Pumpkin Overnight Baked French Toast Recipe (2024)

Jump to Recipe

SomethingSwanky is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.

This Pumpkin Baked French Toast is the perfect recipe for a cozy Fall breakfast. So easy too!

Pumpkin Overnight Baked French Toast Recipe (1)

Before I was a parent, Iswore that my kids were never going to be picky eaters.

Insert all the eye-rolling emojis here.

Seriously. Are there stupider (yes,stupider, I said it) thoughts out there than all-knowing parenting expertise from people who aren’t parents? I mean, really. What was I thinking?? Who on earth honestly believes that they can control what their child is going to eat or not eat?

Sure. We can choose what food options we give them. But let’s get real. The truth of the matter is that my daughter can go on a hunger strike for longer than I’m willing to not feed her.

So now I have a picky eater.

Pumpkin Overnight Baked French Toast Recipe (2)

As it turns out, however, sheloves pumpkin.

Which, to me, is just so bizarre. I’m not a picky eater at all, but I wasn’t even willing totry pumpkin pie until long after I entered adulthood. I was just always of the mindset, “if there’s chocolate *insert any dessert here* on the table, why would I eat pumpkin pie?”

But not my Emma. In some rare moment of bravery, she tried pumpkin pie a few Thanksgivings back, and it’s been her favorite dessert ever since. In fact, no matter the season, if I let her pick the dessert for family night– it’salways pumpkin pie.

Will she eat mashed potatoes? No way. Mandarin oranges? Absolutely not. Teeny-weeny-itsy-bitsy-practically-invisible green flecks of Italian seasoningin her pasta? Maybe.When hell freezes over.

But cold squash pie? Oh suuuuuuuuuuure. Any day of the year!

*insert more eye rolling*

Regardless of how super weird it is that she adores pumpkin even though I can’t get her to touch a french fry, I’m with her on Team Pumpkin when it comes to this French toast.

Pumpkin Overnight Baked French Toast Recipe (3)

For a number of reasons. Here are a few:

It’s really easy to make. And it’s baked, so you don’t have to make it on the griddle (which is always messier in my opinion). So, big points for me right there.
It’s baked in a CARAMEL SAUCE. Let me repeat that:this pumpkin French toast is baked in C-A-R-A-M-E-L sauce. As in, it’s absolutely drenched in caramel. Do I need to really elaborate this point any farther??
Lastly, it makes your house smell so freaking good. Like Fall, but better somehow. Because it combines the smell of fresh baked bread and pumpkins spices and caramel all in one. It’s like the trifecta of ultimate baking smells.

Pumpkin Overnight Baked French Toast Recipe (4)

Speaking of that freshly baked bread smell… you don’t reallyhave to make homemade bread for this. I like to use homemade bread, because it tends to be thicker and denser than store-bought which is fabulous for absorbing all the liquid before baking.

But you could definitely use a thick store-bought bread as well. However, I’d recommend steering away from the bread aisle and instead purchasing bread from the bakery section of the grocery store. A nice, sturdy French loaf, challah, or even sourdough would work really well here.

Pumpkin Overnight Baked French Toast Recipe (5)

All you have to do to get this bit of Fall breakfast deliciousness in your home is a bit of nighttime prep. Slice up the bread and pour on the milk-pumpkin-egg mixture at night before you go to bed. Stick it in the fridge so that the bread has time to soak up all that liquid.

In the morning, you’ll make the caramel sauce. Which is not near as daunting as it sounds. Basically, you’ll melt together some butter and some sugar. Seriously, that’s it. It does it’s thickening in the oven, so that’s not going to be your job! Pour it over the bread, pop it in the oven, and 40 minutes later your house will smell like pumpkin caramel heaven, and breakfast or brunch will be ready.

You can skip the syrup (thanks to the caramel) and go straight for the whipped cream. Add a little hot chocolate or apple cider, and voila. A breakfast fit for October champions.

Pumpkin French Toast

Yield: 4

This Pumpkin French Toast is the perfect recipe for a cozy Fall breakfast. So easy too!

