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My pumpkin French toast casserole is the softest, most custardy breakfast I make. Warm pumpkin spice all the way through, sweet but not too sweet, and a crunchy brown sugar pecan streusel over the top. Cut big squares and pass the maple syrup.
This is the breakfast casserole I want on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning, when I have everyone home and I don’t want to be standing in the kitchen assembling breakfast. With three boys and a full house during the holidays, I love anything I can prep the night before.
I put a whole can of pumpkin in here, close to double what most pumpkin French toast casserole recipes use for the same amount of bread. That is what gives it such a rich, custardy texture, and it puts pumpkin in every bite. You definitely know you are eating a pumpkin spiced breakfast casserole, but it is not overwhelmed with pumpkin flavor, and the brown sugar pecan streusel is really what you notice first.
If you want this same make-ahead breakfast without the pumpkin, my overnight French toast is the one I put together the same way. I use the same brown sugar crumb on top of my pumpkin streusel muffins, if you want that streusel in a smaller package. This one is sweet enough that I keep it on the same list as my easy pumpkin desserts, and I make it on repeat all fall.
TESTED FAVORITE
How I Get a Holiday Breakfast Out of the Night Before
I will not put a make-ahead breakfast in front of you that I have not actually made ahead and was confident it would be great. A holiday morning does not give you a second try.
So I made one the way you would on Christmas Eve. I put the whole casserole together that evening, covered it, and left it in the refrigerator until the next morning. I was watching the bread, because a long soak is where this kind of casserole goes to paste.
Not this time – It held perfectly. Nothing about it was mushy, and the streusel went on in the morning and baked up golden.
That is the one I would put in front of guests without thinking twice.
The Ingredients Worth Getting Right
- Day-old French bread: I use a standard French bread loaf, about 14 to 15 ounces, which comes out to roughly 15 cups of cubes. I weigh the bread because the amount of custard is fixed and the bread is the only thing that can soak all of it up, and loaves are not all the same size. French bread is the only one I have tested, so it is the only one I can stand behind, and I have not run a batch with brioche or challah.
- Pumpkin puree: I use pure pumpkin puree, never pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling comes already sweetened and spiced, so it throws off the custard you are building. I use the whole can, so there is nothing left over in the refrigerator.
- Whole milk: I tested this with whole milk, so that is the one I can vouch for. It goes in with the eggs and the pumpkin, and that custard is why the inside tastes much more like a bread pudding than traditional French toast.
- Cold butter for the streusel: I keep the butter cold and cut it into cubes before it goes anywhere near the flour and brown sugar. I pulse it in a food processor, and a pastry blender does the same job if you do not have one.
- Chopped pecans: I stir the pecans in by hand after the streusel is pulsed, instead of running them through the food processor with everything else. That way they stay in real pieces instead of getting ground down into the crumb. You can leave the nuts out if you need to, and the streusel still bakes up the same way without them.
How to Make Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
Step 1: Whisk the Custard Whisk the milk, pumpkin puree, both sugars, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and eggs together in a large bowl. Keep going until you cannot see any streaks of egg.
Step 2: Soak the Bread Spread the bread cubes in a well sprayed 9×13 dish and pour the custard over the top. Press the cubes down into the liquid with a fork so they all get a chance to soak, then cover the dish and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
Step 3: Make the Streusel and Top the Casserole While the oven heats to 350F, pulse the cold butter with the brown sugar, flour and pumpkin pie spice until it looks like coarse sand, then stir in the pecans. Sprinkle it over the cold casserole right before it goes in the oven, not the night before.
Step 4: Bake and Cool Bake it uncovered for 55 to 60 minutes, then let it cool for 30 minutes before you cut into it.
How Long the Bread Needs to Soak
I give this three hours at the minimum, and a full night is better. At three hours it comes out soft and custardy. After a full night in the refrigerator, it comes out firmer and slices cleaner, and that is the one I would make for a holiday morning.
I ran the three-hour version first. The bread had taken up all the free liquid and was soft all the way through.
Then I tested a full night. I put a whole casserole together in the evening, covered it, and it went into the oven 13 hours and 23 minutes later. Most of the liquid was gone within about two hours, and by morning a cube I pressed with the back of a spoon still held its shape instead of turning to paste.
