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.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Chill Time 4

Total Time 5 15

Servings servings

Calories 334kcal

Author Whitney Wright

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 13x9 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.

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