Serve up Fall flavors with this easy pumpkin french toast recipe! The bread has a golden-orange hue and tastes similar to regular french toast, but with a hint of warm spices.
Sliced bread is dipped in a batter of pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Cooked in a frying pan until golden brown and topped with fresh butter, maple syrup and powdered sugar for the perfect Sunday brunch recipe the whole family will love!
Delicious Fall Breakfast
- This recipe is similar to classic french toast but uses pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice for the perfect hint of fall flavors. Serve with a pumpkin spiced latte.
- Serve this budget-friendly recipe for the perfect Fall breakfast, brunch, an after-school snack or for dinner with bacon! Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner nights!?
- Keep it classic and serve with butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. You can also customize it with spreads like peanut butter, jam, or pumpkin butter. A sprinkle of powdered icing sugar and a dollop of whipping cream makes this an extra sweet treat!
- For more french toast style recipes, try our brunch-style french toast casserole or the simple german apple pancake which is perfect to use up ripe Fall apples. Or try our easy blender oatmeal banana pancakes, they’re so yummy.
Recipe Ingredients
BREAD: I prefer to use thick sliced white bread as it absorbs the batter beautifully. Many people enjoy making french toast with brioche bread. But honestly, any stale bread will work for this recipe.
PUMPKIN PUREE: It is important to use canned pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is straight pumpkin with no added ingredients.
BATTER: Milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice are mixed with pumpkin puree to create the deliciously fragrant french toast batter.
VARIATIONS: Try adding one of these ingredients for even more flavor! 1 Tbsp of cocoa powder, 1 tsp of instant coffee granules, 1-2 tsp of cinnamon, and applesauce for sweetness.
French Toast Topping Ideas
Serving warm french toast with fresh butter and drizzling real maple syrup or honey is the traditional way to enjoy this recipe. However, here are a few more ideas to customize for any taste!
- Fresh berries including blackberries, blueberries, raspberries or sliced strawberries.
- Slices of banana.
- Cream cheese
- Chocolate chips or caramel sauce
- Spread peanut butter, nut butter, seed butter, nutella, tahini or jam.
- Chopped nuts, chopped seeds, shredded coconut or dried fruit.
- Whipped cream, coconut cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Sprinkle cinnamon or powdered icing sugar.
How To Make Pumpkin French Toast
This recipe is easy to whip up for breakfast or brunch, making about 10 slices of french toast. Here’s a quick overview of the recipe with full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Beat eggs, then combine with all other batter ingredients.
- Pour the pumpkin egg mixture into a shallow casserole dish. Dip a slice of bread in the batter and place it in a hot skillet or electric griddle to cook.
- Cook french toast until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side.
- Serve warm with fresh butter and real maple syrup.
Leftover pumpkin french toast can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave, back in the frying pan, or in a toaster oven for a more crispy toast.
This toast can also be stored in the freezer! Consider making a double batch of the recipe and storing half for a future meal. Just add completely cooled french toast to an airtight freezer bag and store frozen for up to 6 months.
Recipe Tips
- Dip the bread quickly into the batter. Do not let it sit and soak. If it sits too long in the batter, the bread will get too soggy and break apart.
- Try using thick sliced bread for better absorption of the batter. However, thinly sliced bread will also work for this recipe. Many people enjoy using brioche bread, a french-style bread that’s high in egg and butter which gives it a rich and tender texture. Fresh bread works, but day-old bread absorbs even more batter.
- Lower the stove temperature if the frying pan gets too hot.
- Check for doneness by gently sliding a spatula underneath the french toast. If it’s sticking to the pan, it’s probably not done yet. Gently lift one corner to see the color. If it’s a dark golden brown, the bread is ready to flip!
- While cooking all of the french toast, cover it on a plate with a kitchen towel to keep them warm.
More Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Raisin Loaf with orange glaze is the perfect snack loaf recipe.
- No Bake Pumpkin Oat Energy Balls are a healthy afternoon pick-me-up.
- Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies with cream cheese icing are a big hit in our house!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins are a healthier treat.
- Sugar-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake is perfect for anyone wanting to eat healthier this season.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- ⅔ cup milk - regular milk, oat milk, almond milk etc.
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup - or brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 10 thick slices of bread - stale bread works great!
Instructions
- Beat the four eggs in a large bowl with a whisk.
- Add the milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice. Mix everything together.
- Heat a skillet with a bit of cooking oil over medium heat.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture into a dish with sides (like a casserole dish). Dip bread quickly on both sides and shake off any excess. Do not let bread sit in the batter or it will get too soggy.
- Cook the bread for 2-3 minutes on each side in a hot frying pan or electric griddle, until golden brown. Repeat steps with the rest of the bread until there is no more pumpkin batter.
- Serve french toast while still warm with butter and real maple syrup. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Dip the bread quickly into the batter. Do not let it sit and soak. If it sits too long in the batter, the bread will get too soggy and break apart.
- Try using thick sliced bread for better absorption of the batter. However, thin sliced bread will also work for this recipe. Many people enjoy using brioche bread, a french-style bread that’s high in egg and butter which gives it a rich and tender texture.
- Lower the stove temperature if the frying pan gets too hot.
- Check for doneness by gently sliding a spatula underneath the french toast. If it’s sticking to the pan, it’s probably not done yet. Gently lift one corner to see the color. If it’s a dark golden brown, the bread is ready to flip!
- While cooking all of the french toast, cover it on a plate with a kitchen towel to keep them warm.
- Fresh berries including blackberries, blueberries, raspberries or sliced strawberries.
- Slices of banana.
- Cream cheese
- Chocolate chips
- Spread peanut butter, nut butter, seed butter, nutella, tahini or jam.
- Chopped nuts, chopped seeds, shredded coconut or dried fruit.
- Whipped cream, coconut cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Sprinkle cinnamon or powdered icing sugar.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.