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This pumpkin French toast is what I make the first morning it actually feels chilly outside. Thick slices of day-old bread soak in a custard made with real pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice, then cook low and slow in butter until the edges turn golden and the centers set up soft and custardy, never soggy.
This easy pumpkin French toast takes 30 minutes, uses just 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, and sits right next to my fluffy pumpkin pancakes made with pancake mix as my favorite lazy fall breakfast. Grab your skillet and let’s get cooking!
Quick Look at This Easy Pumpkin French Toast
- 🍞 What it is: Day-old bread soaked in pumpkin pie spice custard and pan-fried in butter.
- ⭐ Why it works: Medium-low heat gives the heavier pumpkin custard time to set before the outside burns.
- 💛 Why you’ll love it: Pantry spices, 1/2 cup of pumpkin, and breakfast in 30 minutes.
- ⚠️ What to watch for: Dark outsides with a wet middle mean your pan is too hot.
- 🍳 Pan notes: Cook 2 to 3 slices at a time so the skillet stays at medium-low.
- ❄️ Make ahead: Cooked slices freeze and reheat well for quick weekday breakfasts.
Why This Recipe Works
Pumpkin puree makes the custard thicker and heavier than a plain egg and milk mix. That’s great for flavor, but it also means the middle of each slice needs more time to cook. Crank the heat and you get dark, almost burnt outsides with a wet center. Keep it at medium-low and give each side 3 to 4 minutes, and the custard sets all the way through while the outside turns deep golden. It’s the same low and slow method I use for my thick, custardy brioche French toast, and it matters even more for pumpkin French toast (hello extra moisture!)
A quick 30 second soak per side is plenty. The bread drinks up the custard without falling apart when you lift it into the pan.
Light brown sugar keeps this pumpkin French toast lightly sweet, since most of us are adding maple syrup on top anyway. A pinch of salt balances everything, and a mix of pumpkin pie spice plus extra cinnamon gives you that warm, cozy fall flavor in every bite.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need for pumpkin French toast. Exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Butter: For the skillet. Cooking spray works if you want to skip it.
- Pumpkin puree: Use canned 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Homemade puree works too. This pumpkin French toast only uses 1/2 cup, so check the recipe card notes for easy ways to use up the rest of the can.
- Milk: Whole milk is my favorite, but any milk you have will work.
- Eggs: Large eggs at room temperature blend into the pumpkin more smoothly.
- Light brown sugar: Just enough sweetness without competing with your syrup.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the spices.
- Vanilla extract: Adds depth. Vanilla bean paste is a nice upgrade if you have it.
- Pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon: Store-bought is fine, or mix up my homemade pumpkin pie spice blend in under 5 minutes.
- Bread: I use French bread or Hawaiian bread. Thick, day-old slices hold up best.
Substitutions and Additions
- Other breads: Brioche and challah both work great. I’ve also made this with the croissant loaf Trader Joe’s carries sometimes, and if you love that buttery flavor, my buttery croissant French toast bake is worth a try.
- Sweet rolls instead of slices: My Hawaiian roll pumpkin French toast bites use this same pumpkin custard on whole King’s Hawaiian rolls and finish with a cinnamon sugar coating.
- Dairy-free: Swap in almond, oat, or cashew milk and use cooking spray instead of butter.
- Extra rich: Use heavy cream in place of the milk for a creamier custard.
- Pumpkin French toast sticks: Cut the bread into long strips, soak, and cook them the same way on the stovetop, just for a little less time per side. Roll them in cinnamon sugar while they’re warm and dunk them in maple syrup.
How to Make Pumpkin French Toast
- In a shallow baking dish, add the milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, light brown sugar, salt, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon.
- Whisk until completely smooth with no streaks of pumpkin or egg left.
- Soak each slice of bread in the custard for 30 seconds per side. Let the extra drip back into the dish before it goes in the pan.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and melt a little butter. Cook 2 to 3 slices at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown. Add a little more butter between batches and repeat until every slice is cooked.
- Finish your pumpkin French toast with powdered sugar, chopped pecans, and warm maple syrup. For something extra, spread on a spoonful of my Texas Roadhouse cinnamon butter copycat or drizzle with homemade caramel sauce.
Expert Tips
My three rules for pumpkin French toast: day-old bread, 30 seconds per side, and medium-low heat. If you only remember one, make it the heat.
Pumpkin French Toast FAQs
No. Pumpkin pie filling already has sugar and spices mixed in, so with the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice in this custard, it turns out too sweet and over-spiced. Look for a can labeled 100% pure pumpkin.
Use day-old or slightly stale bread, since it soaks up the custard without turning mushy. Fresh, thin slices soak through fast and can fall apart in the dish. Stick to 30 seconds per side, let the extra custard drip off, and cook at medium-low so the center has time to set. Crowding the pan drops the temperature, so work in small batches.
French bread and Hawaiian bread are the two I reach for when I make pumpkin French toast. Brioche, challah, and Texas toast all work too. Honestly, the best bread is the one you already have on hand, as long as it’s sliced thick and isn’t super fresh.
Yes, I freeze pumpkin French toast all the time. Let the slices cool completely, freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan, then move them to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Reheat in the toaster or oven until warmed through. Leftovers also keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you want a make-ahead breakfast for a crowd, my oven baked brioche French toast casserole is prepped the night before.
Yes. Leave out the puree and keep the pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. The custard will be thinner, so give the bread a quick dip instead of the full 30 second soak. You’ll lose some of the pumpkin flavor and that custardy middle, but you still get all the warm fall spice.
More French Toast Recipe Favorites
Made this pumpkin French toast? Leave a star rating and a comment below and tell me which bread you used!
Easy Pumpkin French Toast
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 9 slices bread
- 2 tbsp Butter for the skillet
Instructions
- In a shallow baking dish, whisk the milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, light brown sugar, salt, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon until completely smooth.3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 3 eggs, 2 tbsp light brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Soak each slice of bread in the pumpkin custard for 30 seconds per side, letting the extra drip back into the dish.9 slices bread
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and melt a little butter.2 tbsp Butter
- Cook 2 to 3 slices at a time for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown. Add butter between batches.
- Top with powdered sugar, cinnamon butter, chopped pecans, and maple syrup.
Notes
- Leftover pumpkin: A 15 oz can holds about 1 3/4 cups, so you’ll have about 1 1/4 cups left. Use it in this easy pumpkin pie spice chia seed pudding, a healthy pumpkin smoothie, or bakery-style pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.
- Puree, not pie filling: Use 100% pure pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling makes it too sweet.
- Heat check: If the outside browns before the middle sets, lower the heat.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled slices in a single layer, then bag. Reheat in the toaster or oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
