Hello Thanksgiving breakfast.
Pumpkin French Toast: A made-from-scratch breakfast casserole with sweet cinnamon and creamy pumpkin in every delicious bite. It’s perfect for feeding a crowd, or for enjoying on a quiet and chilly autumn morning. Simply assemble the night before, and pop it into the oven in the morning for a delicious and comforting breakfast.
If this were a Friends episode, it would be called: The one where she has way too much fun taking “pouring shot” photos.
Pumpkin Baked French Toast
(Serves 4-6)
- 3 1/2 cups cubed bread (I used Ezekiel, but other types are fine. French bread would be really good in this recipe, as would cinnamon-raisin. Depending on the type of bread, you might need more or less than 3.5 cups. You want enough to fill an 8×8 pan.) (175g)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or just add a little extra cinnamon)
- sweetener of choice (If you want to top the casserole with syrup post-baking, use 3 nunaturals stevia packs or 3 tbsp sugar. If you’d prefer a sweeter breakfast casserole that needs no topping, increase the amount to 5-6 tbsp)
- 1 1/4 cups milk of choice (300g) (Depending on your choice of bread, you might need to use less. This is a good amount for the Ezekiel bread.)
- optional: 2 tbsp butter-type spread of choice (for a more buttery result) (30g)
- 1 cup MoriNu silken-firm tofu, or 1 cup yogurt of choice (240g)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (I used canned pumpkin) (120g)
- optional: handful of raisins
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except bread, and stir very well. (If using the tofu, you should blend these ingredients. Otherwise, just stir by hand.) Grease an 8×8-in baking pan, and pour the cubed bread into the pan. Cover evenly with the wet mixture, then cover the entire dish with a lid or saran wrap and fridge overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 400 F and cook about 30-35 minutes. Top with maple syrup or your favorite French toast topping (or eat plain, if you opt to use the extra dry sweetener pre-baking.)
And for everyone who asked:
Can you guess which Gossip Girl character I was?
I didn’t include costume photos in my original post for a few reasons, the main one being it’s not a very elaborate costume. I didn’t think it was worth posting. I also don’t normally take my camera to parties, which was why the post was made up of recycled photos. In retrospect, I probably should’ve skipped posting on Thursday altogether. But one’s mind doesn’t always think straight on two hours of sleep. (Side note: I borrowed the Chanel bag from a friend, and it’s actually a knock-off from Canal Street in NYC. I’m thinking Serena would not approve. Other side note: I wanted to be Blair, but they said I was too blonde. Yet another side note: …I think I’ve written enough side notes. I’ll stop now.)
Link of the Day: Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
Made this this morning and wanted to share my experience!
Made it for company and we all loved it, but I did make a lot of modifications.
I used a 9×13 and filled it up with Ezekiel cinnamon raisin. For the sauce, I used a whole can of pumpkin, two cups of nonfat greek plain yogurt, 3 tsp of pumpkin pie spice, enough whole milk to make a good consistency, and a mixture of a good bit of brown sugar, maple syrup, and regular sugar. I was actually sad to see how much sugar it needed, I guess because I used the whole can of pumpkin. I used very little milk. Maybe a cup total? We tasted the sauce and thought it wasn’t quite rich enough, so we added 3 eggs. On top of the bread, I spread a layer of raw pumpkin seeds and raw pecans. Then I poured the sauce on top and sprinkled it with a good bit of cinnamon. This morning before baking I melted 4 tbs of butter and drizzled it on top so it would get nice and crunchy, which it did. After reading the other comments, I baked it at 350 for about 45 mins, and then turned it up to 425 to get the top nice and brown.
It was a hit for our run group this morning! I will definitely make it again!
Could you add eggs and if so, how many? What would it do to the overall result?
Thanks for this yummy recipe. I made it with sour dough bread and coconut milk and let it sit over night. Had it this morning after church. What a treat.
Thanks for this yummy recipe. I made it last night with sour dough bread and coconut milk and had it this morning after church. Easy and so good.
Bake covered or uncovered?
I did mine uncovered and it turned out well.
I have stale bread NOW that needs to be used and am wondering if I soak it tonight Sunday until Thanksgiving morning and cook it will it work? Otherwise I could back it tomorrow and have it as “leftovers” on Thanksgiving. Thanks in advance!!
Either should work!
These recipes are using canned pumpkin, not fresh like your post indicated. Why not put in there first a recipe of how to bake a pumpkin for your own puree?
Just google how to do it. Many have written posts on it before 🙂
This was delicious. I’ve eaten it three mornings in a row now. So excited to get your cookbook for my birthday in two days!!!
This was FABULOUS! So easy to prepare and the taste was like something from a classy restaurant brunch. I am in love with your website.
And you look gorgeous!
Is there really no eggs in this?