This Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole is a delicious brunch for anyone who loves baked french toasts, big casseroles, or pumpkin. This recipe is a great morning timesaver as a make-ahead overnight breakfast casserole.
Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole is big, delicious and easy to make
I've probably said it enough times, but I'll say it again: I love pumpkin. I'm convinced you can never have enough, so I'm at it again with another recipe featuring pumpkin.
More specifically, a Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole recipe.
Think of this Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole as the love child of pumpkin pie and french toast. Once pumpkin pie and french toast get together, they become a pair that makes you wonder how they've gone on so long without each other.
This breakfast casserole is the love child of pumpkin pie and french toast
This recipe is for anyone who loves baked french toasts, big casseroles, or pumpkin. It ties all three together.
You get sweet bites of brioche french toast. And in between the bread cubes, you can find little pockets of pumpkin pie.
You'll be thankful this breakfast casserole is so big. Everyone will be asking for seconds. And if they are anything like me, they might ask for thirds.
Prepare this casserole anytime - overnight or morning
This Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole recipe also happens to be a great morning timesaver. That's because it's really a make-ahead overnight breakfast casserole.
If you have the time though, it's best to let the bread cubes soak overnight in the pumpkin mixture. That way, it can fully absorb the pumpkin mixture.
But it's also easy enough to make it in the morning. To make this breakfast casserole in the morning, just let the bread cubes soak for at least 30 minutes. Then put the casserole dish in the oven.
Many french toast casseroles require overnight soaking. But because this recipe uses brioche bread, the bread is soft enough to absorb plenty of the pumpkin mixture in 30 minutes.
Perfect for the weekend brunch
If you prep this in the evening, then in the morning, all you'll need to do is pop the Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole in the oven.
That means you can get this breakfast on the table without having to wash a single dirty dish in the morning!
Because of that, this Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole recipe is particularly great if you have family or friends coming over for breakfast. It's easy to make a large serving without actually doing much in the morning.
You can even bake two of these casseroles at once. Just be sure to rotate the pans from top shelf to bottom shelf mid-way through baking.
Show off the beautiful orange color of the pumpkin casserole
As always, I like to dust off this Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole with some powdered sugar.
If you don't, that's ok. It's also just as beautiful with the rich orange pumpkin peeping through the cinnamon sugar crust.
Drizzle maple syrup or whipped cream
Personally, I find it sweet as is. But feel free to drizzle on some maple syrup before serving. It'll add an additional layer of fall flavor.
And if you're feeling particularly delectable, give it a dollop of whipped cream. It will make it taste more like it's pumpkin pie cousin!
If you love this recipe, I think you'll love these 25+ Fall Breakfast Recipes. And if you would like more pumpkin inspiration, don't miss the collection of pumpkin breakfast recipes on The Worktop.
You might love this Pumpkin French Toast.
Any questions? Let me know in the comments below.
Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole
Print Recipe Save RecipeIngredients
- 12 slices (about 1-lb) brioche bread - cubed into 1-inch cubes
- 8 medium eggs
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 can (5-ounce) evaporated milk
- 1 can (15-ounce) pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13-inch pan. Evenly layer in the brioche bread cubes.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add in all the other ingredients and mix well.
- Carefully pour the mixture over the brioche bread cubes. Gently press the cubes into the pumpkin mixture as needed, so all the bread cubes are sitting in the liquid.
- In a small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Evenly sprinkle it over the bread cubes.
- Cover and let sit for at least 30 minutes, but preferably let the casserole sit in the refrigerator overnight.
- When you are ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Bake the casserole in the middle oven rack for 45 - 55 minutes, until the middle of the casserole is set, and the top has browned. A toothpick inserted in the middle of the casserole should come out clean. You can also double the recipe and bake 2 Pumpkin Breakfast Casseroles at once. Place one pan on the top rack and one pan on a lower rack. Rotate the pans between the racks mid-way through baking.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. This casserole is delicious served warm, room temperature, or cold. Serve with maple syrup or whipped cream, if desired.
Joy says
This was super simple - made it for a group of 20 kids. It was so good. Not too sweet, plenty of pumpkin flavor . I didn’t have brioche available but my grocery store has fresh egg bread which worked beautifully . Now I just need to Find a way to make a gluten free version but I’m not sure what kind of bread to swap in!
Chris says
I made this casserole for an office breakfast and it was DELICIOUS! this is definitely a recipe to go in the recipe book. Plan on making it again in a week....it is a MUST TRY!
Tina Jui says
Hey Chris - Thanks so much for that! It made my day seeing your comment.
Terriann says
Love this casserole dish! Nick and I had the job of making brunch for his parents around thanksgiving time. We chose this recipe because it was really simple and I appreciated the fact that this casserole could be made the day before. We got up the day of and just popped it in the oven. While that was cooking I also made the golden milk recipe. It was a total hit! This might be a staple tradition for the holiday season for us!
Tina Jui says
Hi Terriann - I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe and that brunch turned out so well! We're going to make it a tradition to have pumpkin casserole every fall too :)
btjui says
I will try to make it this weekends.
L. Chan says
This looks incredible! I am trying to figure out the soonest possible time I can make this...
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
Pinned for Christmas. We did a breakfast casserole on Christmas morning last year for the first time and it was a lifesaver. Made it extra special.
Christine says
Wow this looks so delicious! I also love using pumpkin in recipes as it is so versatile! Yum!
Jordan says
Oh my goodness, This sounds so yummy! I would definitely gobble this all up!
Tara says
So perfect for an autumn brunch with such wonderful warming flavors! I love that it can be prepped ahead of time.
rika says
This casserole looks so good! I want to try this for holiday brunch!