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Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast

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This pumpkin stuffed french toast is filled with sweetened cream cheese, has a pumpkin custard-like, egg mixture and topped with a sweet pecan crumble topping.

Pumpkin french toast in a baking dish

 

This stuffed french toast recipe is the bomb dot com. It’s a pumpkin flavored custard over french bread, stuffed with cream cheese and topped with a pecan crumble topping.  I mean, If you’re gonna do breakfast, this just seems like the right thing to do.

This stuffed french toast is best made the night before.  It’s easy to throw together and perfect for the holidays or a special occasion.

 

how to stuff french toast

 

How to make Stuffed French Toast:

If you’ve ever wondered how to stuff french toast, Here ya go.

I used cream cheese for this recipe.  It’s best to start with room temperature cream cheese. I suppose you can use a low fat version of crream cheese but I had full fat cream cheese on hand.  I sweetened the cream cheese just a little splash of vanilla and powdered sugar.  Next, I’m using just regular ‘ol french bread.  I cut the french bread into thick slices.  Next, you’re going to cut those thick slices in half but not all the way through the bread.

Spread a thick layer of cream cheese in the sliced french bread and set it aside while you make the custard topping. 

 

french toast bake with pecan crumble topping

 

Next, I make the pumpkin custard for the french toast bake.  You can throw all the ingredients in a blender or mix it with a whisk in a mixing bowl.  Pour the pumpkin custard topping mixture on the stuffed french toast and then cover it with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until morning.

It’s best to take the stuffed french toast out of the oven while the oven is preheating so you aren’t putting a cold baking dish in a hot oven.  Let the baking dish come to room temp before putting it in the oven.

While the oven is preheating you can make the pecan coconut crumble topping. 

How to make a pecan crumble topping:

Just thrown those ingredients in a a food processor and wa-lah, it’s ready to go too. The coconut is optional and I suppose you can substitute the wanuts for the peacans, you are going to want a softer nut than an almond. 

There ya go, easy peasy, stuffed french toast! 

What to serve with your Pumkin French Toast Bake….

I love making this amazing coconut syrup for this recipe.  It’s super sweet so you only need a little splash but it is aaaaaamazing!!

If you’re really into breadfast casseroles, here’s an egg casserole my family loves and breakfast hashbrowns too to satisfy the savory side. Or just add all those breakfast componants together and you’ve got yourself an increadible breakfast feast!

 

 

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Stuffed Pumpkin French Toast Bake
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

This pumpkin stuffed french toast is filled with sweetened cream cheese, has a pumpkin custard-like, egg mixture and topped with a sweet pecan crumble topping. 

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 300 kcal
Ingredients
  • 8 2" thick slices French Bread
  • 1 15oz Pumpkin Puree
  • 1/2 cup Whole Milk
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp Cloves
  • 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
Cream Cheese Filling
  • 1 8oz Cream Cheese
  • 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla
Pecan Crumble Topping
  • 1/2 Cup Pecans
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 Cup Coconut Flakes
Instructions
Cream Cheese stuffing

  1. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese (Be sure you are using room tempreture cream cheese), vanilla and powdered sugar.  Mix until all the sugar is combined with the cream cheese. Set aside

French Toast Bake

  1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cloves, and nutmeg. Use a wire whisk to beat all the ingredients togerther. Set aside.

Pecan Crumble Topping

  1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

  2. In a food processor, add the pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and coconut flakes. pulse until the nuts are to your desired size. It's best if they are ground to a powder, leave a little chunk to them. 

How to assemble the french toast bake

  1. Spray a 9 by 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

  2. Cut the french bread loaf into 2" slices. You will need 8 of them.  Now cut those slices in half but don't cut all the way through.

  3. Spread 2 Tablespoons of the cream cheese spread in between the slices of bread.

  4. Plave the french toast slices in a baking dish and pour the pumpkin custart over the top of the french bread.

  5. Refrigerate overnight preferably.

  6. Make the pecan crumble topping. Sprinkle the topping on the stuffed french toast. Be sure the baking dish is at room temp before putting it in the oven.  

  7. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. 

  8. Serve with coconut syrup, whipped cream and some hashbrowns, oh baby! Enjoy!

 

sweetened cream cheese stuffed french toast bake

 

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This pumpkin stuffed french toast is amazing! It's filled with sweetened cream cheese and has a pumpkin, custard-like, egg mixture and then topped with a sweet pecan crumble topping. It's "technically" a breakfast food but it's good enough for dessert too. Eat is all day, yo!

