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Get ready to dive headfirst into the coziest, most delicious breakfast you’ll make all season: our incredible pumpkin french toast casserole!
If you’re anything like us, the moment the leaves start to hint at changing, your kitchen starts craving all things pumpkin spice. This recipe is pure, warm, breakfast magic, and it’s about to become your new favorite way to kick off a crisp morning.
We’re talking about fluffy bread soaking up all that amazing pumpkin-spiced goodness overnight, so all you have to do in the morning is pop it in the oven. It makes your whole house smell absolutely divine, which is pretty much the best alarm clock ever, right?
So, whether you’re feeding a crowd for a holiday brunch or just want to make a regular Sunday feel extra special, this make-ahead wonder is your new go-to. Get ready for a slice of fall heaven!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Holiday perfection. It’s great for holidays, especially Halloween and Thanksgiving.
- Spin on a classic. Yes – this fall version of our classic French Toast Bake is perfect for any breakfast.
- Can be made ahead. Make it the night before making any holiday so easy.
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole Ingredients and Substitutions
- 1 loaf sourdough bread – We used Pepperidge Farm sourdough bread!
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice – store-bought or make your own pumpkin pie spice blend
- ½ – 1 cup LIBBY’S 100% Pure Pumpkin
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter
The Perfect Syrup
Our Cinnamon Buttermilk Syrup is the perfect compliment to this pumpkin spice goodness!
How to Make Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- BREAD. Cut bread into 1½ inch squares. Place in a greased 9×13 pan.
- EGG MIXTURE. In a bowl whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla. Once it’s mixed well, pour over bread chunks and refrigerate overnight. If looking to do this quicker, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- STREUSEL. Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a bowl. Cut in a cold stick of butter. Mix with your fork until crumbly. Refrigerate overnight as well.
- PREP. Once ready to bake preheat oven to 350°F.
- BAKE. Before baking, spread streusel over the top and bake for 35-45 minutes.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- We used sourdough bread for this recipe and it was flavorful and delicious. Stay away from using limp sandwich bread (you want crusty bread), but you can use other bread such as Texas Toast, Brioche, French bread, Pullman loaves, or challah bread.
- If you do not have stale bread, cut up your bread and place it on a tray in the oven at 350°F for about 12-18 minutes until the bread becomes a little crunchy and all dried out.
- To make this non-dairy, use coconut cream instead of heavy cream and cashew milk instead of cow’s milk.
- Topping variations. Instead of cinnamon buttermilk syrup, try topping this with powdered sugar, agave syrup, maple syrup, honey, or incorporate walnuts/pecans into your streusel for some extra crunch.
Pumpkin French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread (used Pepperidge Farm)
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ -1 cup LIBBY’S 100% Pure Pumpkin
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter
Cinnamon Buttermilk Syrup
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup buttermilk or 1/2cup milk with 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Cut bread into 1½ inch squares. Place in a greased 9×13 pan.
- In a bowl whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla. Once it's mixed well, pour over bread chunks and refrigerate overnight. If looking to do this quicker, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- To make the streusel, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a bowl. Cut in a cold stick of butter. Mix with your fork until crumbly. Refigerate overnight as well.
- Once ready to bake preheat oven to 350°F.
- Before baking spread streusel over the top and bake for 35-45 minutes.
- Make buttermilk syrup by melting butter in a pan on low-medium heat. Add sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, and cinnamon – mix with whisk. Add baking soda and stir until all combined. Well be foamy at first and will then return to normal.
- Serve warm with french toast bake right out of the oven.
Video
Notes
- We used sourdough bread for this recipe and it was flavorful and delicious. Stay away from using limp sandwich bread (you want crusty bread), but you can use other bread such as Texas Toast, Brioche, French bread, Pullman loaves, or challah bread.
- If you do not have stale bread, cut up your bread and place it on a tray in the oven at 350°F for about 12-18 minutes until the bread becomes a little crunchy and all dried out.
- To make this non-dairy, use coconut cream instead of heavy cream and cashew milk instead of cow’s milk.
- Topping variations. Instead of cinnamon buttermilk syrup, try topping this with powdered sugar, agave syrup, maple syrup, honey, or incorporate walnuts/pecans into your streusel for some extra crunch.
STORE. Though leftovers aren’t quite the same as freshly baked you do not want them going to waste. Keep leftover toast in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Though leftovers aren’t quite the same as freshly baked you do not want them going to waste. Keep leftover toast in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
Assemble the casserole the night before, cover it with foil, and keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it in the morning. You can also keep it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
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This recipe was originally published May 2015.
This is an easy to prepare and delicious recipe! It’s a Thanksgiving tradition for my family. Thank you for sharing!
Wish I could print out some of your recipes 😩
Is the pumpkin puree 1/2 to 1 cup or 1 1/2 cup?
We all loved this pumpkin french toast casserole in my house! It’s filled with delicious fall flavors and is so comforting! Thank you!!
The perfect breakfast for fall! So much flavor and everyone loves it.
oh my lanta, this was everything my fall heart needed and more, thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
This was absolutely delicious!! Loved the fall flavor!
Love this recipe! Easy to make and pumpkin French toast is great! Yum!