• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fit Mitten Kitchen

balanced baking and real food recipes

Subscribe to receive my FREE Healthy Nut Butter eBook!
Free eBook!
  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
        • Egg Dishes
        • Oatmeal & Granola
        • Pancakes & Waffles
        • Scones
        • Smoothies
      • Desserts
        • Bars & Brownies
        • Cakes & Cupcakes
        • Candy
        • Cookies
        • Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts
        • PIes, Tarts & Crisps
        • Cinnamon Rolls
      • Healthy Drinks
      • Lunch & Dinner
        • Appetizers
        • Bowls
        • Salads
        • Sandwiches & Wraps
        • Sides
        • Soups & Chili
      • Snacks
        • Bars & Balls
        • Muffins & Breads
        • Nut & Seed Butters
    • Dietary
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten-Free
      • No Added Sugar
      • Nut-Free
      • Oil-Free
      • Paleo
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Whole30
    • Method
      • Food Processor & Blender
      • Freezer
      • Grill
      • Instant Pot
      • No-Bake
      • Oven
      • Slow Cooker
      • Stovetop
    • Protein
      • Chicken
      • Plant Based
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey
    • Recipe Videos
  • About
    • Meet Ashley
    • Work with Me
      • Partnerships
    • Contact
  • Lifestyle
    • Real Talk
    • Travel
    • Workouts
  • Shop
Home Recipes Course Breakfast Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Rate Recipe
Posted:11/16/21
Updated:11/9/21

Looking for an easy french toast bake? This Pumpkin French Toast Casserole would be perfect for a Thanksgiving breakfast! You can make it dairy-free with coconut milk and a non-dairy milk of choice. Perfect recipe for a crowd and leftovers reheat well too.

hand lifting slice of pumpkin french toast bake out of casserole dish

Think pumpkin bread meets oven baked french toast with a delicious crunchy topping!

This is a crowd-pleaser for sure.

The Perfect French Toast Bake

Whether you have a large family to cook for, or you’re looking for breakfast leftovers, french toast casserole is the perfect breakfast.

Pumpkin french toast is actually a pretty balanced breakfast, thanks to a good mix of carbohydrates, healthy fats and protein.

Okay, and a little sweetness thanks to the pecan oat topping.

baked pumpkin french toast casserole in baking dish with glasses and small bowl in background

Anyone else looking forward to this for Thanksgiving morning?!

I know it will be on my list for an easy, hands-off breakfast while other food has to be prepared later for dinner.

Pumpkin french toast casserole requires a simple list of ingredients and you might have most of what you need already on hand.

Ingredients List

  • Challah bread – the best bread loaf for this kind of french toast bake, though french bread works too.
  • eggs – we’re using six large eggs here. I haven’t tried this recipe using egg whites.
  • non-dairy milk – I typically use oat milk or cashew milk but you can use the milk of your choice (i.e. soy, almond milk, etc.). I would just stay away from plant protein milk options.
  • coconut milk – use the full fat canned coconut milk variety. This gives you a richer, more custard-like texture in the french toast. If you open the can and the cream is separate from the liquid, that is fine. Just scoop out half a cup of the cream in a small bowl, and add a tiny bit of liquid from the can and stir together. If you’re not dairy-free, feel free to sub heavy cream.
  • granulated sugar – just a few tablespoons to add some sweetness to the mixture. You can add up to half a cup if you want a sweeter loaf, but if you’re adding the crumble topping and serving with maple syrup, you may want to stick to a lower amount of added sugar.
  • pumpkin purée – use canned pumpkin if possible, but I am sure homemade would work too. If using homemade, try to drain out some extra liquid through some cheese cloth or a nut milk bag. You want 1 and 1/3 cups total.
  • pumpkin pie spice – I always keep this homemade spice blend on hand.

Equipment Needed

Make sure you have a 9×13 baking dish (or similar size), a large mixing bowl, measuring cups and a good whisk to to help this recipe come together easily.

overhead shot of brioche bread, eggs, milk, cream, pumpkin purée, sugar and pumpkin pie spice on gray board

Pecan Oat Crumble

The oat crumble topping is optional but really takes this pumpkin french toast casserole over the top. It makes for a pretty presentation and adds the perfect crunchy topping along with a hint of sweetness.

