Pumpkin French Toast Casserole: A Cozy Breakfast Delight
Enjoy a warm and comforting breakfast with this Pumpkin French Toast Casserole. Perfect for fall mornings or holiday brunches, this recipe is easy to prepare and can be made ahead of time. It features a delicious pumpkin flavor and a crunchy cinnamon streusel topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- French Toast Casserole:
- 1 (15-18 oz) loaf stale white bread
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup pure pumpkin
- 5 large eggs
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Streusel Topping:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Pan: Lightly grease a 9×13 inch (23 x 33 cm) glass baking pan with butter or cooking spray. Greasing the pan prevents the casserole from sticking and ensures easy removal, maintaining its presentation.
- Prepare Bread: Cut the loaf of bread into small cubes or rip it into pieces with your hands, aiming for consistent size. Smaller pieces will soak up the custard mixture more evenly, creating a uniform texture.
- Arrange Bread: Place the bread cubes or pieces in the prepared pan, spreading them out evenly, ensuring even soaking and cooking.
- Make Custard Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract until well combined, creating a smooth and consistent mixture. Whisking ensures that the ingredients are evenly distributed and prevents lumps from forming, ensuring a smooth custard.
- Soak Bread: Pour the pumpkin mixture over the bread and gently stir (if needed) to ensure that the bread is evenly coated, allowing for even soaking. The bread should be thoroughly soaked but not overly saturated, preventing a soggy casserole.
- Make Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and chopped pecans until well combined, creating a crumbly mixture. Then, stir in the melted butter until the mixture is crumbly and holds together.
- If Baking Immediately: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Sprinkle/crumble the streusel topping evenly over the French toast casserole, creating a uniform layer. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes covered. This allows the casserole to cook through and the custard to set, creating a firm and custardy texture. Then, remove the foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, or until the streusel topping is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, indicating it is cooked through. This allows the topping to brown and crisp up, creating a delightful crunch.
- If Baking the Next Morning: Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in the fridge overnight. This allows the bread to soak up the custard mixture and the flavors to meld, creating a richer and more flavorful casserole. Cover the bowl of streusel topping with plastic wrap and place in the fridge as well, maintaining its freshness. When ready to bake, remove the casserole and streusel topping from the fridge and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the French toast casserole, creating a uniform layer. Bake covered with aluminum foil for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes, or until the streusel topping is golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, indicating it is cooked through.
Notes
- Use stale bread for best results.
- Don’t over-saturate bread with custard.
- Adjust streusel topping with more butter if dry.
- Serve warm with whipped cream or syrup.