Description
Warm, spiced, and custardy—this pumpkin French toast casserole is the ultimate make-ahead fall breakfast your whole family will love.
Ingredients
1 (12–14 oz) loaf of French bread, sourdough, or challah (about 12 cups cubed)
1 cup (227g) pumpkin puree
3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
2½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
6 large eggs
2⅓ cups (560ml) whole milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Crumb Topping:
1/3 cup (69g) packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup (41g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
3/4 cup (100g) chopped pecans
For Serving:
Pure maple syrup
Instructions
1. Cube the bread into bite-size pieces and let it sit out for a few hours or overnight to stale.
2. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and add bread cubes.
3. In a bowl, whisk pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, eggs, milk, and vanilla until combined.
4. Pour the custard evenly over the bread cubes. Gently press the bread down to absorb.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
6. Prepare the crumb topping by cutting butter into brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon until crumbly. Stir in chopped pecans. Refrigerate.
7. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Sprinkle crumb topping over casserole.
8. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Cover with foil and bake for an additional 25–35 minutes until set and golden.
9. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with maple syrup.
Notes
Use sturdy, crusty bread like challah, brioche, or sourdough.
Stale bread works best to absorb the custard.
To stale quickly, bake cubes at 300°F for 10 minutes.
Cream cheese version: Mix 8 oz cream cheese with 2 tbsp powdered sugar and 1/4 tsp vanilla, then dollop between layers.
Freeze unbaked casserole (without topping) for up to 2 months. Baked leftovers freeze well for 3 months.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 280mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 125mg