Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
A quick overnight pumpkin french toast casserole recipe that can be assembled ahead of time and baked for breakfast or brunch! Topped with a jumbo lump pecan streusel and just lightly sweet. This is going to be your go-to fall breakfast!
Hello, my fellow pumpkin french toast lovers!
It’s the best time of the year when you can shove pumpkin puree into all your usual weekend breakfast faves. So today, I’m sharing with you my recipe for pumpkin french toast casserole.
The best part is that you can make it ahead of time and bake it off fresh in the morning. Don’t you just love overnight french toast recipes? They make entertaining during the holidays or for brunch any time of the year so much easier.
I love a good french toast bake. I originally shared this recipe with you guys back in 2015 and decided that it needed a few new pictures and directions that were easier to follow. Don’t worry; I’ve kept the recipe exactly as it is because I feel it’s perfect for our taste buds.
Since sharing my pumpkin french toast casserole with you guys, I went on to make a few other french toast bakes. There was the blueberry and cream one for the summer and an apple pie one for early fall.
And guess what? This pumpkin french toast casserole can also be made into individual servings. Just follow the ingredients from this recipe and the instructions from here. Use either streusel recipe, coconut, and almonds of the one with pecans; it’s entirely up to you. I’m trying this french toast casserole with the coconut almond streusel next time — with the pumpkin spice added in, of course.Because I LIVE for pumpkin spice flavors, like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. I seriously wait for it all year long.
What ingredients do you need to make pumpkin french toast casserole?
- day old bread
- milk
- heavy cream
- granulated and brown sugar
- eggs
- pumpkin puree
- vanilla
- pumpkin spice
- butter
- all-purpose flour
- pecans
Breads that work well for french toast casserole
- Brioche – usually the best bread for french toast but it’s also a little pricier than the other options because it’s made with tons of eggs and pure butter.
- Challah – this type of bread usually doesn’t contain dairy and it super eggy, which make it perfect for things like french toasts or casseroles.
- French bread – this kind of bread requires the longest soak, so it’s kinda perfect if you’re prepping overnight french toast casserole. It’s also the most economical option out of three, and it’s what I use when I can’t find good brioche or challah bread. Works like a charm!
What if you don’t have stale bread?
Remember, good french toast is always made with day old bread. If you decide to make this casserole last minute and don’t have access to stale bread, here’s a tip. Cube fresh bread, then pop it onto a sheet pan and into a 350ºF oven for roughly 12-18 minutes or until it just barely starts to brown and the bread feels crunchy and hard to the fingertips. Then just let it cool for a few minutes and carry on with the recipe!
How to make the best pumpkin french toast bake.
Start by cubing the bread and popping it into a greased 13×9 baking dish. Then we’ll make the egg custard portion of our french toast bake. In a bowl whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and vanilla extract. Slowly pour this into the baking dish and make sure all the bread is evenly soaked. Then let it hang out for at least 3-4 hours and preferably overnight.
How to make the streusel topping:
To make the streusel topping we’ll combine the light brown sugar, butter, all-purpose flour, pecans and pumpkin spice in a small bowl. If you aren’t a fan of pecans or making this for someone with allergies, swap it with walnuts. Use your fingertips to help break down the butter into small pieces and let all get coated with the flour and sugar. Just sprinkle this onto the casserole right before baking and then just let it bake in the oven until the custard sets, about 45-55 minutes.
Tips for a perfect pumpkin french toast casserole:
- Gluten-Free folks, swap the bread for gluten-free bread. Swap the flour for a 1-1 gluten-free flour such as this one.
- You can replace the cows milk with non-dairy milk, such as, oat or almond milk. Replace the regular milk with 1 (15-ounce) can of full-fat coconut milk and replace the heavy cream with soy, almond, coconut, pecan, or walnut milk.
- You can make the streusel portion ahead of time as well and just pop it into a separate container and refrigerate it. Just sprinkle it on the casserole right before baking so that the crumbs don’t mix it with the custard.
