Baked pumpkin French toast is so easy to make and the best part is that you can prep it the night before and bake it off in the morning. It has all the feels of fall, but really can be served any time of the year. It’s made with warm spices and has a big pumpkin flavor. I love it because it is not too sweet so you still feel satisfied after eating it. Not like you had a donut for breakfast! Brioche bread is dipped into a pumpkin egg mixture flavored with pumpkin spice and vanilla then baked off to create this special breakfast dish the whole family will enjoy! This great recipe will become a staple during the cool months ahead.
Here are the ingredients you need to make this baked pumpkin french toast recipe:
Let’s begin by talking about the bread used in this recipe. Many people feel it’s important to use stale bread when making French toast which makes sense given that the recipe originated with a way to use old stale bread. But I do not find it to be that important. If you have old bread then by all means use it in this recipe, but you don’t have to, fresh bread works just as well. ! Many baked French toast recipes also call for using bread cubes, I find it an extra step that can be avoided by dipping the entire piece of bread into the egg mixture.
What kind of bread should you use in this baked french toast recipe:
I recommend using Brioche or Challah bread. Brioche is a French-style bread made with butter so it’s golden yellow in color and very soft. Its flavor lends itself nicely to this recipe. Next, I would suggest using Challah bread. Challah is a Jewish bread and is a beauty to look at. It has a fancy braid-like top that is easily distinguishable. This can be found at Trader Joe’s and your local grocery store. If you have access to a Jewish bakery that would be ideal. Lastly, you can try using a loaf of French bread. This is readily available and often comes pre-sliced.
Now that the conversation about bread is out of the way the remaining ingredients are eggs, half and half, vanilla extract, maple syrup, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin puree. The only thing on this list that needs some discussion is the pumpkin puree. It’s important to buy pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. The pie filling has added spices and sugars that this recipe does not need. The recipe calls for one cup of pumpkin puree, there will be some leftovers so I recommend you save it and make pumpkin spice lattes or try my recipe for Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal. You can find pure pumpkin all year round, but during the fall everyone has it! Trader Joe’s carries an organic one that I really like.
How to make this baked french toast:
To begin with, slice the bread if you bought an unsliced loaf. If you purchased sliced bread then you can skip this step. Next, combine all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. The combination of eggs, half and half, spices, and pumpkin puree has the makings of a pumpkin custard when cooked. Once you have whisked that together prepare a large baking dish by generously greasing it with butter on all sides and the bottom. Once the prepared baking dish is ready, dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture. Letting the excess egg drip back into the bowl. Then place each piece into the baking dish overlapping the pieces slightly. Make sure the bottom of the dish is covered with bread. Once all of the bread has been dipped and placed in the dish, pour any excess egg mixture over the top of the bread.
Bake now or later?
The wonderful thing about this breakfast recipe is that you can bake it now or cover it with aluminum foil and bake it off the next morning. It works either way and comes out delicious every time.
If you kept it in the fridge overnight, take it out and let it sit on the counter while the oven is preheating. Then pop it in the oven covered for 25 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking for 20 additional minutes until the egg custard is set and the bread no longer looks soggy. The French toast will get slightly golden in color and puff up slightly. Once it is done baking, remove the casserole dish from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes or so. Then dust it with powdered sugar and scoop it out onto plates and serve with warm maple syrup. This is always a huge hit with my family and all pumpkin lovers will agree that this is the perfect fall breakfast.
Other recipes you might enjoy!
Baked Pumpkin French Toast
Baked pumpkin French toast is easy to make and feeds a crowd. Brioche bread is dipped into a pumpkin egg mixture and baked off to create this special breakfast dish.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of bread (Brioche or Challah,) sliced
- 5 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- powdered sugar for dusting the top
- maple syrup to serve on the side
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Butter a 9x13 glass baking dish or use a non-stick spray
1. Combine everything except the bread into a large bowl and whisk together until combined.
2. Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture, letting excess drip off. Adding dipped bread to the glass dish as you go, overlapping each piece of bread slightly.
3. Pour any remaining egg mixture over the bread.
4. Cover the dish with foil. You can either bake it now or put it into the refrigerator overnight and bake it in the morning.
5. Bake for 25 minutes then remove foil and continue baking for 20 more minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and dust with powder sugar. Let cool slightly and scoop out onto plates. Drizzle with maple syrup and enjoy!
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Notes
The recipe calls for pure pumpkin puree. Do not buy pumpkin pie filling.
