Pumpkin Stuffed Hawaiian Roll French Toast Recipe
Let's put a fall twist on a Hawaiian roll French toast and stuff it with a pumpkin cheesecake filling. Each soft, sweet roll is golden on the outside with a creamy pumpkin cheesecake center and warm fall spices throughout. Every bite tastes like pumpkin cheesecake and French toast at the same time.
Servings: 6
Calories: 463kcal
Ingredients
- 12 Hawaiian rolls
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Egg Custard:
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- Combine the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin spice and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer until completely smooth and soft.
- Fit a piping bag with a filling tip (aka Bismarck filling tip). Tip: You can also use a zip-top bag if you don't have a piping bag.
- Transfer the pumpkin cheesecake filling into the piping bag and set aside.
Prepare French Toast:
- Whisk eggs, brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and vanilla extract for the custard until smooth.
- Carefully fill each Hawaiian roll with some cream cheese filling: start filling from the soft side and insert the top toward the center. Gently squeeze the filling mixture until the roll fills but not cracking on the sides. Fill them all first, before starting to cook.
- Preheat a large pan over heat that is below medium. Don't cook over medium or higher or the outside will cook too fast before the inside cooks through.
- Depending on the size of your pan, you will most likely need to work in batches. Don't soak the filled rolls, until that batch is ready to go into the pan.
- Add some oil to grease the pan and dip each filled Hawaiian roll in the egg custard, turning it and letting it soak for a few seconds per side. (Total soak time would be about 20-30 seconds.)
- Place the soaked Hawaiian rolls into the preheated pan and let them cook for about 1.5-2 minutes per side. (Remember to turn them on ALL sides, they are little cubes, so they have 6 sides.)
Notes
- Hawaiian rolls: use one 12-count package of sweet Hawaiian rolls and keep them whole.
- Pumpkin puree: use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie mix. Homemade puree can be thinner, so check the texture of the filling.
- Heavy whipping cream: half and half works as a substitute in the custard but it will not be as tick and rich. Soak a few seconds less.
- Heat: keep the heat just below medium so the centers cook through before the outside gets too dark.
- Keep warm: hold cooked batches on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven while you finish the rest.
Nutrition
Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 182mg | Sodium: 338mg | Potassium: 181mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 4819IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 1mg