This fluffy Pumpkin French Toast is flavored with brown sugar, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Topped with your choice of soft butter, powdered sugar, syrup, or whipped cream, it’s the perfect fall breakfast that couldn’t be easier to make.
Looking for more pumpkin breakfast recipes? You can also try our Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast, Pumpkin Waffles, Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, or this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Danish recipe.
Jump to:
Pumpkin French Toast
If you are one of those people that sometimes (or lots of times) wants to eat dessert for breakfast, you will love this pumpkin French toast. The filling starts out like plain French toast—eggs, milk, vanilla. But, then we sweeten the mixture with brown sugar and flavor it with pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and of course—pumpkin puree.
Thick slices of brioche bread are dipped into this thick and cream egg mixture before they are pan fried until golden brown. For serving, I recommend just going all in. Top with softened honey butter, fresh whipped cream, and homemade buttermilk or pumpkin spice syrup.
Key Ingredients
- Bread - use a thick, sturdy bread that can hold a good amount of liquid. My favorites are brioche and challah, or any day-old homemade bread will work great. The slices need to be about 1” thick or else they will fall apart.
- Milk - this thins down the eggs a little while still keeping the mixture nice and rich.
- Eggs - the eggs add flavor, but they also firm up as they cook which helps ensure the French toast isn’t just a giant soggy mess.
- Brown Sugar - light brown sugar really compliments the flavors of pumpkin and the spices listed in this recipe. You could also substitute a little maple syrup.
- Spices - to enhance the fall flavors, I like to use cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and a little nutmeg.
- Pumpkin Puree - be sure to use plain pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugars and flavorings. If you notice that it has a lot of moisture, you can blot the top of the puree with a paper towel to soak some of the water up.
How to Make Pumpkin French Toast
- Make the pumpkin and egg mixture. Whisk together the milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, spices, salt, and pumpkin puree.
- Cook the French toast. Heat a skillet and melt butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, soaking all sides, then cook over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Flip to the other side and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Serve. Once all of the French toast is cooked, served warm with whipped butter, powdered sugar, syrup, or whipped cream. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
The best bread to use for French toast is one that will be able to soak up liquid without falling apart. Because of this, day-old bread that is slightly stale is actually ideal! I like to use brioche, challah, or French bread that is cut to about 1” thick.
Sure! You could whisk together the ingredients and store in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. The next day, just whisk it back up and cook the French toast as directed.
Nobody wants soggy French toast! The best way to prevent it is to use thick, sturdy bread (ideally a day or two old!) and to soak just enough but not too much. If you soak the bread too long, it will be difficult to cook it all the way through without getting too cooked on the outside. You also want to be sure that you are cooking each side long enough!
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- To reheat: you can either reheat in a toaster, microwave, or on a warm skillet for a minute or two on each side.
Pumpkin French Toast Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 slices Brioche Bread about 1" slices
- ½ cup Milk
- 3 large Eggs
- 2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Pumpkin Spice Blend
- 1 pinch Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅓ cup Pumpkin Puree
Toppings for French Toast
- 1 cup Buttermilk Syrup or your favorite syrup recipe
- 1½ cups Whipped Cream
Instructions
- In a pie plate or shallow bowl, combine the milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, salt, and pumpkin puree. Whisk well to remove any lumps.
- Preheat a skillet or large saute pan over medium heat, then grease with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
- Dip 1 slice of bread at a time into the egg mixture, making sure all of the bread is covered and each side has soaked through. (Note: if you use day-old bread, you'll need to soak a bit longer than fresh bread)
- Grab each slice of the dredged bread using tongs and let any excess egg mixture drip back into the bowl. Place it onto the hot skillet and toast over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip to the other side and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Depending on the size of the skillet, you can cook up to 3 slices at a time.
- Repeat with the remaining bread, then serve warm with any combination of soft butter, buttermilk syrup, and fresh whipped cream. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More of the Best Fall Breakfast Recipes
- Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake
- Apple Cinnamon Monkey Bread
- Homemade Apple Coffee Cake
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread
- Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Muffins
- More Breakfast Recipes
- More Fall Recipes
Each bite of this fluffy and rich pumpkin French toast is loaded with delicious fall flavor. It's the perfect cozy weekend breakfast or holiday brunch.
Leave a Reply