Ingredients

6-8 thick slices of thick bread
3 larges eggs
3/4 cup milk or cream
1/2 cup pumpkin pureè (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

For the Caramel Sauce

3/4 cup butter
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Instructions

Lightly grease a 10x15 or 9x13 baking dish. Evenly layer the slices of bread in the bottom.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, pumpkin, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour mixture over the bread slices, ensuring that every piece gets moistened. Cover and chill overnight.

FAQs

Why is my overnight French toast soggy? ›

It could be because of the bread you used. If the bread you start with is too soft (such as white sandwich bread), it won't absorb all of the wonderful custard that it should, and it might end up soggy. If you find yourself with a soggy casserole, for whatever reason, try baking it a bit longer until it firms up some.

Discover More Details ›

Can you make French toast ahead of time and reheat? ›

Freezer and Make-Ahead Tips

Freeze cooked French Toast Casserole for up to three months. Remove it from the freezer the day before you want to serve it and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Cover the pan with foil, then reheat at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until warmed through.

Read The Full Story ›

Should you soak French toast overnight? ›

Ideally it's best if you can soak the bread in the french toast batter overnight however, if this cannot be done I suggest leaving it soak for a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 hour. As we want that custard like middle, cut very thick slices of bread.

Discover More Details ›

What is the trick to French toast? ›

How can you cook French toast so that it doesn't get soggy from the egg mixture but still gets soaked through in order to be soft inside? You need to slice your bread the day before and leave it out to dry overnight. That way, it soaks up the egg while maintaining its shape. Much better final texture.

Should you toast your bread before making French toast? ›

Use stale bread or toast the bread until it's golden-brown. It needs to be sturdy to hold up to the egg mixture. If the bread is fresh from the bag or you toast it too lightly, the finished dish will be soggy. Soak the toasted or untoasted bread for about 10 seconds per side to achieve the optimal texture.

View Details ›

How often should you flip French toast? ›

Forks tend to rip the bread so they are not a good choice. Continue until the pan is full with a single layer of toast. Cook until golden brown and all of the batter looks cooked, then flip with a turner and cook the second side until golden brown. If needed, adjust the temperature, so it doesn't burn or stay soggy.

Find Out More ›

Why is stale bread better for French toast? ›

Using dry, stale bread is key to avoiding soggy French toast. Fresh bread already has a good deal of moisture, but the drier a bread is, the more room it has to soak up the egg custard — like a sponge.

Read On ›

What kind of bread do you use for French toast? ›

The best breads for French toast are brioche, sourdough, French bread, or challah. These varieties are dense and sturdy enough to handle total saturation in the wet, milky, egg custard without falling apart. However, in a pinch, any thick-sliced white bread will do.

Explore More ›

How do you make bread stale overnight? ›

If you remember with a day to go, slice your loaf.

Lay the slices on a cooling rack you'd normally use for cookies, let the air circulate, and watch your bread go gloriously brittle. Tomorrow it will be ready to turn into breadcrumbs or put into that pudding.

Keep Reading ›

How do you keep French bread soft overnight? ›

How can you store fresh bread and rolls so they stay soft for as long as possible? Resealable plastic bag: A resealable plastic bag seals in moisture and locks out air, keeping your bread soft.

Read On ›

How do you keep toast crispy overnight? ›

A toast rack is the perfect way to do this, but you can also just prop the slices against each other like a little tent. You may also consider wrapping your deli-meats and any salad items separately and only adding them to your sandwich when you are ready to eat.

Discover More ›

What happens if you soak French toast too long? ›

The first is using fresh bread, which soaks up too much of the egg mixture and doesn't cook through, remaining eggy and soggy in the middle. Leaving the bread in the egg mixture for too long is another route to soggy French toast.

How do you make toast not soggy? ›

Fortunately, there's an easy way to prevent that sogginess and keep your bread just as crisp as it is when it comes out of the toaster. All you'll need to do is take two freshly toasted slices of bread, stand them up on an angle, and balance them against each other so that the two slices resemble the sides of a tent.

See Details ›