 

Cheesy Hash Browns with Bacon and Ham

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These hash browns are the bomb-dot-com.  They are smothered in cheese and are loaded with ham, bacon and plenty of spice and seasonings. These homemade hash brown potatoes only take a few minutes to whip up and will soon become your breakfast, or breakfast for dinner,  favorite!

 

hash browns in a skillet on the stove

These skillet hash browns are easy and only take a few minutes to throw together.  They can be ready and on your breakfast or brunch table in under 20 minutes.  

I like to make these homemade hashbrowns after I’ve made baked potatoes.  If you can start the recipe with potatoes that are already baked, it cuts down on time immensely! Here’s the bake potato method I like best.  

 

easy skillet hashbrowns in a ceramic coated pan

 

This recipe can easily have some variations.  I like to use onion, garlic, and red pepper in my hash brown recipe but if you’d like to add more vegetables, mushrooms, green pepper, jalapeno, zucchini,  even broccoli or cauliflower would work great in this recipe too.  By adding more veggies, it could definitely be considered a main course meal on its own. 

Another time saver for this recipe is to use pre-cooked bacon.  I like the Kirkland brand and buy it from Costco in a huge bag but cooking your own bacon bits will definitely work here too. If you’re planning ahead and want to save some time, leftover baked potatoes and pre-cooked bacon bits are a huge time saver.

 

Our all-time favorites with these hash browns are:

Coconut French Toast

Candied Bacon

Mint Lemonade

 

how to make hashbrowns, cheesey hashbrowns with cheese pull

 

How To Make Hashbrowns:

  • if you’d like to save a bunch of time, use leftover baked potatoes and pre-cooked bacon
  • If you don’t have leftover baked potatoes, you can dice your potatoes into 1/2″ chunks and cook on the skillet, this will just add about 15-20 minutes to this process. You can also wash, poke holes in your potatoes and cook them in the microwave.  Cook until you can poke the potato with a fork, it is soft but not mushy. Let the potato cool enough to handle it, dice it up and continue with the recipe.
  • To make homemade bacon bits, just cut the bacon into 1/2″ pieces with kitchen scissors.  Cook in a skillet on medium heat and stir occasionally until the bacon is slightly crispy and golden. Using a slotted spoon, take the bacon bits out of the frying pan and let them cool on a plate lined with paper towels. 
  • Next, dice the onion and cook in the bacon grease or butter or oil until they are slightly golden. Be sure to cook your onions until they are translucent before adding your potatoes.
  • Add the potatoes to the onions, garlic, and diced red pepper too.
  • I like to use a mixture of butter and avocado oil to get the hashbrowns crispy and golden brown. If you have bacon grease, you can use that too!  I like to start out with a few tablesooons of oil or butter and then add more as needed.  
  • After you dump the potatoes in the pan, don’t stir the pan until the potatoes are golden. Flip the potatoes over with a spatula and cook until golden again.

  • Add the ham (leftover holiday ham works great for this recipe too)  and bacon bits after you stir/flip the potatoes for the last time. 

  • If you find your potatoes are sticking to the skillet, use a little more butter or oil.
  • Use a non-stick pan, it will cut down on the amount of oil needed.
  • Take the hash browns off the heat. 
  • Add cheese when the hashbrowns are finished cooking and mix into the potatoes.  Add more cheese to the top of the hashbrowns and cover with a lid for a couple minutes to melt the cheese. 

 

Print
Cheesy Hash Browns with Bacon and Ham
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

These hash browns are the bomb-dot-com.  They are smothered in cheese and are loaded with ham, bacon and plenty of spice and seasonings. These homemade hash brown potatoes only take a few minutes to whip up and will soon become your breakfast, or breakfast for dinner,  favorite!

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 350 kcal
Ingredients
  • 3 Large Poatoes, (any variety will do, preferable baked. Leftover baked potatoes work great)
  • 6 Tablespoons Avocado oil, bacon grease, butter (or a mixture of all 3)
  • 1 medium Onion
  • 1/2 Large Red Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon Garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 Cup Ham, Diced into 1/2" chunks
  • 2/3 Cup Bacon Bits, pre-cooked if possible --see instructions if you don't have pre-cooked bacon bits
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 2 Cups Cheese (Cheddar works great but just about any will do), shredded
Instructions

  1. If you don't have leftover baked potatoes, you can dice your potatoes into 1/2" chunks and cook on the skillet, this will just add about 15-20 minutes to this process. You can also wash, poke holes in your potatoes and cook them in the microwave.  Cook until you can poke the potato with a fork, it is soft but not mushy. Let the potato cool enough to handle it, dice it up and continue with the recipe.