It definitely reminds me of my sweet potato casserole, which you also need on your holiday recipes list.

For the topping you just need:

  • rolled oats
  • flour
  • butter
  • brown sugar
  • cinnamon
  • pecans

Note: if you’re looking to keep this recipe nut-free, simply omit the pecans.

How to Make

I love how easy this recipe comes together. It takes just a little bit of prep, comes together easily and you can prepare it overnight if you’ve got a busy morning ahead.

Here’s a quick rundown of how to make it, with the full written instructions in the recipe card below.

Slice the Bread

Slice the day-old challah bread into about 1″ thick slices, the take those slices of bread and cut into 1″ cubes. Add these directly into a greased baking dish.

Pumpkin Egg Mixture

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, pumpkin and pumpkin spice. Then pour it directly over the cubed bread, cover with beeswax wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least four hours (up to eight hours overnight).

  • cubed brioche bread in casserole dish for pumpkin french toast casserole
  • eggs, milk, pumpkin and spices in mixing bowl next to whisk and dish of cubed bread

Top with Oat Crumble

After the casserole has chilled, remove from the fridge and set the dish on the counter while you make the crumble and the oven preheats.

Bake for One Hour

This french toast bake recipe takes about 1 hour total. You’ll bake uncovered at 350ºF the first 40 minutes, then bake an additional 15 minutes or so covered with foil, which helps to keep the top of the bread from browning too much.

spoon in corner of baked pumpkin french toast casserole dish

Option to Prepare Overnight

If you are looking for Thanksgiving breakfast first thing in the morning without the prep, you can refrigerate the covered casserole for eight hours overnight.

The crumble oat topping can also be prepared ahead of time – just mix everything together and keep covered in a bowl in the fridge.

While the oven is preheating, take the casserole out, top with the prepared crumble and then place in the pre-heated oven.

Storing & Reheating

Store any leftovers in the fridge, covered in the baking dish, and enjoy within 5 days.

To reheat, you can use the toaster oven “reheat” option for about 10 minutes, or simply microwave for about 30 seconds per large slice.

hand pouring maple syrup over pumpkin french toast slice on plate

More Breakfast Bake Recipes

  • Berry French Toast Casserole
  • Bagel Breakfast Strata
  • Easy Kale & Feta Egg Bake
  • Kale Goat Cheese & Sun-Dried Tomato Egg Bake

Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley

hand lifting slice of pumpkin french toast bake out of casserole dish

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

How to Make…

Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

Pumpkin French Toast Casserole is the perfect holiday breakfast recipe, but great year round too! You can make it dairy-free with coconut milk and a non-dairy milk of choice. This french toast bake works well for a crowd but leftovers reheat nicely too. It’s a must this season!

  • Prep Time: 4 hours
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes
  • Diet: Vegetarian
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Scale:
Print
Pin
Rate

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf, day old challah bread (about 14 ounces, equal to about 8 cubes cubed, see notes) 
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1.33 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup oat milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
  • ½ cup canned full fat coconut milk (or sub heavy cream)
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Streusel topping

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (can use plant based)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup rolled oats
  • ⅓ cup flour (all-purpose, whole wheat, or gluten free blend)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ cup pecans, optional

 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9×13 casserole dish with butter or coconut oil; set aside.
  2. Slice french bread into 1” thick slices, then slice again into about 1” cubes. Place in bottom of baking dish.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, pumpkin, milk, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Pour over bread in baking dish, pressing bread down and making sure each piece is fully covered. Cover with lid or foil, and place in fridge for 4 hours, up to overnight.
  4. Once you’ve chilled the casserole, make the make the streusel topping: in a medium bowl, use fork to combine butter, brown sugar, oats, flour and ground cinnamon – use hands as needed to make sure the mixture is fully combined. Spread over top of baking dish, adding pecans if using, and press down gently. 
  5. Bake pumpkin french toast for 40 minutes uncovered, then cover with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes. 
  6. Allow mixture to cool slightly before topping with powdered sugar for extra presentation. Serve with maple syrup and enjoy!

