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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

  1. BREAD. Cut bread into 1½ inch squares. Place in a greased 9×13 pan.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. PREP. Once ready to bake preheat oven to 350°F.
  5. BAKE. Before baking, spread streusel over the top and bake for 35-45 minutes.
  • 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.
Baked cinnamon french toast casserole in a white baking dish.
5 from 22 votes

Pumpkin French Toast Bake

Gooey pumpkin french toast casserole is oozing with butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar making it a family favorite fall breakfast!
Servings: 6
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Total: 55 minutes

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

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.
Make ahead of time. 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. 
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

Serving: 6g, Calories: 958kcal, Carbohydrates: 119g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 45g, Saturated Fat: 26g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 324mg, Sodium: 1093mg, Potassium: 420mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 68g, Vitamin A: 4754IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 231mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

How to 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.

Can I make this ahead of time?

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. 

This recipe was originally published May 2015.

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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5 from 22 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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19 Comments

  1. Yvonne B. says:

    5 stars
    This is an easy to prepare and delicious recipe! It’s a Thanksgiving tradition for my family. Thank you for sharing!

  2. Karen says:

    Wish I could print out some of your recipes 😩

  3. Jason says:

    Is the pumpkin puree 1/2 to 1 cup or 1 1/2 cup?

  4. Olivia says:

    5 stars
    We all loved this pumpkin french toast casserole in my house! It’s filled with delicious fall flavors and is so comforting! Thank you!!

  5. Katie says:

    5 stars
    The perfect breakfast for fall! So much flavor and everyone loves it.

  6. Cam says:

    5 stars
    oh my lanta, this was everything my fall heart needed and more, thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!

  7. Allyson Zea says:

    5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious!! Loved the fall flavor!

  8. Cindy says:

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! Easy to make and pumpkin French toast is great! Yum!

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