i know fall is over and it’s just plain cold winter now, but i am still loving the pumpkin flavor in everything. (a few of you know exactly what i’m talkin’ about!) i worked on & tweaked this recipe until it was just right, and believe me, it took a few times. (but the little she was just fine having it so often for breakfast… ummm and so was my tummy.)
i love that this recipe is so simple.
you make it the night before, refrigerate it, and then in the morning, just pop it in the oven. that makes my life easy these days, and anything that makes my life EASY? i am ALL over it.
spiced pumpkin baked french toast
ingredients
1 loaf french bread (my loaf was especially large, so i used 1/2, about 5 cups total)
7 eggs
2 cups milk (2%, skim, almond – any kind)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2-3 tbsp brown sugar (for topping)
butter, for greasing the dish
directions
1. butter a 9×13 baking dish. tear the bread into chunks, or cut into small cubes, and place in the dish evenly, pressing down just a bit.
2. in a large bowl, whisk the eggs. add milk, vanilla, pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves & whisk well until everything is incorporated.
3. pour mixture evenly over bread. using your fingertips, press down on the bread to make sure every piece has soaked up the mixture. cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. in the morning, preheat the oven to 350. uncover the dish and sprinkle the french toast with 2-3 tbsp of brown sugar. bake for 40-50 minutes (the shorter time will give you a more bread pudding-like french toast. baking for longer will give you a firmer texture & crispier on top.)
let cool for a few minutes, then serve with fruit (i highly recommend pomegranate seeds)
enjoy!
variation: one time i made this, i omitted the granulated sugar from the milk mixture. it made the french toast less sweet and, therefore, perfect for a topping of maple syrup and powdered sugar – oooh, and a little homemade whipped cream. with the sugar, it’s sweet enough (in my opinion) to just serve with fruit. whichever way you like your french toast, you decide:)