Recipes Notes:

Bread – If bread is not dried out, toast bread slices at 350ºF for about 10 minutes. A loaf of french bread would also work if you can’t find challah bread.

Sugar – I thought this french toast needed a touch of sweetness in the custard-like filling, but you can omit. If you want a sweeter filling, you could also add more sugar, up to 1/2 cup is what I’d suggest.

Milk – feel free to use the milk of your choice and heavy cream if you aren’t dairy free. I would just stay away from protein plant milks for this recipe.

Category: Breakfast Method: Oven Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin french toast, oven baked french toast, thanksgiving breakfast
Author: Ashley @ Fit Mitten Kitchen

let’s see your creations!

tag me on social and hashtag so I
can see what you’ve made!

#FITMITTENKITCHEN

About Ashley

"Ashley Walterhouse is the founder of Fit Mitten Kitchen, based in the Greater Lansing Area of Michigan, AKA “the Mitten.” Ashley grew up as a picky eater but later discovered that eating healthy was actually easy and fun. She started FMK in 2015 as a way to share her newfound love of developing healthier recipes for all to enjoy."

Previous Post
Loaded Cauliflower Casserole
butternut squash kale salad in bowl pinterest
Next Post
Farro & Kale Butternut Squash Salad

Reader Interactions

Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Haley says

    11/16/2021 at 2:36 pm

    This looks so delicious! Would love to make this for my family for Thanksgiving & was wondering if you can make the day before, refrigerate, and bake the day after for easy prep + traveling. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes:)

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      11/22/2021 at 10:08 am

      Hi Haley, if you want to fully bake it and reheat in the oven, that would probably be fine! I would just reheat at 350ºF for maybe 15-20 minutes? I haven’t tried that yet myself. Or unless you mean fully assembling the dish and traveling with the un-baked casserole, then baking the day you need it. I just wouldn’t the let the unbaked casserole sit longer than 10 hours.

      Reply
  2. Chloe Strong says

    11/21/2021 at 9:49 pm

    Easy to make and so delicious as a dessert or breakfast. Just as tasty dairy free with coconut cream and was perfect warm or cold. I will be using the pecan crumble as my go to crumble in the future.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hey there!

I’m Ashley – Thanks for visiting Fit Mitten Kitchen. Here we balance real food with desserts and healthy snacks making life easy, nutritious and delicious.

Learn more

join the list

To receive the latest FMK recipes (and BONUS: you'll get my free Nut Butter eBook!)

Thank you for subscribing!

More...

pear flatbread on green plate

Walnut Pear Flatbread

31 Healthier Holiday Cookies for Your Cookie Exchange

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecakes. Gluten-free friendly. Perfect for gatherings.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecakes

glazed gingerbread scone on baking sheet

Gingerbread Scones with Vanilla Bean Glaze [Vegan]

peppermint mocha coffee creamer in clear bottle with white coffee mugs

Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer

plate of raspberry white chocolate blondies

Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies {gluten free friendly}

stacked gingerbread truffles on green plate next to red gingerbread cookie cutter and red towel in background

Easy Gingerbread Truffles

mocha mini cheesecake with whipped topping on black plate and dessert forks

Mini Mocha Cheesecakes

Free recipe ebook!

Subscribe and get a FREE healthy nut butter ebook!

Thank you for subscribing!
Trending Now
Rainbow Kale Quinoa Salad with sumbutter dressing Meal Prep Salads
Sweet Potato Waffle Breakfast Sandwhich on white plate with avocado Whole30
This Paleo Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookie is an absolute must! Made using canned pumpkin, grain-free flour and dairy-free chocolate for a paleo treat. Pumpkin Desserts
As Featured On
  • Browse by Diet
  • Gluten-Free
  • Dairy Free
  • Vegan
  • Paleo
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
Exclusive Member of Mediavine· © 2022 · All Rights Reserved · Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Back to Top

Subscribe & receive a free nut butter ebook!

Thank you for subscribing!