This Pumpkin French Toast Casserole is filled with pumpkin custard and sweetened cream cheese then topped with a sweet pecan crumble. It's a delicious fall breakfast that's perfect for making the night before.
For more pumpkin breakfast recipes, you can also try these Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins, Pumpkin Waffles, Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, and this Pumpkin Spice Syrup.
Jump to:
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
This Pumpkin French Toast recipe is the bomb-dot-com. It's an overnight French toast bake filled with pumpkin custard soaked French bread and cream cheese.
Just before baking, it is topped with a pecan and coconut crumble topping that adds an unbelievable crunchy, nutty, sweetness. I mean, if you're gonna do breakfast, this just seems like the right thing to do.
Something you will love about this French toast casserole is that it's actually best if you make it the night before. The bread has a chance to soak up the custard and the flavors get to mix and mingle. This makes it a perfect holiday breakfast or brunch when you are entertaining because the next morning you just need to pop it in the oven.
If you love Pumpkin recipes, you'll want to be sure and try our Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Rice Pudding, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and Pumpkin Bars.
Key Ingredients You Will Need
- French Bread - you will need approximately 8 2" slices of French bread for this recipe. You could also use brioche or challah.
- Pumpkin Puree - canned pumpkin puree works great, or you could use the same weight of Homemade Pumpkin Puree (be sure to actually weigh it with a scale!).
- Milk - for the pumpkin custard, I recommend using whole milk. This will keep the custard nice and creamy. You could even use half cream.
- Eggs - any type of large whole eggs will work great and help keep the custard together.
- Sugar - the recipe calls for white granulated sugar but you could substitute a small amount of maple syrup or honey.
- Spices: I like to use a combination of cloves and nutmeg. You can experiment with your favorite baking spices or use pumpkin pie spice.
- Cream Cheese - make sure your cream cheese is soft either by pulling out to room temperature ahead of time or warming gently in the microwave for about 10 seconds at a time.
- Pecans - you can use either whole pecans or pieces since they will be ground up anyways. Make sure when pulsing that you don't make it all a powder and leave a few small pieces.
- Brown Sugar - for the crumble topping, you can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.
- Coconut Flakes - coconut adds great texture and flavor to the crumble topping, especially once it's been toasted in the oven.
How to Make Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- Make the pumpkin custard. Combine the pumpkin puree, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cloves, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Use a wire whisk to beat all the ingredients together. Set aside.
- Make the cream cheese filling. Combine the soft cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- Make the pecan crumble topping. Add the pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and coconut flakes to a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are ground but still have small pieces. Set aside.
- Assemble the French toast bake. Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut the French bread loaf into eight (8) 2" slices. Now cut those slices in half but don't cut all the way through. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling in between the slices of bread. Place the French toast slices into the prepared baking dish and pour the pumpkin custard over the top.
- Refrigerate overnight. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Bake. Pull the French toast from the fridge for at least 30 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle the pecan topping over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving with coconut syrup and whipped cream. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips And Tricks
- Using day-old bread is better than using freshly baked bread because it will soak up the egg mixture more readily. If you only have fresh bread, you can cut or tear it into 1” pieces and set it in a very low 250-degree oven for about 20 minutes to dry it out.
- For something a little sweeter, try using leftover cinnamon rolls in place of French bread!
- It's best to take the stuffed french toast out of the fridge while the oven is preheating so you aren't putting a cold baking dish in a hot oven. I know this from experience! Putting a cold baking dish into a hot oven can cause a glass baking dish to shatter.
Frequently Asked Questions
For French toast casserole, you want to choose a sturdy bread that will be able to absorb lots of liquid. Some of the best choices are French bread, baguettes, brioche, and challah. If it also happens to be a day or two old, that's even better! More stale bread has more moisture evaporated which means that more liquid can be absorbed!
Nope! If you don’t have time for an overnight casserole, just give yourself an additional 20 minutes or so to let the custard soak into the bread. After that time, just add the streusel topping, toss into the oven, and bake as directed.
Storing And Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: store leftovers covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: freeze the unbaked casserole by wrapping well with both plastic wrap and aluminum foil and storing frozen for up to 1 month. Pull the casserole from the freezer the day before you plan to serve and let it defrost in the fridge overnight. The next morning, pull out to room temperature and bake as directed.
- Reheating: reheat in a 320-degree oven, covered with aluminum foil, for about 15 minutes or until warmed through.
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 2" thick slices French Bread
Pumpkin Custard
- 1 15-oz can Pumpkin Puree
- ½ cup Whole Milk
- 6 large Eggs
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ teaspoon Cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon Nutmeg
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 oz Cream Cheese
- ½ cup Powdered Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Pecan Crumble Topping
- ½ cup Pecans
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Salt
- ¼ cup Coconut Flakes
Instructions
- To make the pumpkin custard, combine the pumpkin puree, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cloves, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Use a wire whisk to beat all the ingredients together. Set aside.
- To make the cream cheese filling, combine the soft cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- To make the pecan crumble topping, add the pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and coconut flakes to a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are ground but still have small pieces. Set aside.
How to Assemble the Pumpkin French Toast
- Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cut the French bread loaf into eight (8) 2" slices. Now cut those slices in half but don't cut all the way through.
- Spread about 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling in between the slices of bread. Place the French toast slices into the prepared baking dish and pour the pumpkin custard over the top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
To Bake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pull the French toast from the fridge for at least 30 minutes while you preheat the oven. Sprinkle the pecan topping over the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving with coconut syrup and whipped cream. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More French Toast Bake Recipes
- Strawberry French Toast Bake
- 4th of July French Toast Bake
- Blueberry French Toast Bake
- Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake
- Mixed Berry French Toast Bake
- Overnight French Toast Bake
- Coconut French Toast Bake
- More French Toast Bake Recipes
- More Breakfast Recipes
This overnight pumpkin french toast is filled with sweetened cream cheese, has a pumpkin spice custard, and is topped with a sweet pecan and coconut crumble. It's the perfect make-ahead breakfast for holidays and special occasions.
Leave a Reply