional book or handout – is presumed to be honest (this is the recipe used in the restaurant or a scaled down “home version” of a larger recipe) and accurate (no mistakes were made in the presentation). Recipe has been changed only to fit the style and format of this website – Ingredients and instructions are exactly the same as presented in the shared recipe. Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
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