This Pumpkin French Toast Casserole is the perfect breakfast or brunch item this fall season! It’s loaded with a bright pumpkin flavor and then topped with a sweet and crunchy pecan streusel. 

Overnight Pumpkin French Toast Casserole on a plate with a fork nearby.

Pumpkin Breakfast Recipes

Yay for all things PUMPKIN!! I can’t get enough of this delicious fruit. If you’re on the hunt for everything pumpkin make sure you check out these sensational recipes:

  • Pumpkin Scones – topped with a double glaze, one being a spiced glaze. These scones would be perfect for a fall brunch.
  • Pumpkin Steel Cut Oats – another great make ahead fall breakfast recipe.
  • Pumpkin Pancakes with a homemade brown butter cinnamon pecan syrup!! It’s so so good!
  • Pumpkin Coffee Cake – not sure why coffee cake is considered “breakfast,” but I won’t argue.
Maple syrup poured overtop of an Overnight Pumpkin French Toast Casserole.

And if you enjoy pumpkin desserts and treats:

Pumpkin French Toast Casserole ingredients in glass bowls on a marble table.

How to make pumpkin French toast

Begin by cubing the bread of your choice. I suggest using challah or hearty type bread or even whole grain. However, don’t use sandwich bread as its a bit thin.

The cubes should be about 1″ or so in size. I used challah when I made it.

Place the cubed challah (or bread of your choice) on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the bread is toasted and golden.

Pro tip: rather than toasting the bread in the oven you can set the bread out overnight to stale. If you want to stale the bread overnight I recommend you cut the bread beforehand and then simply keep the bread out on the counter to harden.

A casserole dish with cubed challah bread soaking in a pumpkin spice egg mixture.

Remove the toasted bread from the oven and transfer it to a 13″x9″ baking pan.

Make the French toast “mixture”

In a medium sized bowl whisk the milk, cream, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.

Pour the mixture over the toasted bread.

Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Pro tip: don’t refrigerate for longer than 4 hours as the French toast bake will be soggy.

A close up photo of the pecan streusel topping for the overnight pumpkin French toast casserole.

How to make the pecan streusel topping

Make the streusel by combining the brown sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl. Use a pastry blender to cut in the cold butter. Stir in the pecans.

An overhead photo of an unbaked Overnight Pumpkin French Toast Casserole.

Sprinkle the pecan streusel over the unbaked casserole.

When you’re ready to bake the pumpkin French toast casserole remove the casserole and the streusel from the fridge. Sprinkle the streusel over the casserole and bake for 1 hour or until baked throughout.

A freshly baked Overnight Pumpkin French Toast Casserole topped with a pecan streusel.

Pro tip: to prevent excessive browning I like to bake mine for 40 minutes and then cover it with aluminum foil the remaining 20 minutes.

Some Overnight Pumpkin French Toast Casserole on a plate with two forks next to the plate.

This recipe takes 15 minutes to prep. This is a great breakfast recipe that will make for a hassle-free and delicious brunch. Besides, who doesn’t love delicious pumpkin French toast dripping with maple syrup and a sprinkling of powdered sugar?

The only thing missing is a warm cup of hot cocoa.

A bite taken out of a portion of the overnight pumpkin French toast casserole.

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Overnight Pumpkin French Toast Casserole on a plate covered in maple syrup.
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5 from 1 vote

Pumpkin French Toast

This pumpkin french toast is the perfect recipe to make for breakfast or brunch. The pumpkin flavors are bright and they're complimented with the pecan streusel topping.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Chill Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 1 loaf challah bread (or any variety of toasty, hearty bread) - cubed
  • 1 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar - packed
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Pecan Streusel

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar - packed
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter - cold and diced
  • 1/2 cup pecans - chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the cubed bread on a baking sheet, making sure the bread is in an even layer. Bake the cubes for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly, then transfer the crisp bread cubes to a buttered 13"x9" buttered pan. *
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, cream, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Pour the mixture over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours but no longer. **
  • Prior to baking the pumpkin french toast, make the pecan streusel.

Pecan Streusel

  • Make the streusel by combining the brown sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter. Stir in the pecans. *

Baking the Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Remove the pumpkin french toast casserole from the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap. Sprinkle the streusel over the unbaked casserole. Bake for 50-65 minutes. Sometimes i'll place foil overtop around the 45 minute mark to prevent severe browning. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Serve with maple syrup if desired. 

Notes

I used challah bread for this recipe, however an even heartier and thicker type of bread might work even better! I would refrain from using sandwich style bread though as it’s a bit thin. Artisan or whole grain bread would be great!
*You should have enough cubed bread to fill the 13×9 inch pan, somewhere around 8 cups worth. 
**Refrain from letting the casserole sit longer than 4 hours as it could result in a soggy dish. But give it enough time to soak up some of the liquid… you should be ok to bake it after 1 hour of chilling in the fridge. It just depends on how yours looks. 
Recipe adapted from Life Made Simple.

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcal (17%)Carbohydrates: 32g (11%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 21g (32%)Saturated Fat: 10g (50%)Cholesterol: 149mg (50%)Sodium: 123mg (5%)Potassium: 191mg (5%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 24g (27%)Vitamin A: 4464IU (89%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 92mg (9%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
author: Whitney Wright
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
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