Similar to bread pudding or a strata, French toast casserole has a base of bread (preferably stale), smothered in a custard, and baked until firm. This Pumpkin French toast casserole is packed with warming spices from pumpkin pie spice mix, and has pumpkin puree mixed into the custard. Topped with a sweet and crunchy pecan streusel, this decadent breakfast will be a family favorite! Once you make a French toast casserole, you may never go back to make French toast the traditional way. It’s super convenient to assemble this all in one dish and bake at your convenience, rather than standing over a hot skillet making individual pieces of French toast. It’s PERFECT if you’re hosting company and need a good breakfast or brunch recipe for a crowd.
Ingredients and substitutions
Bread – I used brioche. You should try to make sure the bread is stale/dried out. Any kind of bread will do – crusty no knead bread, French bread, sourdough, Texas toast, Challah, etc. But different kinds will yield different results, as they have different flavors and textures.EggsHalf and Half – You can use whole milk if you prefer, or a mix of whole milk and heavy cream. I recommend a milk with fat in it, but in a pinch you can use a low- or no-fat milk, or a plant-based alternative such as soy or almond milk for a dairy free version.Pumpkin puree – the canned stuff is great for this. Make sure it’s not pumpkin pie filling – just plain pumpkin puree!Pecans – walnuts, or other nuts such as sliced or slivered almonds, or chopped hazelnuts, or a mix, would work too. Or for a nut-free version, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds may be used, or the nuts omitted.Brown sugar – white sugar can be used instead, or a mix of the two.Pumpkin pie spice mix – I used a homemade pumpkin pie spice mix, but you can easily find it pre-mixed at the store.Butter – use ghee in a pinch for a dairy-free version. Cooking spray can be used to grease the pan as an alternative.Vanilla extractAll-purpose flour – this is for the streusel topping
How to make Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
How to dry out bread
If you don’t have already dried out, stale, or day-old bread handy, you can easily transform fresh bread into dried bread perfect for this recipe. It’s important to use stale bread for this recipe, as fresh will likely result in a soggy casserole.
Overnight method: Cube (or tear) the bread into pieces and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover with a towel. Allow to sit overnight- the bread should be fairly dry in the morning. Alternatively, you can place the cubes in a brown paper bag.Quick method: Place the cubed bread pieces on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in your oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until it’s just starting to toast (but not brown). Let it cool for a bit then proceed with the recipe.
If you really, REALLY don’t have time to dry out the bread, you may be able to get away with using fresh bread if it’s a crusty loaf to begin with. I don’t recommend letting the casserole sit for too long if you use fresh bread- bake it after it’s sat in the custard for about an hour max. Here’s an easy recipe for homemade no knead crusty bread made in a Dutch oven!
How to store and reheat
This Pumpkin French Toast Casserole is best fresh, after it’s cooled off for 5-10 minutes after baking. But you can also keep leftovers in the baking dish, and reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. You can also pop slices in the microwave to warm up. Keep the leftover casserole in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze individual slices for up to 3 months in an airtight bag. You can grab a slice from the freezer and defrost it overnight in the fridge or pop it in the microwave to warm up for a quick and easy breakfast!
Other pumpkin recipes
This recipe uses about a half a 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree. Here are some ways you can use the rest of that can up and more pumpkin recipe inspiration!
Healthy Pumpkin PancakesPumpkin ChiliChai Spiced Pumpkin BreadPumpkin Fettuccini AlfredoSpiced Pumpkin Pie OatmealPumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate and CranberriesPumpkin Pudding from Scratch
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