Pumpkin French Toast Casserole (with brioche)
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If there is one brunch item I’m making on repeat this Fall it’s this Pumpkin French Toast Casserole. It’s like if coffee cake and French toast had a baby, it would be this.
Fall immediately jumps into your kitchen as the warm spices of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, all spice and cardamom swirl through the air when you pop this decadent Pumpkin French Toast Casserole into the oven.
What is it about these Fall spices, especially cinnamon that makes you want to grab a good book, a cozy blanket, a cup of tea, and eat anything pumpkin?! For me, these Fall fragrances are the best way to start my day, especially when they are wrapped up in this amazing Pumpkin French Toast Casserole served up for breakfast or brunch.
The exterior has a crisp golden crust, and the middle is full of an amazing, rich, pumpkin, egg, heavy cream custard. And arguably, the best part of this breakfast casserole is the buttery, brown sugar crumble that is topped with a maple frosting and crunch of pecans. It’s a sweet touch to this indulgent Fall breakfast.
If you enjoy this Pumpkin French Toast, you should also try my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Pumpkin Scones, and Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls for other delicious pumpkin-y breakfast ideas!
Reasons to love this Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- Overnight option! Prep it the night before so it’s ready to bake in the morning.
- It’s cozy, comforting and will definitely get you in the mood for fall.
- Easy to make. All you need are a couple of bowls and a casserole dish.
- It’s low maintenance and and excellent with coffee. Or a pumpkin spice latte.
- A flexible recipe (use different spices, different bread choices, a different glaze, etc.)
- Perfect for holiday gatherings
- It’s sweet, has the best texture and is insanely delicious and addictive.
Ingredient Notes
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe ingredients & measurements.
- Brioche: I am in love with using brioche in this recipe. It is the perfect texture, so soft and fluffy and YUM. But, if you don’t have a loaf of brioche, you can choose french bread, sourdough bread or challah. (I talk more about the bread choices and what to look for below).
- Butter: adding melted butter to the bottom of the casserole dish before laying down the bread cubes adds richness and a crispy texture to the bottom.
- Eggs: the eggs help to create the creaminess of the pumpkin custard.
- Heavy cream: Gives you the best flavor and richness of the custard.
- Whole milk: For the best taste and texture use whole milk, although you can use a lower fat or non-dairy if needed.
- Additional spices: Pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice and salt.
- Pumpkin puree: adds the perfect pumpkin flavor to this melt-in-your-mouth casserole. Be sure to use 100% canned pumpkin, and not the pumpkin pie mix which contains spices and sugars.
- Dark brown sugar: provides a deeper, richer more complex molasses flavor, but you can use light brown sugar if you don’t have dark brown. (Or even a little maple syrup or honey works well too)
Step by Step Directions
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe instructions.
- PREP THE BREAD: Cut the brioche into 1-inch bite size cubes. It’s best to use somewhat stale bread to prevent a soggy casserole, so I like to pop in the oven at 300°F for ~10-15 minutes if I don’t have any stale bread lying around.
- Add the melted butter to the bottom of a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
- PREP THE CUSTARD: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, milk, all of the spices, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract and brown sugar.
- ASSEMBLE: Pour the stale bread cubes into casserole.
- Pour the egg custard over the bread and gently press the bread down so it’s mostly covered. Cover & refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- STREUSEL TOPPING: combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon together. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or fork (but honestly I just use my hands to do this!) until mixture is crumbly. Refrigerate this too, separate from the casserole.
- BAKE: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle the streusels on top of the casserole and top with chopped pecans. Bake 35-40 minutes or until the middle is set. Tent with foil if tops get browned at all. Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes.
- GLAZE: Make the maple glaze and drizzle over casserole and enjoy!
Best Bread for French Toast
Technically, most breads will work but there are some better options to use.
- Brioche is a very popular and loved bread to use. It tastes amazing, is soft and fluffy, and soaks up the egg custard perfectly. It’s sweet, buttery and oh-so delicious.
- French baguetteor a crusty sourdough loaf: Thick, yummy French or sourdough bread is a great choice. It’s soft on the inside, sturdy/holds up well, and is chewy. The bread needs to be dry/stale so use the oven method to toast when you’re in a bind or you can leave out on the counter overnight.
- Pro tip: slightly stale bread is best for making French toast because stale bread absorbs more of the egg mixture than fresh bread will.
- Challah: also sturdy and an absolutely delicious choice for French toast.
- Any thick-sliced white bread: think like “Texas toast” bread.
Tips and variations
- Be sure to refrigerate the casserole and the streusel for at least 30 minutes. Then prior to baking sprinkle the streusel crumble on top. This not only helps prevent the casserole from becoming soggy but also helps everything stay cold so the streusel doesn’t overly melt and get lost in the casserole.
- Prep this and refrigerate the casserole overnight. Just remember to keep the crumble on the side and then put the crumble on the casserole right before you bake it.
- For a more colorful topping add dried cranberries, or pomegranate arils (seeds) before serving.
- Another great topping especially if you love maple and bacon is to top off the casserole with crisp bacon after removing it from the oven.
- Leave out the pecans or use a different nut like walnuts or sliced almonds.
FAQ
Why is my French Toast Casserole soggy?
If your casserole is soggy reduce the amount of dairy and be sure you’re using stale bread.
Why does the bread need to be day old or stale?
Day old or stale bread is drier and it absorbs more of the egg custard
Why do you need milk in French toast?
Eggs and Milk are essential components to the custard base of French toast. It helps to add moisture to the overall dish.
Can’t Get Enough Pumpkin?
Then you’re going to want to check out my Pumpkin Series! It’s a collection of my favorite pumpkin recipes featured on Kroll’s Korner. You’ll find a little bit of everything, from sweet treats to savory dishes. Perfect for Fall baking & cooking!
