Pumpkin French Toast Bake with Streusel Topping: Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole
Pumpkin French Toast Bake with a crunchy streusel topping is the kind of cozy fall breakfast casserole that feels right at home on a chilly morning. Made with soft brioche or challah cubes soaked in a pumpkin-spiced custard, it bakes up golden and rich with a sweet, buttery streusel that adds the perfect crunch.
This recipe is easy to prep ahead and makes serving a crowd effortless, turning simple ingredients into an inviting, homemade brunch everyone will remember. It’s a new fall baking favorite that delivers all the classic pumpkin spice flavor you want with minimal fuss.
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Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin French Toast Bake
This pumpkin French toast bake is one of my favorite things to make when I want something comforting that everyone will enjoy. The bread cubes soak up all that rich, warmly spiced custard, giving you tender, flavorful bites in every slice. The crunchy streusel topping really sets it apart, turning into a sweet, buttery crust that makes each serving feel special without any extra effort.
It’s the kind of fall baking recipe you can easily prepare the night before and bake in the morning, making it perfect for brunch with friends or treating the family without an early wake-up call.
Pro Tip: For the best texture, use day-old brioche or challah that’s slightly dry. It soaks up the pumpkin custard beautifully without falling apart, ensuring the casserole bakes up tender but sliceable. If your bread is too fresh, you can cube it and let it sit out for an hour or two before assembling.
Variations and Ideas
This pumpkin French toast bake is easy to customize based on what you like. Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the streusel topping for extra crunch and a nutty flavor. If you want more spice, increase the cinnamon or add a pinch of cardamom to the custard mixture.
You can also serve it with warm maple syrup for extra sweetness and classic fall flavor. It keeps well for leftovers – just cover and refrigerate, then reheat gently in the oven or microwave for a cozy breakfast the next day. For a savory contrast to sweet bakes, try this Butternut Squash Breakfast Hash with Sage and Eggs.
If you’re planning a seasonal menu or just want more cozy options, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in this full collection of Fall Breakfast Ideas and this collection of Fall Cookies.
More Fall Baking Ideas
- Pumpkin cottage cheese donuts are the ultimate high protein fall treat. Baked, fluffy, and rolled in cinnamon sugar, each donut has 7g of protein for a cozy snack or dessert you’ll crave all season.
- This chocolate pumpkin patch brownie cake is fudgy, festive, and almost too pretty to cut into. The candy-coated strawberry pumpkins make it a perfect centerpiece for fall parties and holiday tables.
- Pumpkin Spice Donuts are soft, baked, and filled with warm fall spices. They’re easy to make and perfect for a cozy morning treat. Bring the best fall baking flavors right to your kitchen.
- These apple cider cookies are soft, warmly spiced, and finished with a rich brown sugar glaze that melts into every bite. They’re perfect for cozy fall weekends, bake sales, or anytime you want your kitchen to smell like cinnamon and cider.
- Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls are the ultimate cozy bake, soft and gooey with warm spiced apples. A rich caramel glaze takes them over the top. Serve them fresh from the oven for weekend brunch – these always disappear fast.
Tried this Pumpkin French Toast Bake with Crunchy Streusel Topping? Let me know how it turned out, what you loved, or any twists you added. I’d love to hear how you made it your own. Please don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment!
Equipment
- Baking dish 9×13 inches
Ingredients
For the casserole:
- 1 loaf day-old brioche or challah, cubed (about 10 cups)
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 6 large eggs
- 1¾ cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Pinch salt
For the streusel topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter cold and cubed
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Add the cubed bread evenly in the dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the pumpkin custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes, gently pressing them down so they soak it up. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the soaked bread.
- Bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is golden and crisp and the custard is set. Let cool slightly before serving warm, with maple syrup if desired.
Notes
- Day-old brioche or challah works best because it absorbs the custard without falling apart.
- For an even richer custard, you can substitute half-and-half for the milk and cream.
- The streusel topping can be made ahead and kept chilled until ready to use.
