20 days til Christmas?! Now is the time to get your menu ready for Christmas morning. This pumpkin baked French toast will be an instant favorite. The best part about this dish is that it can be assembled the night before and baked the next morning with no hassle. In other words, you will not miss out on opening presents or snuggling in your Christmas pj’s with this morning dish. A few weeks ago I posted about these healthier banana muffins that we love, but today it is all about splurging and enjoying this festive time of year with a scrumptious dish!
Growing up in the New Orleans area, bread pudding is one of the most famous desserts you can order. Although I have never tried making it, I have to say that this Pumpkin Baked French Toast comes pretty close to the texture of bread pudding. The custard seeps into the bread creating a scrumptious dish. The beauty of any baked French toast is that you can easily adapt it to what your family likes. I have made a blueberry cream cheese baked French toast for years and it is always a winner!
For this Pumpkin Baked French Toast, I used coconut sugar instead of refined sugar. There is something about the coconut flavor that pairs so well with the pumpkin and spice flavorings. The streusel topping gives this dish an extra touch and we typically top ours with maple syrup, yum! This dish can easily be served alone or be served alongside an egg casserole. Christmas morning just got a whole lot easier with this Pumpkin Baked French Toast. Do you have any breakfast favorites for your Christmas morning? If you do, I would love to hear them! I think Christmas morning is one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf day old French Bread cubed
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup half-and-half cream
- 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 6 large Eggland's Best eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- FOR THE STREUSEL:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 cup pecan pieces
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan and place bread cubes in it.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the milk, cream, pumpkin, coconut sugar, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight or at least 3 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine all streusel ingredients and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over the bread cubes and then bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve topped with maple syrup.