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Pumpkin French Toast Casserole (with brioche)
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (1 lb.) day old brioche bread* cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 Tbsp. melted butter
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 recipe pumpkin pie spice mixture*
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
For the streusel topping
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Maple glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 Tbsp. melted butter
- 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
- 1-2 Tbsp. heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Cut the brioche into 1-inch bite size cubes. It's best to use somewhat stale bread to prevent a soggy casserole, so I like to pop in the oven at 300°F for ~10-15 minutes if I don't have any stale bread lying around.1 loaf (1 lb.) day old brioche bread* cut into 1-inch cubes
- Add the melted butter to the bottom of a 9×13 inch casserole dish and set aside.3 Tbsp. melted butter
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, milk, heavy cream, all of the spices, brown sugar and vanilla extract.8 large eggs, 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix), 1 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 recipe pumpkin pie spice mixture*, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- Arrange the stale bread cubes into casserole.
- Pour the egg custard over the bread and gently press the bread down so it's mostly covered. Cover & refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon together. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or fork (but honestly I just use my hands to do this!) until mixture is crumbly. Refrigerate this too, separate from the casserole.1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle the streusel on top of the casserole and top with chopped pecans. Bake for 35-40minutes or until the middle is set. Tent with foil if tops get browned at all. Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes.1/2 cup chopped pecans
- Make the maple glaze by mixing all ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl until smooth. Taste and add more maple syrup or cream as desired.2 cups powdered sugar, 4 Tbsp. melted butter, 2 tsp. pure maple syrup, 1-2 Tbsp. heavy cream, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, pinch of salt
Video
Notes
- Pumpkin Spice recipe: 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. cloves, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. cardamom, 1/4 tsp. allspice, 1/2 tsp. salt.
- *If you don’t have a loaf of brioche, you can choose french bread, sourdough bread or challah.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
- Be sure to refrigerate the casserole and the streusel for at least 30 minutes. Then prior to baking sprinkle the streusel crumble on top. This not only helps prevent the casserole from becoming soggy but also helps everything stay cold so the streusel doesn’t overly melt and get lost in the casserole.
- Prep this and refrigerate the casserole overnight. Just remember to keep the crumble on the side and then put the crumble on the casserole right before you bake it.
- Recipe inspired and adapted from Sallys Baking Addiction.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Prepped yesterday baked this morning.
Delicious
Recipe is well written, lots of steps but all easy
Minor changes
(Used loaf of aldi brioche)Only had 2% so I decreased milk to 3/4 cup increased heavy whipping cream to 3/4 cup)
I didn’t have allspice or cardamom.
I used exact glaze ingredients but it wasn’t drizzly so I added syrup and cream and eventually a tablespoon of water…will likely add more liquid for leftovers.
love that you prepped it yesterday 🙂 looks fab! thank you so much for making & leaving a review!
I didn’t take a picture, but this was amazing. Took it to work and already shared the recipe with 3 people.
thank you so much Lisa! glad it was a hit! 🙂
Soo delicious!! I actually used a package of kings Hawaiian butter rolls and some leftover brioche hotdog buns because they needed to be used and it totally worked! The whole family loved it and it was so easy. Absolutely will be making again!!
that’s incredible. thank you so much! Love King’s Hawaiian!
I’ve been looking for a good french toast casserole for a long time. Finally one I love! Made the recipe as is. Easy to follow. Great flavors, great textures. This will be my go to from now on! Delicious!
Yay! Thank you so much Geri!
This was delicious!!! I already have a challah bread recipe I love, so I made that a couple days earlier. No modifications made to the recipe. We appreciated the suggestion to taste the glaze and tweak to preference (we wanted a stronger maple flavor). The consistency was great. We prepared this one the night before, and it really helped the pumpkin flavor absorb into every bite. Thank you!
so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 thank you soo much!
I made this French toast bake with French bread and it was so yummy! I didn’t think it was overly sweet like some French toast bakes can get and it was a hit with the family. Also relatively easy to make! (Picture taken before the maple glaze)
It’s beautiful! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 thank you!!!
Yummy!! Easy to assemble the night before. I used chocolate chip brioche bread for a little chocolate kick and it was an amazing breakfast.
oooo that brioche sounds so yummy! Thank you Debbie! 🙂
This recipe is just a little slice of heaven. I just made this for my Halloween brunch. Normally I would not serve something I hadn’t tried before, but this looked too good to pass by.
I had to do a little bit of substituting because I found out that I had neither cardamom nor allspice so I added a little extra cinnamon to the spice pack. I also did not have any dark brown sugar, so I added some molasses to the light brown to give it a richer flavor. I also used challah bread as I like to use that when I make a French toast casserole. I wish I could have taken a better picture of this, but my friends jumped on it, and devoured it before I had a chance. That says a lot.
Love that you were able to make it with those changes! Im so glad it was a hit at brunch, thank you so much!! 🙂
Made this today and it didn’t disappoint! I did add another Tbs of butter to the streusel and used my hands to make sure this was almost a wet-sand consistency. For the kids, who may have said ‘no thanks’ because of the word pumpkin, I opted to omit that fact. And, they gobbled it up! Definitely making this a part of the breakfast/brunch rotation!
Looks amazing!! I am glad it was also kid approved. Thank you! 🙂
My streusal topping is not getting crumbly as I mix it with my hands. Like it either has too much flour or not enough butter. Are those measurements correct?
Hi Karen! Yes, they’re correct. Hmmm..did you use the spoon & level method for the flour? I always suggest to spoon the flour into the cup as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the bag because scooping can give you much more flour than you need. You could add a little more butter to the streusel and see if it helps bring it together. I use my fingertips to really get in there and pinch the butter and flour together. Sorry you ran into issues! – Tawnie