Starting a cool crisp fall morning off with delicious Stuffed Pumpkin French Toast for breakfast is a real treat your entire family will love!
I’ve been making stuffed french toast since I was a kid. There are two tricks, in my opinion, to doing it right. First, you need the right bread. It needs to be thick and soft. That’s why I chose a brioche loaf for this particular breakfast. Another less obvious choice could actually be a big soft croissant, but let’s not get all crazy here. The second trick is to add cream cheese to the filling. Think about how wonderful a warm cheese danish is, right?
Pureed pumpkin on its own is a little gross, which is why I like to add some brown sugar and pecans to the mix. That way the filling has a little bit of everything – smooth, crunchy, sweet, creamy – to make it super delicious.
Another tip for good french toast is to really mix up your egg mixture well. Even egg lovers will appreciate not having to bite into a piece that has obvious egg yolk or egg white on it. Think of that egg mixture like a custard. You wouldn’t want to take a bite of ice cream, pudding, or creme brulee and see a chunk of yolk or white, now would you? Serve this breakfast up with some warm maple syrup and some whipped cream and you’ll have one delighted group of breakfast eaters!
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of brioche bread unsliced
- 15 oz can pureed pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pecan pieces
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice divided
- 8 ounces cream cheese cut into 8 pieces
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup milk can use half and half as well
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- butter for the grill
- pure maple syrup for serving
- garnish with whipped cream if desired
Instructions
- Slice off the ends of the brioche loaf and cut into 8 thick slices, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Using a knife, cut a small pocket into the side of each piece of bread, taking care not to cut through the remaining three sides.
- In small bowl, combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pecans, and one teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice.
- Using your fingers, open up the pocket and stuff it with a spoonful of the pumpkin mixture along with a piece of cream cheese. If needed, break the cream cheese up into smaller pieces to ensure even melting. Push filling in far enough so that pocket closes.
- In a shallow disk, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and remaining pumpkin pie spice. Ensure that the mixture is well mixed so that the french toast doesn't have obvious pieces of egg on the outside when cooked.
- Preheat griddle over medium low heat and grease with butter.
- Soak both sides of slices thoroughly in the egg mixture. Lift out of custard and allow excess to drip off before transferring to hot griddle. Cook until golden brown on bottom, about 5-10 minutes, then flip to cook remaining side, taking care not to flatten french toast with spatula.
- Serve hot with warm maple syrup and whipped cream.
Nutrition
If you’re a lover of pumpkin, be sure to check out these other perfect-for-fall recipes!
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