Baked Pumpkin French Toast with Brown Sugar Sauce
Baked pumpkin French toast with brioche, warm fall spices, and rich brown sugar sauce. Prepare it overnight for an easy fall breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients
PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST
- 1 Brioche bread, sliced into 3/4 inch thick cubed
- 8 eggs, extra large
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- unsalted butter, to butter the ovenproof dish
OPTIONAL
BROWN SUGAR SAUCE
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Bourbon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST
- Cut the Brioche bread (or Challah loaf) into cubes. Butter an ovenproof 3-quart rectangle baking dish.
- Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, sugars, canned pumpkin, pumpkin spice, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl.
- Place the cubed bread cubes in the baking dish.Pour the egg mixture over it and press down the cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, or let it sit until all the cream is absorbed.
- Remove from the refrigerator and bring back to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350℉ degrees.
- Place in the hot oven and cook for 50 minutes. The top will be golden, and it will evenly puff up.
OPTIONAL
- Sprinkle granulated sugar over your pumpkin French toast for added sweetness and crunchiness before placing it in the oven.
BROWN SUGAR SAUCE
- Meanwhile, prepare the brown sugar sauce by melting ½ cup butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add brown sugar and ½ cup heavy cream; stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat.
- Stir in Bourbon and vanilla.
- Serve warm Pumpkin French toast with sauce over it.
Notes
Allow plenty of soaking time. Four hours is the minimum, but overnight gives the brioche time to fully absorb the pumpkin custard.
Use brioche that is slightly stale rather than extremely fresh. It absorbs the custard much better without becoming mushy.
Press the bread gently into the custard before refrigerating, so the top pieces absorb some of the mixture as well.
If you use a glass or ceramic baking dish, allow it to warm up slightly before placing it in the hot oven.
Do not let the brown sugar sauce boil aggressively. Gentle heat will give you a smoother sauce.
Make the brown sugar sauce shortly before serving. It is especially delicious warm over the freshly baked French toast.
Nutrition
Calories: 540kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 270mg | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 6344IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg
Giangi's Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.