Brioche Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
This Brioche Pumpkin French Toast Casserole is a make-ahead fall breakfast with a spiced pumpkin custard and a buttery brown sugar pecan streusel on top. Prep it the night before, bake it fresh in the morning, and your whole family will thank you!
Quick Look: Brioche Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
Ready In: 50 minutes or 8+ hours if making ahead of time
Serves: 8
Calories: 600 Calories
Main Ingredients: brioche bread, canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, pecans, brown sugar
Why You'll Love It: Brioche Pumpkin French Toast Casserole is a cozy, seasonal, and easy fall breakfast recipe!
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This is the fall version of my Brioche French Toast Casserole, one of my go-to make-ahead breakfasts for a crowd. Buttery brioche cubes soak overnight (or not - you can make this in the morning, too!) in a pumpkin custard loaded with warm spices, then get topped with a brown sugar pecan streusel and baked until golden. It's the kind of breakfast that makes the whole house smell like fall, and it's genuinely more hands-off than it sounds, since almost all of the work happens the night before.
If you're in a pumpkin mood, this pairs well with my Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal or my Pumpkin Spice TikTok Cinnamon Rolls for a fall brunch spread. All three are make-ahead friendly, which makes hosting so much easier.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Make-ahead - assemble the whole casserole the night before and just bake it in the morning.
Cozy and seasonal - pumpkin puree and warm spices make this feel like fall in every bite.
Great for a crowd - this makes a full 9x13 casserole, so it's perfect for a holiday brunch or a weekend with houseguests.
Key Ingredients
Brioche Bread - my favorite bread to use for French Toast casserole. Brioche is a rich, buttery bread that soaks up the pumpkin custard without falling apart.
Eggs - the base of the custard, helping everything set as it bakes.
Pumpkin Puree - be sure to use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which already has added sugar and spices.
Whole Milk and Heavy Cream - together, these give the custard a rich, creamy texture.
Warm Spices - pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon give this casserole its cozy, fall flavor.
Brown Sugar - adds sweetness to both the custard and the streusel topping.
Pecans - sprinkled over the streusel for crunch.
Please refer to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredient.s
Substitutions and Variations
Bread swap - if you don't have brioche, challah, French bread, or sourdough all work well in its place.
Different Nut - walnuts or sliced almonds can be used in place of pecans, or leave them out entirely.
Add a glaze - if you want a sweeter finish, a simple powdered sugar and maple glaze drizzled over the top after baking is a nice addition.
Dairy swap - if you're out of heavy cream, half and half can be used, though the custard will be slightly less rich.
How to Make Brioche Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
Step 1.
Cut the brioche into 1-inch cubes. If it isn't already stale, dry it out in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 2.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, heavy cream, pumpkin pie spice, salt, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
Step 3.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until combined. Cover and refrigerate separately from the casserole.
Step 4.
Pour the custard over the bread and gently press down so the bread is mostly covered. Sprinkle the streusel over the casserole and top with the chopped pecans.
Step 5.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the middle is set. If the top browns too quickly, tent it with foil. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Step 6.
Cut into slices and serve topped with maple syrup or powdered sugar.
Expert Tips
Use stale bread - fresh bread gets soggy in this casserole, so use day-old brioche, or dry fresh bread out in the oven first. If your bread is fresh, simply place it on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.
Check for doneness in the center - the casserole is done when the middle is set, not jiggly.
Tent with foil - if the top is browning faster than the middle is setting, loosely tent the casserole with foil for the rest of the bake time.
Make Ahead - or Not - You can prep this and bake immediately OR refrigerate overnight and then bake. If you are making it ahead of time, add 10-ish minutes to the baking time since it will be starting from a colder temperature.
Storage - store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Brioche Pumpkin French Toast Casserole Recipe FAQs
Yes, that's the best part. Assemble the casserole and the streusel separately, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, top with the streusel and pecans and bake as directed.
This usually happens when the bread isn't stale enough. Fresh bread doesn't absorb the custard the same way, so dry it out in the oven first if it's not already a day or two old.
I'd recommend enjoying this one fresh or as a next-day leftover rather than freezing it, since the texture of the custard can change once thawed.
Other Fall Breakfast Recipes to Consider
If you make this recipe, let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Brioche Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
French Toast Casserole
- 1 lb loaf brioche* 1 lb. day-old brioche bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons melted butter slightly cooled
- 9 large eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Streusel
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- If baking right way, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the brioche into 1-inch cubes. If it isn't already stale, dry it out in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled melted butter, eggs, pumpkin puree, milk, heavy cream, pumpkin pie spice, salt, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Arrange the brioche cubes evenly in a greased 9x13" casserole dish.
- Pour the custard mixture over the bread and gently press down so the bread is mostly covered.
- At this point you can cover and refrigerate overnight. If baking immediately, continue on.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until combined. Cover and refrigerate if chilling the casserole overnight.
- If ready to bake, sprinkle the streusel over the French toast casserole, followed by the chopped pecans.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the middle is set, tenting with foil if the top browns too quickly. Add 5-10 minutes if baking it from the refrigerator.
- Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar. Enjoy!
