Transform classic french toast into a decadent and sinful, dessert-worthy treat with this Nutella mascarpone french toast. Surprise the family with a Valentine’s Day brunch and serve this luscious and rich dessert-inspired dish.

Every once in a while we all deserve a cheat day, a day to indulge our culinary obsessions. What better day to do that than on Valentine’s Day? In fact, I had V-day in mind when I first prepared this dish a few weeks ago. Weekday breakfast options usually alternate between cereal and overnight oats – both of which make mornings easy and stress-free. Sunday mornings on the other hand are usually reserved for more extravagant breakfasts. There’s no rush to get the kids off to school, I’m much more relaxed compared to a regular work day morning, and breakfast is not restricted to a specific time. It was a really lazy morning on this particular Sunday – we watched a few too many cartoons and caught up with family in Italy via Skype, and before I knew it 10:30 had creeped up on us. What was originally intended for breakfast quickly became brunch, and a decadent brunch it was!

This french toast is the epitome of a decadent brunch item – rich Nutella and creamy mascarpone cheese spread onto two crispy, buttery slices of french toast. The addition of bananas and strawberries add a fresh (and healthy) component to the dish. This Nutella mascarpone french toast got raving reviews – even before the kids devoured it! If I could turn back time I would have taken photos of their excited little faces, drooling over all the decadent ingredients on the kitchen counter as I was preparing this. I too couldn’t help but wait to dig in, which resulted in a few two many spoons of Nutella and mascarpone! I’m certain your entire family will love these, but feel free to make substitutions to suit your personal tastes. Blueberries, raspberries or blackberries would be delicious too, as well as ricotta or cream cheese as a substitute for the mascarpone.