- Test your casserole to make sure it’s done. Insert a wooden skewer into the center of the casserole and if it comes out wet, it still needs a few more minutes of oven time.
- If your casserole starts browning too much at any point, just use a piece of foil to loosely tent the top.
Can you freeze leftovers?
I’m happy to report that yes, you can! We’ve made this quite a few times since I originally published this recipe back in October of 2015 and it freezes beautifully. I usually cut any leftovers into smaller individual portions, pop it into a freezer safe bag or box and then just let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. It’s the best when you need breakfast to-go but still want something warm and homemade!
Why you’ll love this casserole:
- it requires easy ingredients that you can find at almost every grocery store!
- it feeds a crowd!
- you don’t need to be slaving away at the stove making individual french toasts or pancakes or guests
- everything can be prepped ahead of time and then just baked the day of.
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
A quick overnight pumpkin french toast casserole recipe that can be assembled ahead of time and baked for breakfast or brunch! Topped with a jumbo lump pecan streusel and just lightly sweet. This is going to be your go-to fall breakfast!
Ingredients
french toast casserole:
- 1 lb. (day old) French bread (brioche bread, or challah*), diced
- 2 cups milk (see note)
- ½ cup heavy cream (see note)
- 1 cup EACH: granulated sugar AND pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons vanilla
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
streusel:
- ½ cup EACH: light brown sugar AND all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cold salted butter, diced
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
Instructions
- PREP: Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the diced bread in the baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, and pie spice. Pour the prepared custard over the prepared baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours and preferably overnight.
- STREUSEL: Combine the light brown sugar, butter, all-purpose flour, pecans, and pumpkin spice in a small bowl. Using your fingertips, mix together until the butter breaks down into smaller pieces. Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the french toast casserole.
- BAKE: When ready to bake, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350ºF. Sprinkle the prepared streusel mixture over the casserole evenly. Bake the casserole for 48-55 minutes or until the casserole is no longer jiggly. You may need to tent the casserole with a piece of foil if it starts browning too quickly around the 30-40 minute mark, I didn’t. Let cool for several minutes before slicing and serving! Let cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with maple syrup, butter, and powdered sugar.
Notes
- TO AVOID USING COWS MILK - replace the 2 cups milk with 1(15-ounce) can of full-fat coconut milk and replace the ½ cup heavy cream with ½ cup soy/almond/coconut milk.
- These can also be baked in individual french toast cups. Use these ingredients and follow the instructions listed here.
- The challah and brioche will weigh more than the french bread but essentially you need one large loaf.
Made this for the second time this morning and love it. It’s really good leftover too! That’s if you have leftovers! One thing I’ve tweaked is the actual cook time. I keep mine baking for 85-90 minutes so the center isn’t as runny and moist. Glad I found this recipe for the holidays!
Has anyone tried this recipe using the non dairy option written in the Notes section? “replace the 2 cups milk with 1(15 ounce) can of full-fat coconut milk and replace the ½ cup heavy cream with ½ cup soy/almond/coconut milk.”
I’m wondering how the coconut changed the flavor of the recipe…
Yes, I used 2 1/2 cups of coconut milk as my mom was over for Thanksgiving and she is lactose intolerant . It was fantastic!!
This is my favourite recipe to bring to Christmas breakfast with the family, as dessert to a friends potluck, or to have at home with my husband and I. It is easy to make with limited preplanning required. Thank you for sharing it!!
OMG….this was delightfully delicous!!!! I made this for an Autumn Brunch I was hosting & served it with bourbon maple syrup. Everyone loved it, couldn’t stop raving about it. I definitely recommend this recipe. Thank you for posting it!
This recipe looks delicious and thank you so much for the dairy free options yes. my son has a nut allergy would it taste okay if I use pumpkin seeds versus pecan or other tree nuts?
