This Pumpkin French Toast Casserole is a mouthwatering twist on a classic breakfast favorite, prepared effortlessly in your slow cooker. Bursting with pumpkin, warm spices, and a touch of sweet maple syrup, it’s the perfect fall recipe to cozy up your mornings.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin French Toast Bake
If you have made a baked French toast casserole, you know how delicious and easy it is. This recipe is made completely in the slow cooker. You can start it and have it ready when you want to eat. It’s soft, flavorful, and full of pumpkin flavor without being too sweet. It’s great for a cool, Fall Sunday morning or any time. Your kids will even love it! Mine ask for it by name often and always have seconds without fail.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- Perfect make-ahead recipe. This is a great recipe to prepare a day in advance to save prepping time.
- Great for breakfast or dinner. Enjoy this delicious casserole for breakfast or as breakfast for dinner.
- Easy to make. It’s an incredibly easy recipe to prepare and cook. You don’t need a lot of experience in the kitchen to pull it off!
Ingredients Needed
I have provided the ingredients for both the pumpkin French toast casserole and the maple sauce I add to the top. You may skip the sauce if you like but I highly recommend it!
- Pumpkin: I like to add real canned pumpkin puree to the casserole to ensure it has an authentic pumpkin flavor.
- Half and half: This is a crucial part of the custard. It helps add moisture to the bread cubes.
- Brown sugar: The subtle molasses flavor pairs perfectly with the spices and maple syrup. It’s my favorite sweetener for this recipe.
- Eggs: These add richness and help the half-and-half stick to the bread.
- Vanilla: The vanilla adds an authentic vanilla flavor and enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Pumpkin spice coffee creamer: This adds extra pumpkin spice flavor and richness to the French toast.
- Spices: I use nutmeg and cloves to add more warmth to the casserole. Feel free to add cinnamon, too.
- Maple syrup: Pure maple syrup adds authentic maple flavor to give this bake French toast flavor. I don’t recommend using breakfast syrup.
- French bread: Cut the bread into bite-size pieces. I like to use French bread because it’s sturdy and doesn’t fall apart when soaking up the custard mixture like a brioche would.
- Maple Sauce: Butter, brown sugar, maple and vanilla extract, sea salt and evaporated milk.
How to Make Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole
The slow cooker and refrigerator key when preparing this recipe. Once the pumpkin French toast casserole is mixed, you chill, and then cook it. There’s minimal hands-on cooking needed —- besides a few minutes to make the sauce!
- Grease the slow cooker. Spray the bottom and sides of your slow cooker pot with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the bread. Place the bread cubes into the bottom of the pot.
- Make the custard. Combine the rest of the casserole ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until the mixture is well combined.
- Add it to the slow cooker. Pour the custard over the top of the bread and stir it well to ensure each piece is well coated.
- Chill. Cover the crock pot and place it in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours.
- Cook. Place it into the cooker pot and add the lid. Cook the casserole on high for 2 ½ hours or on low for 4 ½ hours.
For the Maple sauce
- Melt butter and add sugar and extracts. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Then, add the remaining ingredients for the sauce minus the vanilla extract and evaporated milk. Bring it to a boil and cook the mixture for 5 minutes.
- Stir in vanilla and milk. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and milk.
- Pour and serve. Pour the sauce over the top of the pumpkin French toast casserole and enjoy.
Tips for Success
- Make it in the oven. Use a 9×13 baking dish and bake the casserole at 350 degrees F for 35-50 minutes, depending on your oven.
- Add nuts. Chopped walnuts or pecans are great to add to the casserole or to use as a garnish for texture.
- Prepare the night before. To give the bread plenty of time to soak up the custard, prep the pumpkin French toast the night before and cook it for brunch.
Proper Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Skip the sauce and freeze the French toast tightly covered for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before you reheat it. You may reheat a portion in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until it is warmed through.
More French Toast Recipes
- Hawaiian Roll French Toast
- Apple French Toast Casserole
- Strawberry French Toast Rollups
- Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
- Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 cup half and half
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 5 large eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup pumpkin spice coffee creamer
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup PURE maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 16 ounce loaf french bread cut into bite size pieces
Maple Sauce
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon maple extract
- 2 Tablespoon water
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prep the slow cooker baking dish with non-stick baking spray.
- Place the cubed bread into the slow cooker.
- In a large bowl whisk together until combined the pumpkin, half and half, light brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin spice coffee creamer, ground nutmeg, maple syrup, ground cloves
- Pour the egg mixture over the cubed bread. Stir well to mix.
- Cover and refrigerate crock pot overnight or for at least 5 hours.
- Cook on High 2 hour 30 minutes or Low 4 hours 30 minutes.
- Prepare sauce once the french toast is completed.
Maple Sauce
- Add butter, brown sugar, water, maple extract, and sea salt to medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring until butter melts.
- Bring to boil for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Remove from heat and add in 1/2 cup milk and vanilla. Stir until combined.
- Pour sauce over the french toast once plated and serve immediately.
- Top with whip cream and pecans.
Last Step:
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5 comments on “Pumpkin French Toast Casserole”
Would love to try this. How do you cut maple extract into cubes? Typo?
Hi Maureen. Yes, typo. I just corrected that. Thanks!
I love making this. It is so good, but I make it in the oven instead of the slow cooker. I mix everything together and put it in a dish and bake 30 minutes at 350. I make it the night before and let it sit in the fridge. So yummy!!
Interested to hear comments on this recipe
This sounds delicious but I am wondering what size crock pot is used? Thank you.