Many of us grew up with mom making pancakes or French toast for breakfast almost every morning. Time just seemed to play no factor into “busy” school mornings. Now, “busy” has turned into “hectic” and time always seems so limited. We can barely make time to grab a breakfast bar to eat on the road. We still have our occasional lazy Saturday or Sunday mornings, but those important week-day mornings tend to get neglected.

A great way to bring some calm to your rushed morning is to make a fantastic breakfast for your family, just like mom did, with creamsicle-stuffed French toast made with Neat Nick Preserves Creamsicle Jelly. French toast is one of those childhood classics that everyone loves, and this kicked-up recipe is both vegan and gluten-free so everyone in the family can enjoy.

There are no eggs in this recipe, but that doesn’t make the soaking mixture any less creamy or luxurious – all you need is almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Vegan cream cheese made from coconuts and cashews stands in for dairy cream cheese, and a layer of Neat Nick Preserves Creamsicle Jelly sandwiched in between the cream cheese and bread is what makes the French toast over the top.

This jelly is by far the most unique citrus jelly and it is just perfect for the recipe. Far from being a classic, pulpy marmalade, this jelly – made with orange juice and sugar – is smooth and flecked with fresh vanilla bean; an absolutely divine combination for that creamy filling.

Once you sandwich the bread together with the jelly and cream cheese tightly secured inside, gently soak each in the almond milk mixture and then chill for a few minutes while your griddle heats up. Brown both sides of the sandwiches in coconut oil and serve them with fresh, pure maple syrup. Immediate nostalgia!

Creamsicle-Stuffed French Toast

• 4 slices vegan, gluten-free bread (such as Little Northern Bakehouse brand)
• 2 oz. Miyokos plain vegan cream cheese
• ½ cup plain, unsweetened almond milk
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp. cup Neat Nick Preserves Orange Creamsicle Jam
• 1-2 tbsp. Coconut oil

For serving:

• Pure maple syrup (optional)

Soften the vegan cream cheese by bringing it to room temperature and mashing it with a fork until you achieve a spreadable consistency. Lay out 4 slices of bread as if preparing open-faced sandwiches. Spread ½ oz of cream cheese on each slice of bread.

Then, spread 1 tbsp. of the Neat Nick Preserves Creamsicle Jam on top of the cream cheese of two of the slices of bread (1 tbps. per sandwich). Place the other two (non-jellied) slices of bread cream cheese-side down on top of the bread slices with the jam to top off the sandwiches.

Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes to firm up and set everything together. Meanwhile, prepare the French toast bath. Whisk together the almond milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Melt the coconut oil on a griddle pan at medium-high heat. Submerge one sandwich at a time into the almond milk mixture and flip over to ensure the entire sandwich is saturated in the bath. Place one sandwich at a time onto the griddle and brown for about 3 minutes on both sides. Serve immediately as is or with maple syrup.

#SpreadingHappiness

For more great Neat Nick Preserves recipes, visit the Recipes page on our website. Enjoy!

Recipe created by NoodlesKnows blog author and fitness coach Mandy Kaewsowatana.