Pumpkin and French toast have joined together in a fall lover’s DREAM COME TRUE! Make this French toast bake the night before & enjoy the next morning!
As soon as fall hits I can’t wait for big weekend breakfasts and pumpkin everything! Overnight French toast casseroles are the best because they’re so simple to make and taste amazing! Some of my other favorites are French Toast Bake with Fruit and Maple Sausage French Toast Bake!
Need ideas for what to serve with your weekend french toast bake? Whether you’re serving a crowd or just having a weekend brunch with the family you’ve got to have bacon, keep it simple and learn how to cook bake in the oven! Don’t forget the simple mimosa
French toast casseroles have become a staple in our house. They’re great as prep-ahead dishes that I know my kids will devour without a single complaint. Now with fall knocking on our door, I knew that I had to update one of my classic french toast bake recipes to add in my favorite fall flavor: PUMPKIN! This easy french toast recipe will make you so excited for fall that you’ll be wanting to go out and rake up all the leaves! Not feeling the fall spirit yet, but longing for a good casserole? Check out this Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole!
PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST BAKE
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I’m one of those obnoxious people who asks my local coffee shop if they have pumpkin spice coffee in stock yet starting in mid-August. Don’t get me wrong – I do NOT want to wish away summertime… cookouts, beach days, and kids playing in the sprinkler… these are a few of my favorite things. BUT, I find it very easy to get into the fall spirit once pumpkin everything starts showing up in stores.
This year, my very first pumpkin spice latte (or PSL as the kids are calling them these days…) came into my possession (and very quickly made its way into my veins) on September 1st. On September 2nd I realized that I needed more pumpkin in my everyday life. That’s when I had a genius-level revelation: overnight french toast with pumpkin.
We had all the cousins sleeping over the following weekend, so I knew that I needed a crowd-pleasing breakfast that wasn’t going to take me waking up at the crack of dawn just to have a whirlwind of pre-teens devour breakfast in under 5 minutes. I knew that this baked french toast casserole recipe was going to be my game-changer. And believe me, it was. The kids actually SAT for breakfast, they raved over how much they loved the pumpkin flavor, my picky eater even asked for seconds! I knew that I had a fall staple on my hands right away.
Ingredients you need to make Pumpkin French Toast Bake
- French bread
- Eggs
- Milk
- Pumpkin puree
- Vanilla
- Maple syrup
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
You can really use any type of bread you have on hand (aka that loaf you bought last week but forgot that you already had one…), however, I’ve found that using french bread takes this recipe to the next level. It adds a little extra crunch on top and the bread does a great job of soaking up the liquid to create a gooey interior to your casserole.
How to Make French Toast
- Right before going to bed, grease your favorite baking pan or dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cut up the loaf of french bread into 1-inch cubes and fill the baking dish with them.
- Hire your sous-chefs (in my case, my eager kids) to whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. It’s at this point that I get excited for this breakfast – you can already smell the delicious pumpkin flavor!!
- Pour this egg mixture over the bread cubes and push down with a spoon (or if you have kids like mine who like getting messy, use your hands) until the liquid is all soaked up and the bread is covered.
- Cover the dish and refrigerate it overnight to give all that deliciousness time to soak in.
- Once you wake up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and uncover your french toast.
- Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top – this is the step that gives the french toast the amazing crunch that I love so much about it.
- Pop it in the oven (uncovered) for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and no longer wet.
- Serve with maple syrup, honey, or my new favorite – agave!
Now, if you’re saying to yourself: “but wait, I don’t have an army of children to serve breakfast to, I just want a little bit for myself” – DON’T WORRY! One of the greatest things about this french toast recipe is that leftovers stay well in the fridge for a few days! All you have to do is cover it up tightly, and then pop it back in the oven for a few minutes to reheat it the next day!
Cozy up with some of my other favorite fall breakfasts!
- Pumpkin Spice Donuts
- French Toast Bake with Fruit
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon Monkey Bread
- Cranberry Sauce Muffins
- Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
- More BREAKFAST recipes…
Tools used to make Pumpkin French Toast Bake
Baking Dish: This baking dish is a must-have for any home cook. I actually have 3 of them in my cupboard, and each dish comes with a lid for storing leftovers or taking your dishes on the go.
Mixing Bowls: I know I say this all the time, but these mixing bowls are a FAVORITE in my house. I love that they are nesting, so they fit easily in the cabinet. They’ve got covers so you can use them to mix, store, or serve! They’re the best.
*This post originally posted on 10/08/2013.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- maple syrup honey, or agave to serve with french toast (I used maple syrup)
Instructions
- Fill a lightly greased 9-inch × 13-inch baking dish with 1-inch bread cubes. It will be pretty full.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined
- Pour pumpkin mixture over bread and push down with a spoon or your hands until the bread is soaked and mostly covered with the liquid.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap or lid and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and uncover the baking dish.
- In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle all over the top of french toast.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and all the french toast bake is set.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately. We like to top tour french toast bake with maple syrup or honey.
- Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
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