The bread had settled into an even layer, and that pan sliced cleaner than the three hour one did.
I could not find a straight answer on this anywhere else. Most recipes give you a soak minimum and never tell you what the extra hours do, and the few that say anything contradict each other. Some tell you a long soak is what keeps it from going soggy, others tell you a long soak is what makes it soggy in the first place.
So if you have a crowd to feed in the morning, put it together the night before and go to bed.
Things That Make a Difference
Rotate the dish if the edges get ahead of the center. Around the 28 minute mark my edges were puffed up while the middle was still pretty wet, so I turned the dish around for the rest of the bake. It evened out on its own and finished golden with no foil.
If your bread is fresh, dry it out first. Cut it into cubes, spread them on a sheet pan and bake at 300F for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cubes feel firm but have not started to brown. I saw very little difference between 10 and 15 minutes. At 20 minutes they were hard and crunchy, which is further than you need to go.
Give it the full 30 minutes to cool. I cut a slice at 20 minutes and it was softer, and the slice I cut at 30 minutes was firmer and held together better on the plate.
If the streusel starts browning too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top. Neither of my tests needed it, and the streusel came out a nice golden color both times.
I always pour the maple syrup. The casserole is sweet enough to eat without it, so I keep the syrup optional, but I prefer it with a drizzle. It adds that little extra sweetness that makes it feel more like French toast. A scoop of vanilla ice cream, thawed whipped topping, or homemade whipped cream is good on it too.
Storing and Reheating It
- Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For one serving, microwave it on medium for 1 to 2 minutes.
- For several servings at once, put them back in a 350F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Both work, and the oven keeps the streusel a little crunchier.
- Freeze leftovers for up to 1 month. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before you reheat them.
More Make-Ahead Breakfast Recipes
- Easy Baked French Toast
- Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
- Instant Pot French Toast
- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
- Breakfast Bundt Cake
- Healthy Breakfast Cookie
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk
- 15 ounce (425-gram) can of pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar tightly packed
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 14-15 ounces cubed French bread day-old bread, about 15 cups
Streusel Topping
- ½ cup cold cubed salted sweet cream butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar tightly packed
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup maple syrup optional drizzle
- Vanilla ice cream or thawed whipped topping optional garnish
Instructions
- Add the milk, pumpkin puree, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and eggs to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until combined and no streaks of egg are visible.3 cups whole milk, 15 ounce (425-gram) can of pumpkin puree, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 6 large eggs
- Generously spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the cubed French bread evenly in the prepared baking dish.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture over the cubed bread. Use a fork or spoon to gently press the bread cubes into the pumpkin mixture so they can absorb the custard. Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- To make the streusel topping, add the cold cubed butter, brown sugar, flour, and pumpkin pie spice to a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. If you don't have a food processor, use a pastry blender. Transfer the streusel mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the chopped pecans.14-15 ounces cubed French bread, ½ cup cold cubed salted sweet cream butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, 1 cup chopped pecans
- Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and evenly sprinkle the streusel topping over the top.
- Bake for 55–60 minutes, checking the casserole at 55 minutes. The center should be set and should no longer look loose or wet when gently checked with a knife. Do not rely on a clean toothpick alone for doneness, as our testing found that a toothpick could come out clean while the center was still wet. If the streusel begins to brown too much before the center is set, loosely cover the top with aluminum foil.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes before slicing. Drizzle with maple syrup, if desired, and serve with vanilla ice cream or thawed whipped topping.½ cup maple syrup, Vanilla ice cream or thawed whipped topping
Jenn’s Notes
- If your French bread is fresh, cube it and bake it at 300F for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cubes feel firm but have not taken on any color.
- Start checking the center at 55 minutes. A toothpick can come out clean while the middle is still wet, so slide a knife in and look at the center itself.
- If the edges puff up well ahead of the middle, turn the dish around for the rest of the bake.
- If the streusel starts browning too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top.
- Let it cool the full 30 minutes before slicing. A slice cut at 20 minutes is softer, and one cut at 30 minutes holds together.
