Review: IHOP's Stuffed French Toast Is Back, And This Time It Should Stay

You might not think that the relaunch of Stuffed French Toast from one of the United States' most popular diner chains would make headlines in the food world — it is the International House of Pancakes, after all, so why would everyone care so much about its Stuffed French Toast? Well, IHOP fanatics take the Stuffed French Toast seriously, and they have finally convinced the franchise to bring it back to the menu.

IHOP's Stuffed French Toast originally debuted in 2003 to much praise from its diners. During the pandemic, however, the brand cut the dish from its menu to bring new items in to refresh its offerings, said Chef Art Carl, IHOP's vice president of culinary. In its place, the team added crepes and variations on pancakes to its offerings. But the push for Stuffed French Toast to make a comeback has been loud. According to Candace Graham, a senior executive on IHOP's public relations team, the Stuffed French Toast has been the brand's most requested comeback item across its social platforms. Plus, there was even an online petition for the fan-favorite dish to return.

Finally, the renowned breakfast chain has listened to its fans. The previously discontinued menu item makes its return this September with two options for a berry compote topping (strawberry vanilla and blueberry vanilla). I was invited to taste-test the returning menu item, and here I will reveal whether I think it is really worth all the hype surrounding its return.

Admittedly, I had never tried IHOP's Stuffed French Toast before, so I was not able to compare my taste test to the original version that was on menus for seventeen years. However, I read about all the reasons people loved this dish — there are fast food copycat recipes online that highlight the vanilla and cream cheese filling, as well as many Stuffed French Toast lovers who say it was just the perfect amount of sweet (not too much, not too little). These are some of the notes I wanted the revived Stuffed French Toast to hit.

I judged the Stuffed French Toast on its overall flavor profile. I asked myself: Did it taste too artificial? Too sweet? Was the filling balanced well with the fruity toppings? And, importantly, was every bite stuffed? Prior to serving the French toast plates, Chef Art Carl told us that IHOP is now using a three-prong stuffing technique — formerly a one-prong technique — to stuff the French toast and ensure that every bite has a taste of that sweet cream cheese filling. When tasting, I judged whether this technique was noticeable in each bite.

The Strawberry Stuffed French Toast was sweet and syrupy. The sweet cream cheese filling was stuffed inside a thick piece of French toast, all slathered with strawberry sauce (or blueberry sauce) and vanilla sauce. The vanilla paired nicely with the strawberry flavoring. The strawberry tasted very accurately like strawberry, though it also leaned slightly artificial; it tastes like candy in a way a kid might love, but in a way that is better for dessert than breakfast. Still, I didn't mind that slightly artificial taste too much — I went in for more bites after it.

My favorite variation of the Stuffed French Toast was the blueberry one. It was properly tart and not overly sweet, and the vanilla complemented the blueberry flavoring just as much as it did the strawberry. The blueberry version tasted fresher and less artificial, and the blueberries themselves were even sour and firm despite the sauces on the plate. The strawberries were cold, which was a nice temperature difference from the warm, gooey French toast, but they were also soggy, which could prove a texture issue for some diners.

For both, the bread remained crispy and nicely seared on the outside — an impressive feat to accomplish based on all the sauce on the plate — and for the most part, the stuffing oozed out every time I sliced in. I would say that IHOP's Stuffed French Toast stacks up well against the expectations that precede it.

Before this taste test, I hadn't eaten at an IHOP in five years. However, these Stuffed French Toasts are so good overall that they might make me return more regularly. I liked both flavors, but the strawberry was a bit too sweet and would be best considered an enjoyable treat rather than a breakfast dish. The blueberry, alternatively, was calmer on the palate while still being sweet and, frankly, delicious.

There's never a chance of the Stuffed French Toast being dry. All pieces are slathered in sauces and berry compotes. Still, the bread maintains a crunch on the edges that is evidence of the vanilla cinnamon French toast batter that is slathered in the pan during cooking. The bread is soft and airy, as Chef Art Carl told us it should be. Though most bites oozed with filling, I'll note that the center did less oozing than the edges of the bread — sort of like biting into a thick sandwich and all the layers start to fall out of the sides.

IHOP's revamped Stuffed French Toast is fluffy, sweet, full of cinnamon, and unmistakably fruity. It's rich and indulgent, and you'll never have a dry bite when you eat it. I think lovers of the original will find that it is just as good as before, if not better. Newbies to the dish will fall back in love with all the gooey goodness IHOP has to offer. It is a French toast recipe you'll want over and over again.

The Strawberry Vanilla and Blueberry Vanilla Stuffed French Toast makes its comeback at IHOP on Monday, September 14, and will be available through early 2027. Patrons can order each variation individually, which will include two triangles filled with sweet cream and topped with either the strawberry or blueberry topping and vanilla sauce. A combo order will also be available, including one triangle of either flavor of Stuffed French Toast, two eggs, hash browns, and two strips of bacon or links of sausage. The full order will retail for around $13.88, and the combo will retail at $14.95.