Pumpkin French Toast ~ a luxurious fall breakfast meant for lazy weekends and holidays! This fluffy French toast recipe is beyond delicious.
Pumpkin French toast is actually a bread pudding that’s cooked on the stove instead of baked in the oven. Ideally it should be a little bit crisp on the outside, and creamy (but hot and cooked through) on the inside. I purposely don’t make the batter very sweet because the maple syrup takes care of that. The pumpkin and fall spices in the batter make this French toast stand out over all the others, imo.
the secret to great pumpkin French toast
It’s the secret to all French toast, actually, and it’s great bread. Get yourself some good bakery bread. You can use lots of different types, but my top choice is brioche bread. Brioche bread is a soft French bread enriched with butter, eggs, and milk, giving it a fluffy texture and a slightly sweet, buttery flavor. It makes the perfect French toast.
what you’ll need
- I loaf brioche bread, thickly sliced
- eggs
- half and half
- sugar
- molasses
- canned pumpkin puree, not pie filling
- cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves
- butter for the skillet
French toast, also known as “eggy bread” or “pain perdu,” has a long history and has been a popular dish in many countries over many centuries, from ancient Rome to modern day Hong Kong. Here is the US we think of it as a luxurious breakfast, but it was originally developed as an ingenious way to use up stale bread!
Whether your bread is fresh or stale, my pumpkin French toast will be a guaranteed hit. The pumpkin puree plus warm spices and a bit of molasses turns regular French toast into a fall breakfast feast.
RELATED: Eggnog Streusel French Toast Casserole
Tips for making fabulous French toast
- Choose the Right Bread: Opt for thick-sliced, slightly stale bread like brioche or challah make great choices.
- Use Fresh Eggs and Full Fat Dairy: Fresh eggs and high-quality milk or cream will result in a richer flavor.
- Don’t Soak Too Long: Dip each slice of bread briefly into the egg mixture, ensuring both sides are coated but not overly saturated. Too much soaking can lead to a mushy texture that never cooks through.
- Add Flavor: Enhance the flavor with cinnamon, nutmeg, or a hint of orange zest in the egg mixture. These spices add warmth and depth.
- Use Butter + Oil for Cooking: Heat a combination of butter and a neutral oil (like vegetable oil) in the pan. Butter adds flavor, while the oil prevents it from burning. Cook the French toast over medium heat until golden brown on each side.
- Maintain the Right Heat: Avoid cooking on high heat, as it can lead to burnt outsides and undercooked insides. Medium heat ensures even cooking, especially when you’re using thick slices of bread like I do here.
- Serve Immediately: French toast is best enjoyed fresh and hot. If you need to keep them warm, place them on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven for a short time.
Soak the bread briefly on each side so it can absorb the rich batter, and make sure your griddle is buttered and hot so you will get a nice golden color on the outside. I lower the heat after the initial browning so the inside of the toast can cook through without burning.
making pumpkin French toast ahead
This is the ideal holiday weekend breakfast because you can slice the bread and whisk together the batter the night before. You can then wake up to a pretty luxurious breakfast with hardly any effort. Just soak the bread in the batter, and grill away.
Pumpkin French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche bread, thickly sliced. You'll want 8 slices.
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp molasses
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree, not pie filling
- 1/4 tsp each: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cloves
- butter
- vegetable oil
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs, half and half, molasses, pumpkin, and spices together in a wide shallow bowl. A pie plate works well. Make sure the eggs are completely broken up and combined well.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt a pat of butter and a bit of vegetable oil in the pan. Note: combining butter and vegetable oil gives you the best of each: you get the flavor of butter but the higher burn temperature from the oil.
- Soak the bread, one at a time, in the pumpkin batter. Each side should soak for about 30 seconds. Let any excess drip off before adding to the hot skillet. You should hear a gentle sizzle when the bread hits the pan.
- Let cook until browned on each side. If your bread is very thick, you may want to lower the heat so the insides can cook without excess browning.
- Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.
Wonderful! That is some gorgeous looking bread!
French toast is always such a treat. Your pumpkin version is a new favorite!
You make the simplest ingredients look like art work Sue! This sounds wonderful.
Ok.
Sue, you converted me to a shortbread lover…just having my first rosemary-parmesan-walnut-shortbread wine-crackers and I’m in heaven!
So.
I’ve been making Brioche per “Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day” – it is easy and wonderful and you can freeze the dough as since it has eggs, it must be used in 5 days. The brioche dough makes a wonderful bread as well as a base for pastries. I’ve found it to be very versatile and use it as a gallette dough.
Bottom line, just a thought from one to another…using my own freezer brioche tomorrorw morning in this pumpkin french toast.
So glad you’re a new shortbread lover, I’m already devising my new varieties for this year. I have Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, so I’ll look up the brioche, thanks!
I live rurally – 40 mile round trip to town – and am the only human at my house. The ABin5 method has allowed me to have wonderful artisanal bread daily – I make small boule loaves, pizza for 1, english muffins, bagels, sweet roll/danish – all 1 or 2 at a time. I’ve found all of the doughs freeze well and I freeze small portions. They thaw quickly and it is easy to combine multiples if you want a larger loaf or quantity. I do normally have a crock in the refrigerator of something also. I’ve been doing this for 3 years. I hope you have the just released, revised version of the book. I thought I knew everything about this method but learned some things and my bread has been even better.
You made me happy today. Great recipe.
🙂