Pumpkin seeds sound yummy, I’m just worried that they might burn with the long baking time, maybe you can toast them separately (in a skillet or even in the oven) and sprinkle them on top right before serving? Or just omit the nuts all together if you’d like!
Absolutely love it! Thanks for the recipe Marzia. A perfect use of pumpkin.
Making this for Church Thanksgiving Breakfast for tomorrow morning. It was super easy. I used a loaf of raisin swirl bread by Pepperidge Farm. We’ll see how it turns out!
This is a great and easy fall recipe. Perfect level of sweet so you don’t even need syrup! I loved that you can prep everything the night before. Next time, I’ll probably bake it for 1hr 20 minutes so that it’s not as custardy. Thank you for sharing a wonderful recipe!
Thank you for sharing the recipe! I will make them immediately for dinner
Great, look at how you do I can say you are very professional. I have bookmarked your page and will try it on the weekend.
Thank for sharing!
French toast with pumpkin flavor. Great recipe for breakfast. I’ll try to make it.
Such a great combination ! And good way to utilize bread. I saved it and make this for my family, try to impress my parents because I’m not good at cooking. Many thanks.
Well I have no idea with this recipe but I bet it’s delicious. I’ll cook it with less sugar, because it can be eaten with honey. Thanks for nice pics and great post.
Looks so good. I make toast usually, but don’t adding more flavors, because I can enjoy it with honey. This recipe is nice, I will make some.
This is such a delicious Recipe! I love making it for the family!
Thank you for sharing
That looks delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this any time of the day, love it!
Absolutely love it!I loved the use of pumpkin, and this looks so yummy! amazing!
Your recipes are so good, I love trying them.
Great French toast casserole pumpkin! The ingredients are simple and easy to process, the taste is great. I just finished it tonight and the result is beyond my expectations. We had a great dinner. all thanks to your recipe. love your recipe. Thanks for sharing
That recipe looks so yummy! I’ll have to try that one. Thanks for sharing.
This pumpkin french toast is delightful on a chilly fall (or any morning, really!). I only used half the amount of sugar called for in the egg batter & a little less for the topping and it still satisfied my sweet tooth. I also didn’t use any cream. If I had a restaurant, I would so have this on the menu! ?
I love to make some recipes from pumpkin and i think it is really healthy and nutrition. Your tips give me a lot of ideas to make the wonderful breakfast for my son. Thank you so much for your creative and sharing.
Well I have no idea with this recipe but I bet it’s delicious. I’ll cook it with less sugar, because it can be eaten with honey. Thanks for nice pics and great post.
This will be a great breakfast. I will definitely follow your recipe, I will send you the feedback after it’s done. My daughter will love it.
How can i contact you here?
Cant wait to make it and taste it, will let you know about it how it was.
It is looking so delicious. Food lovers will definitely like this pumpkin french toast . I must try to make this mouthwatering recipe at home. Happy cooking!
How would you suggest making this in individual sized pans? Would tin foil pans work? I am a tour manager for a band and for a treat for early morning bus calls I thought this would be great! If I make them in individual pans the night before, quickly bake while loading van, and away we go with a warm breakfast! Thank you!!
Hi Laureen! I’ve made a similar recipe in muffin cups, so I think if you’d like to make individual servings, that would work best! If you’d like to make them in individual pans, that should work too, you’ll just have to test for doneness as I’m not sure about the cooking time on those. Hope everyone enjoys the casserole 🙂
Made it just as shown. So good! Everyone loved it. Will definitely make again
So happy to hear it was a hit for you, Katie! Appreciate you circling back to leave a review 🙂
Loved this recipe! I used Brioche (YUM). I also used Half and Half since I was lazy and did not want to buy two different types of milk. I cut down the sugar by a 1/4 cup (just personal preference). I brought it to a pumpkin painting brunch and everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. It was quick easy and affordable to make highly suggest!