Print

Easy Baked Pumpkin French Toast Casserole with Pecan Streusel

pumpkin french toast casserole - featured image
Print Recipe

A make-ahead baked pumpkin French toast casserole with a crunchy pecan streusel topping. Perfect for holiday brunch, this custard-soaked brioche dish is creamy, spiced, and can be assembled the night before for a stress-free morning.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 loaf (12-14 ounces) day-old brioche or challah, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter (for greasing)
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
  • ½ cup rolled oats (old-fashioned)
  • ½ cup chopped pecans
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)

Instructions

  1. Cut brioche or challah into 1-inch cubes. Spread on a baking sheet and let sit out for 1-2 hours, or dry in a 300°F oven for 8-10 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, whole milk, heavy cream, and eggs until smooth. Add brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until fully combined and sugar is mostly dissolved.
  3. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with melted butter. Spread half the bread cubes in the dish. Pour half the custard over them, pressing down gently. Add remaining bread cubes and pour remaining custard over top. Press down gently. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, chopped pecans, cinnamon, and salt. Add cold butter cubes. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or fingers to work butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized butter lumps. Cover and refrigerate.
  5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove casserole from fridge and let sit for 20 minutes. Sprinkle cold streusel evenly over top.
  6. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until center is set (slight jiggle but not sloshing) and top is golden brown. Tent with foil if streusel browns too fast.
  7. Let casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with maple syrup or powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

Don’t skip the overnight soak—it allows the custard to fully penetrate the bread. Add streusel right before baking to keep it crunchy. Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes after baking for clean slices. Day-old bread is essential; fresh bread will turn to mush. For gluten-free, use gluten-free brioche and gluten-free all-purpose flour. For dairy-free, use full-fat oat milk or unsweetened coconut milk and plant-based butter.

Nutrition

Keywords: pumpkin French toast casserole, baked French toast, pecan streusel, make-ahead breakfast, holiday brunch, pumpkin recipe

Find it online: https://evabakery.com/easy-baked-pumpkin-french-toast-casserole-with-pecan-streusel/