Pumpkin Overnight French Toast with Pecan Praline Topping | #PumpkinWeek

Pumpkin week is a sponsored event that includes gifts to me from the participating brands. All thoughts and opinions are my own, but I think you’ll enjoy this overnight french toast recipe as much as I do. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Food Above Gold happen.

Nothing says good morning like a ready-to-bake breakfast. Enjoy the best of autumn flavors with this simple pumpkin overnight french toast recipe.

Fall is in the air, and we are celebrating our love of pumpkin with #PumpkinWeek hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures. All week-long 34 bloggers will be sharing 140+ fantastic recipes for all your Autumn celebrations, including breakfasts, baked goods, savory pumpkin recipes, desserts, and drinks. Thank you sponsors for providing the prize packages. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below!

Also known as baked french toast, this overnight french toast recipe is an easy seasonal breakfast. Thick cut slices of bread are soaked in pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, and cream overnight. The next morning, wake up, pour on the pecan praline topping and bake. This makes for a phenomenal breakfast that is done in a flash.

How Long To Soak French Toast

Normally, french toast only needs to soak in the egg mixture for a moment or two before cooking on the griddle. With overnight french toast however, the bread soaks for up to 12 hours.

This is made possible by the use of thick cut and slightly stale bread. 

When you’re loading the egg mixture into the bread, it is important to watch for the bubbles. (As seen in the photo below.)  Those bubbles are a sign of the bread absorbs the liquid. Once the bubbles have stopped rising, you know it is saturated enough to transfer to the baking dish.

What Kind Of Bread Should I Use?

My favorite bread to use is a very crusty french bread. It is fairly neutral in its flavor, so it doesn’t make the overnight french toast taste strange. Also, it is sturdy enough that it won’t get too soggy and become more like bread pudding when cooked.

Pretty much any artisan bread from the bakery will hold its shape well enough. I would avoid any of the pre-sliced loaves that come in the plastic sleeves however. (Think white bread, sandwich bread, etc…)

#PumpkinWeek

Enjoy these #PumpkinWeek recipes from our bloggers:

Pumpkin Drinks:
Dairy Free Iced Coconut Pumpkin Spice Latte from Frugal & Fit
Easy Pumpkin Frappuccino from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Pumpkin Bubble Milk Tea from Daily Dish Recipes
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake from Seduction In The Kitchen
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie from Sweet Beginnings
Pumpkin Red Sangria from Love & Confections

Pumpkin Breakfasts & Baked Goods:
Air Fryer Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes from Blogghetti
Pumpkin Granola from It Bakes Me Happy
Pumpkin Overnight French Toast with Pecan Praline Topping from Food Above Gold
Pumpkin Waffles with Orange Cream Cheese from My Sweet Zepol
Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Bread from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen


Savory Pumpkin Recipes:
Pumpkin and Cheddar Pierogies from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
Pumpkin and Sausage Tacos from Our Good Life
Pumpkin Broccoli Cheddar Soup from The Crumby Kitchen
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
Pumpkin Parmesan Risotto with Bacon from Cheese Curd In Paradise

Pumpkin Desserts:
Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie from Palatable Pastime
Mini Pumpkin Pie Hand Pies from The Beard and The Baker
Pumpkin Butter Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Frosting from The Spiffy Cookie
Pumpkin Cookies and Cream Ice Cream from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake from The Redhead Baker
Pumpkin Honey Bun Cake from Family Around the Table
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Brownies from Big Bear's Wife
Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles from Creative Southern Home
Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze from Shockingly Delicious

How To Turn This Into An Overnight French Toast Casserole

If you want to make this overnight french toast more like a breakfast casserole, this recipe is simple to convert. Simply cut the bread into cubes instead of slices and stir it into the pumpkin egg mixture. When it bakes, this binds it together better for easier cutting and portioning. The refrigerating and baking will still follow the recipe as written.

Using this method is like making a breakfast bread pudding. It isn’t bad by any means, but the texture is a bit different. Following the recipe as written right now gives you more texture by leaving the bread crusts exposed. When the bread is cut up and tossed like this, the crust absorbs more liquid and disappears into the casserole.

Neither method is better than the other, it is all about personal preference.

Tips For This Overnight French Toast Recipe

• Use homemade pumpkin puree for a rustic flavor.  Homemade pumpkin puree tends to be a little sweeter than the canned stuff. Not only that, but it can also add a little extra texture depending on how smooth you make the puree.
• DO NOT forget to butter the pan.  Make sure there is a thick coating of butter along the bottom and sides of the baking dish. In fact, I recommend getting your fingers in there to make sure the corners and edges aren’t missed. This overnight french toast will glue itself to the baking dish and be almost impossible to remove with the butter.
• Set the slices of bread upright. As you load the soaked bread into the baking dish, you want to angle the bread as upright as possible. This allows you to fit the whole loaf into the pan and prevent sogginess. You may have to adjust some of the slices before refrigerating for best success.
• Stale bread makes better french toast.  Once the bread seems too hard to eat but can still be cut, it is just right for this overnight french toast. The staleness helps absorb and remoisturize the bread and makes for the best french toast.

Pumpkin Overnight French Toast Recipe

The pumpkin praline topping is almost like a caramel. It is made with melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. You can make it the night before and leave it covered at room temperature, or fresh in the morning. I tend to find it is easier to sprinkle the topping if I make it fresh.

Since this topping is so rich, this overnight french toast doesn’t really need anything else. You can add a dusting of powdered sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup, or some fresh whipped cream, but the recipe is moist enough without them.

---

Want a free printable grocery list for this pumpkin overnight french toast recipe?  Get it here. Everything is listed in standard grocery store amounts. If no size is specified, even the smallest package will provide more than enough.

Happy Cooking! 🙂