Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

Pumpkin overnight French toast casserole tastes just like pumpkin pie! Use my trick to get the perfect French toast casserole texture – no soggy, mushy mess here! Perfect for sleepover parties, holiday brunch, and busy mornings.

There are two main attractions for every sleepover: dinner and breakfast.

Growing up, you were the cool kid if your parents ordered pizza for you and your friends.

You were even cooler if your mom made something awesome for breakfast, like bacon, pancakes, or waffles.

My life’s ambition is not for my kids to be part of the cool club, but I like to think that having a mom who’s a food blogger earns them brownie points at some level.

It might be Homemade Chocolate Cupcakes for your class when it’s your birthday or a jar of Homemade Cranberry Orange Granola as a thank-you gift for your teachers.

In the case of sleepovers, it’s Homemade Pizza on a Friday night and this overnight pumpkin French toast casserole for breakfast.

OVERNIGHT PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

Let me backtrack for a moment and tell you something about French toast casseroles. I generally don’t like them. And neither do my kids.

I tried a recipe several years ago and the texture was downright awful. It was soggy, mushy, and had too much egg for such little toast. My son didn’t finish his plate, and I didn’t blame him.

I’ve avoided French toast casserole recipes ever since, even though they’re SO easy to make and REALLY convenient when you’re feeding a crowd. But then my son asked for French toast for his birthday party breakfast, and I thought I’d give it a try again.

For the next week, I tested various French toast bake methods with a basic recipe I tweaked so that every slice tasted like pumpkin pie. With each recipe, the kids ate them up faster than I could cook them.

That’s when it hit me – maybe there was still hope for overnight French toast casserole… emphasis on the word TOAST.

THE BEST OVERNIGHT FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE RECIPE

The key is to set out half a loaf of Man Bread slices and purposely let them dry out. Then cut the slices into 1″ bread cubes and dry toast them in the oven until they are crispy and hard.

And THEN make the breakfast casserole.

Let me tell you this – starting with hard toasty bread (rather than fresh bread) is the key to making a French toast casserole overnight that isn’t soggy or mushy!

Pre-toasting the bread not only helps with the texture of the finished dish but also means a slightly shorter baking time in the morning than typical overnight French toast casseroles.

MAKE AHEAD PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST

Now that we’ve gotten the texture right, I’m making this baked French toast casserole recipe on repeat! I love that:

• It’s prepped the night before, so all I have to do is pop it in the oven in the morning.
• It’s also super frugal and a great way to use up old bread.
• Can be made dairy-free.
• And you can make half of it in the blender!

PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLW INGREDIENTS

The ingredients for pumpkin French toast casserole are pretty basic. Apart from the pumpkin puree, you should have all the ingredients on hand year-round. (You could always stock up on pumpkin during the holiday sales!)

• Bread. You can use a store-bought loaf French bread or Homemade Wheat Bread for this recipe – any bread really. But the key is to NOT use fresh bread. You don’t want mushy French toast.
• Eggs. This recipe calls for a lot of eggs. I do not recommend using an egg substitute. You really want the original texture of the eggs to come through.
• Milk. You can use any type of milk you want. Whole milk, 2%, skim milk, or even Homemade Almond Milk would work well!
• Maple syrup. Since I know my breakfast eaters will be pouring on the syrup, I didn’t want to make the French toast casserolw too sweet by using brown sugar. A small amount of maple syrup makes this dish absolutely delicious.
• Vanilla extract. You can make your own vanilla for this recipe or use one of these vanilla extract substitutes if you’re out. (Vanilla almond milk would be a good option here!)
• Pumpkin puree. My son loves pumpkin almost as much as I do. We use Homemade Pumpkin Puree in almost all of our fall baking! (Here’s how to make it and freeze extra for later!)
• Spices. You can use the individual spices (cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground cloves), or substitute 2 teaspoons of Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice. Substituting ingredients for what you have on hand is an EXCELLENT way to save money on groceries.
• Salt. Just a little bit helps enhance the flavor.

Although I love a good streusel topping, I opted to leave that off this recipe. It’s only slightly sweet as is but adding maple syrup on top AND powdered sugar when serving gives it plenty of sweetness.

HOW TO MAKE FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE OVERNIGHT

Step 1. Preheat oven to 250F. Place cubed bread on a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until the bread is toasted and hard (but not burned).

Step 2. Meanwhile, place the remaining ingredients in a blender. Alternatively, combine them in a jar and shake vigorously OR whisk them together in a bowl.

Step 3. When the bread is toasted, place the cubes in an 8×8 inch baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and using a spatula, toss to ensure all the pieces are coated. Note that not all of the bread will be entirely covered.

Step 4. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate the French toast casserole overnight.

Step 5. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350F. Bake the casserole for 20-30 minutes, until the top starts to get golden brown.

Step 6. Serve warm with butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar (optional).

French toast casserole is best enjoyed right out of the oven, but the leftovers are still pretty good reheated. Place any leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

EASY FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE TIPS

Double the French toast casserole. If you’re making overnight French toast casserole for a crowd, simply double everything and bake it in a 9×13” pan instead.

To freeze French toast casserole: Bake the casserole as directed and let it cool completely. You can then cover and freeze the whole dish, or cut it into individual servings, wrap them separately, and freeze them in a resealable freezer bag.

Don’t have enough bread for an entire French toastcasserole? Save stray bits of bread that you don’t really want for a sandwich, cube them, and freeze them. When you get to about ½ gallon bag full, make this French toast casserole recipe!

Want to add extra flavor? Try making French toast casserole with Cinnamon Swirl Bread for even more cinnamon-y goodness. You could also sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on top of the casserole before baking.

Try a different flavor! Instead of pumpkin puree, you can use berries like blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries! Peaches and nectarines would be great too.

FRENCH TOASTCASSEROLE FAQS

MORE YUMMY PUMPKIN RECIPES

• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Classic Pumpkin Bread
• Pumpkin Swirl Black Bean Brownies
• Pumpkin Pie Hummus
• Easy Pumpkin Donuts
• Pumpkin Cookies with Naturally Sweetened Cream Cheese Frosting

WATCH HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE