Fried Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwiches are a decadent treat made with buttery golden bread, creamy cheesecake filling, and sweet, juicy strawberries. Crispy on the outside and rich on the inside, they’re the perfect indulgence for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Easy to make and impossible to resist, these handheld delights are sure to impress family and friends.
Love More Desserts Ideas? Try My Lemon Blueberry Puff Pastry Tart or this Caramel Apple Puff Pastries next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Golden and crispy on the outside while creamy and cool on the inside, they offer the perfect balance of textures in every bite. Ready in just 15 minutes with simple ingredients, this treat is quick, easy, and impressive for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. The sweet, slightly tart strawberries blend beautifully with the rich cheesecake filling, creating a deliciously indulgent flavor that everyone will love.
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Fried Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwiches
- Total Time: 15
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Golden-brown fried strawberry cheesecake sandwiches dusted with powdered sugar, cut diagonally to show creamy filling with fresh strawberry slices
Ingredients
For the Sandwiches:
- 8 thick slices of bread (brioche, challah, or sturdy white bread)
- 2 tablespoons butter
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (plus extra for dusting)
- Splash of vanilla extract (optional)
Strawberry Layer:
- ½ cup fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup strawberry preserves (optional)
Coating:
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
To Finish:
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Optional Serving Suggestions:
- Maple syrup
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla ice cream
- Fresh fruit
Instructions
Beat softened cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes with a mixer. Add vanilla if using. Should be fluffy and spreadable.
Spread cream cheese on four bread slices, leaving borders so it doesn’t leak out. Add strawberry slices and preserves if using. Top with remaining bread and press gently.
Whisk eggs and milk in shallow dish until smooth. No lumps.
Dip each sandwich in egg mixture about 10 seconds per side. Just coat them, don’t let them get soggy.
Heat butter in non-stick pan over medium heat until bubbling. Cook 2 sandwiches at a time, 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Add more butter for second batch.
Transfer to paper towels to drain excess butter. Dust with powdered sugar while warm.
Serve immediately while outside is crispy and inside is creamy.
Notes
Day-old bread works better than fresh – holds up to dipping without falling apart. Fresh bread? Toast it lightly first.
Medium heat only. I burned so many trying to rush. High heat = burnt outside, cold inside. Low heat = greasy mess.
Always drain on paper towels, never straight on plates. Soggy bottoms are the worst.
Make strawberry sauce by mashing berries with sugar while you cook. Takes 2 minutes, adds tons of flavor.
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Pan-fried
- Cuisine: American
Ingredient List
For the Sandwiches:
- 8 thick slices of bread (brioche, challah, or sturdy white bread)
- 2 tablespoons butter
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (plus extra for dusting)
- Splash of vanilla extract (optional)
Strawberry Layer:
- ½ cup fresh strawberries, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup strawberry preserves (optional)
Coating:
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
To Finish:
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Optional Serving Suggestions:
- Maple syrup
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla ice cream
- Fresh fruit
Why These Ingredients Work
Cream cheese mixed with powdered sugar turns into this spreadable, fluffy filling that’s like cheesecake frosting. I learned to let it come to room temp first – cold cream cheese just makes lumpy mess no matter how much you beat it.
Thin strawberry slices work better than thick chunks because they don’t make the sandwich too bulky to bite. The egg and milk coating is just French toast batter that creates this crispy shell around everything. Thick bread is crucial – thin stuff falls apart when you dip it.
Essential Tools and Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer (or whisk)
- Sharp knife for strawberries
- Shallow dish for egg mixture
- Large non-stick skillet
- Spatula
- Paper towels
- Fine-mesh sieve for dusting
How To Make Fried Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwiches
Make the Cream Cheese Filling
Beat softened cream cheese with powdered sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes with a mixer. Add vanilla if using. Should be fluffy and spreadable.
Assemble Your Sandwiches
Spread cream cheese on four bread slices, leaving borders so it doesn’t leak out. Add strawberry slices and preserves if using. Top with remaining bread and press gently.
Prep the Egg Coating
Whisk eggs and milk in shallow dish until smooth. No lumps.