  2. To make homemade bacon bits, just cut the bacon into 1/2" pieces with kitchen scissors. Cook in a skillet on medium heat and stir occasionally until the bacon is slightly crispy and golden. Using a slotted spoon, take the bacon bits out of the frying pan and let them cool on a plate lined with paper towels.

  3. It's best to use a non-stick pan for this recipe because you won't need to use quite as much oil.  Dice the onion and cook in 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease, butter, or oil until they are slightly golden. Be sure to cook your onions until they are translucent before adding your potatoes.

  4. Add the potatoes, garlic, and diced red pepper too. Mix until the potatoes are coated in the oil. Salt and pepper the potatoes, about 1/2 tsp of each. 


  5. Add another approx. 4 Tablespoons of oil. I like to use a mixture of butter and avocado oil to get the hashbrowns crispy and golden brown. If you have bacon grease, you can use that too! I like to start out with a few tablespoons of oil or butter and then add more as needed.

    After you dump the potatoes in the pan, don't stir the pan until the potatoes are golden. If you find your potatoes are sticking to the skillet, use a little more butter or oil.  Flip the potatoes over with a spatula and cook until golden again. You will need to repeat this process 3-4 times. 


  6. Add the ham and bacon bits before you stir/flip the potatoes for the last time.

  7. Take the hash browns off the heat.

    Add cheese when the hashbrowns are finished cooking and mix into the potatoes. Add more cheese to the top of the hashbrowns and cover with a lid for a couple minutes to melt the cheese. 

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecarefreekitchen/

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Pin this Recipe!

hash browns loaded with cheese, bacon, and ham on a white plate

Einkorn Pumpkin Muffins

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This Einkorn Pumpkin Muffin recipe is so easy and a fall favorite! It’s made with all-purpose einkorn flour and has an optional sugar crumb topping.  The will soon become your family’s fall favorite!

 

Einkorn pumpkin muffin recipe, prepared and ready to bake

 

These pumpkin bread muffins are made with all-purpose einkorn flour.  Here are a few tricks in working with all-purpose einkorn flour that I’ve discovered that might help you in your baking adventures too!

Tips for working with All-Purpose Einkorn Flour:f

  • When adapting your favorite recipes with Einkorn All-Purpose flour, you will need to either reduce the amount of liquid in your recipe or add approximately 25-30% more flour.
  • Give the dough or batter a little extra time.  There is much less gluten in all-purpose einkorn flour so the water doesn’t absorb as quickly. If you’re making a yeast bread, do an extra round of kneading and rising.  (You will notice the dough will seem a little dry before it rises.  Let the dough rise to double its original size, and then it will be really sticky again.  Add more flour while kneading,  just until it’s not sticky again and let it rise for a second time before kneading and shaping into loaf pans or french bread.)
  • Einkorn flour isn’t ground quite as fine as regular flour you would purchase at a supermarket.  You won’t notice this when the muffins are baked as long as you give a few extra minutes for the batter. (If possible, let your pumpkin muffin batter sit in the fridge overnight or for at least 20 minutes before you scoop it into a muffin tin.) Be sure to give one final quick mix before scooping into the muffin tin.

 

pumpkin bread muffins

 

If you’re looking for a few other Einkorn Recipes, here are a few you might enjoy

Einkorn Blueberry Muffins

EInkorn Chocolate Chip Cookies

Einkorn German Pancake

 

You can add a crumb topping to your muffins.  There are a couple of recipes I like to use.  One is with Oatmeal and the other, the base is flour.  For this recipe, I would recommend using the oatmeal crumb topping.  The einkorn flour has a tendency to be gritty in the crumb topping instead of chewy like the oatmeal.

Print
EInkorn Pumpkin Muffins with Sugar Crumb Topping
Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
 

This Einkorn Pumpkin Muffin recipe is so easy and a fall favorite! It's made with all-purpose einkorn flour and has an optional sugar crumb topping.  

Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: all-purpose einkorn flour, einkorn, muffin, muffins, pumpkin
Servings: 24 people
Calories: 150 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Einkorn Flour (If you don't have einkorn flour and want to use regular, all-purpose flour, use 2 cups of flour)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 baking powder
  • 1 cinnamon
  • 1/2 nutmeg
  • 1/2 ginger powder
  • 15 oz Can Pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 salt
  • 1 sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted (You can also substitute with coconut oil)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Crumb Topping with Oatmeal
  • 1/8 C oatmeal-ground in the blender until it resembles cornmeal texture)
  • 1/3 C Brown Sugar
  • 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
Crumb Topping with Einkorn Flour
  • 2 T All-Purpose Einkorn Flour
  • 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/8 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Spray 24 regular size muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

  3. In a large mixing bowl, add the melted butter, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix until smooth.

  4. In another mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose einkorn flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger powder, and salt. Mix until combined.

  5. Gently fold the pumpkin puree mixture in with the dry ingredients.  Mix until combined.  Cover with saran wrap. Let the batter sit overnight in the fridge or at least 20 minutes. (This will give the einkorn flour a chance to absorb the liquid and will ensure your muffins are light and fluffy.  

  6. Stir the batter once more and make sure there aren't any lumps or pockets of flour. Scoop about 1/4 C batter into each muffin tin.  (You can top with a crumb-optional) 

  7. Bake in a 350 degree, preheated oven, for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Crumb Topping

  1. In a blender, grind oatmeal until the texture resembles cornmeal.  In a mixing bowl, combine the ground oatmeal, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Scoop about 3/4 Tablespoon onto each muffin before baking.

Einkorn Flour Crumb Topping

  1.  In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose einkorn flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop about 3/4 Tablespoon onto each muffin before baking.

Einkorn Pumpkin muffins with a sugar crumb topping

 

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The Most Amazing Strawberry Cream Scone Recipe

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The most amazing strawberry cream scone recipe is made with simple ingredients and is delicious every time!

This Strawberry Scone recipe is made with simple ingredients and delicious every time! thecarefreekitchen.com

 

You only need a few simple ingredients for this recipe.  Flour, butter, cream, baking powder, sugar and salt are the base for this recipe.  You can add blueberries and lemon zest, or strawberry jam and fresh strawberries for my rendition of strawberry cream scones, so delicious! It would also go perfectly with this incredible Sweet Potato Egg Casserole.  You can find the recipe here.

This Strawberry Scone recipe is made with simple ingredients and delicious every time! thecarefreekitchen.com

 

This Strawberry Scone recipe is made with simple ingredients and delicious every time! thecarefreekitchen.com

 

Tips for making the most amazing cream scone recipe:

  • Use a food processor to mix the butter into the dry ingredients (It cuts the butter into small pieces so the flour stays nice and fluffy
  • You can use any brand of strawberry jam.  I didn’t have any this time but freezer jam would have been amazing!
This Strawberry Scone recipe is made with simple ingredients and delicious every time! thecarefreekitchen.com
Print
Strawberry Cream Scones
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
resting time
10 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

This Strawberry Scone recipe is made with simple ingredients and delicious every time! They're perfect for any holiday brunch or after school snack!

Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 people
Author: The Carefree Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 2 Cups Flour (All Purpose)
  • 3 Tbls Sugar (granulated)
  • 1 Tbls Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 5 Tbls Butter, cold, cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
  • 1 Cup Cream
  • 1/4 Cup Strawberry Jam
  • 2/3 Cup Fresh Strawberries (Cut into 1/3" pieces)
  • 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1/3 Cup Lemon Juice
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

  2. In a food processor, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add 5 tablespoons of butter and pulse the food processor until the butter is in small pieces and the flour resembles cornmeal.  It should be under 10 pulses.

  3. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the cream and the strawberry jam.  Mix.  

  4. Dump the butte and flour mixture in a large mixing bowl and add the jam and cream mixture with the fresh diced strawberries. Fold ingredients over with a spatula until combined.  Do not over mix.  

  5. spread a little flour onto your counter and shape the dough into a circle, 10 inches or so.  Use a large knife and cut into 8 or 10 pie shaped pieces.

  6. Transfer the scones to a baking sheet and bake in a 425 oven for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.  

  7. While the scones are cooking, mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and mix well.  

  8. When the scones are out of the oven, drizzle the lemon glaze on the scones.  Let the scones cool just a bit before eating so they don't fall apart. Enjoy!

This Strawberry Scone recipe is made with simple ingredients and delicious every time! thecarefreekitchen.com

These strawberry scones are a crowd favorite, perfect for any brunch or afternoon snack!