Dip the Sandwiches
Dip each sandwich in egg mixture about 10 seconds per side. Just coat them, don’t let them get soggy.
Fry Until Golden
Heat butter in non-stick pan over medium heat until bubbling. Cook 2 sandwiches at a time, 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Add more butter for second batch.
Drain & Serve
Transfer to paper towels to drain excess butter. Dust with powdered sugar while warm.
Enjoy While Hot
Serve immediately while outside is crispy and inside is creamy.
You Must Know
Room temp cream cheese is everything. Cold cream cheese makes lumps. If you forgot to take it out, cut it up small and microwave 10 seconds.
Test your pan temp with a drop of egg mixture – should sizzle right away but not violently.
Personal Secret: Don’t oversoak in egg mixture. My first batch turned to mush because I let them sit too long. Quick dip only.
Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks
Day-old bread works better than fresh – holds up to dipping without falling apart. Fresh bread? Toast it lightly first.
Medium heat only. I burned so many trying to rush. High heat = burnt outside, cold inside. Low heat = greasy mess.
Always drain on paper towels, never straight on plates. Soggy bottoms are the worst.
Make strawberry sauce by mashing berries with sugar while you cook. Takes 2 minutes, adds tons of flavor.
Flavor Variations & Suggestions
Any berry works – raspberries are tart, blueberries pop in your mouth, blackberries are jammy sweet. Use what’s cheap.
My kid discovered Nutella under the strawberries. Messy as hell but incredible.
Fall version: thin apple slices with cinnamon in the cream cheese. Like apple pie cheesecake.
Fancy version: mascarpone instead of cream cheese. Rich as anything but worth it for special occasions.
Make-Ahead Options
Cream cheese filling keeps 2 days in the fridge covered. Stir before using.
Assembled sandwiches (uncooked) keep 4 hours wrapped in fridge. Let sit 10 minutes before cooking.
Freeze assembled sandwiches up to a month. Thaw completely, cook an extra minute per side.
Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips
Pat strawberries dry after slicing. Wet berries = soggy bread. Chunky preserves should be chopped up for easier spreading.
Don’t press down while cooking. You’ll squeeze out all the filling.
It’s all about moisture control. Too wet = falls apart. Too dry = boring. Takes a couple tries to get the feel.
Serving Suggestions
Great alone but even better with crispy bacon and fruit for brunch. Kids like milk, I like coffee to cut the sweetness.
Dessert version gets vanilla ice cream and berry sauce. Cut diagonal and stack – looks fancy, zero extra work.
Made these for three brunch parties now. People always want the recipe and they photograph really well.
I hope this becomes your new weekend thing. Nothing beats the smell of these cooking and watching people’s faces when they take that first bite.
How to Store Your Strawberry Cheesecake Sandwiches
Room Temperature: Best fresh but okay covered 4 hours max.
Refrigerator: Airtight container 2 days. Bread gets soft but still tastes good.
Reheating: Skip microwave – makes them soggy. Toaster oven or skillet 5 minutes at 350°F.
Freezing: Wrap individually, freeze 1 month. Thaw overnight, reheat as above.
Allergy Information
Gluten-Free: Use thick gluten-free bread that won’t fall apart.
Dairy-Free: Dairy-free cream cheese and plant milk work fine. Use vegan butter for frying.
Egg-Free: Hard to replace the coating but try ground flaxseed mixed with water (1 tablespoon flax + 3 tablespoons water, sit 5 minutes).
Questions I Get Asked A Lot
Q: Can I use frozen strawberries?
Fresh is better for texture but if you must, thaw completely and pat very dry. Slice thicker since they’ll be mushy.
Cream cheese filling too thick?
Add a teaspoon of milk and beat. Too thin? More powdered sugar.
Can I bake instead of fry?
Sure. Brush with melted butter, bake 375°F about 15 minutes, flip halfway. Less crispy but still good.
Regular sandwich bread work?
Get the thickest you can find and be extra gentle. Won’t be as good as brioche but doable.
💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! Tell me what you thought and if you tried any variations. Love hearing about your kitchen experiments!
