Pumpkin Cream Cheese Baked French Toast is everything you love about pumpkin pie and cheesecake in one scrumptious breakfast! Throw it together, let it hang out in the fridge overnight, and bake it in the morning! Top it with your favorite toppings to make it extra special!
You guys are in for a treat today! I’m so excited to share this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Baked French Toast recipe with you for three reasons!
- I LOVE it, and I have a feeling you are going to love it too! Cheesecake is one of my favorite foods in the whole world. When it’s camouflaged as breakfast and I get to eat it first thing in the morning, I’m a happy girl!
- Did you catch the part about it being made ahead of time? All that’s left to do in the morning is grab it out of the fridge and bake it up! I don’t know about you, but that’s my kind of breakfast!
- It’s easy to make this breakfast recipe big enough to feed and army, or small enough for just a few people! With the holidays coming up I’m guessing you just might have a few extras to feed. I’ve got you covered at least for breakfast with baked french toast!
- Okay, can we do four reasons please? It’s also a popular breakfast for dinner option around here! Brinner doesn’t get any easier than this! Besides that, you don’t even have to make dessert with this one!
What’s the best bread for making French toast?
Let’s talk for just a minute about that!
My very favorite bread, and pretty much the only bread I use, for making French toast is French bread from the grocery store. Most of the time it’s on sale for 99 cents, sometimes up to $1.50. That’s super inexpensive! Remember when I said this pumpkin french toast is perfect for feeding to crowds? Not only because it’s easy and can be made ahead of time, but because it’s CHEAP! Extra budget friendly here!
Being able to slice it myself allows me to choose thickness I like for my French toast. If I’m making classic French toast I slice it a little thicker. For stuffed French toast slicing it thinner works better since each serving will end up with two slices of bread.
Store bought French bread gives French toast the best consistency ever! It’s soaks up just the right amount of milk/egg mixture. It’s never too soggy, and just as important the crust is perfect!
How do I let cream cheese come to room temperature?
The best way is to let the cream cheese sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to allow it to come up to room temperature. If you’re short on time, cut the block of cream cheese into smaller chunks and spread them apart from each other. It will warm up a little faster because it’s smaller pieces.
Using the microwave works too. I always remove cream cheese from the package and defrost it in the microwave. The defrost function instead of the cook function brings it to room temperature slowly. Using the cook function it is risky because it’s easy to over cook it and you end up with warm, runny cream cheese.
Regardless of how you get it to room temperature this cream cheese filling is out of this world! Trying not gobbling the whole thing up with a spoon is an opportunities to practice some serious self-control! I failed!
This cream cheese filling is my go to stuffed French toast filling. My friend Becki shared it with me many years ago and I’ve been using it ever since! Try it with fresh raspberries, sliced strawberries, chocolate sauce, or whatever else your heart desires!
What other options are there for topping French toast and pancakes besides maple syrup?
Is topping your pancakes, waffles, and French toast with maple syrup getting old and boring? Well, maple and pumpkin happen to work really well together and are amazing on this french toast.
There are a million ways to go here. Of course dusting them with powdered sugar makes them look gorgeous.
This breakfast is already pretty sweet and adding a little whipped cream helps cut some of the sweetness.
Or, you can go completely overboard and add caramel sauce, which is actually down right tasty! Sprinkle a few chopped pecans on and it’s really over the top!
Holy cow! Pumpkin Cream Cheese Baked French Toast is a mouthful of a name! It’s absolutely, hands down one of my favorite breakfasts! There is decadent cheesecake filling sandwiched between golden brown french toast, all baked up in the most amazing pumpkin spices! It’s out of this world!
Grab the recipe!
Add this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Baked French Toast to your holiday menu, your every day breakfast menu, and even your dinner menu!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Baked French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread sliced
- 2 Tbsp. butter
Cream Cheese Mixture
- 1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese room temperature
- 1/3 c. powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- dash salt
Pumpkin Mixture
- 4 lrg. eggs
- 1 c. half and half
- 1/3 c. granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 c. pumpkin puree
Instructions
Cream Cheese Mixture
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Set aside.
Pumpkin Mixture
- In a separate bowl beat eggs. Add half and half, granulated sugar, salt, and all the spices. Mix together.
Assembling French Toast
- Spray 9 x 13 baking sheet with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
- Slice French bread into about 16 slices. Divide cream cheese mixture and spread over 8 slices of bread. Top each with a second piece of bread.
- Set cream cheese stuffed French toast in prepared baking dish. It might be a little bit tight and you might have to squish them to get all the french toast to fit. It's okay!
- Pour pumpkin/egg mixture over French toast. Slice butter and set on top of each French toast. Let sit for a few minutes then flip each French toast over
- Cover French toast with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and regrigerate overnight.
Baking Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and baked though.
Notes
Judy Cummins says
This was absolutely fantastic, my hubby said, it’s definitely a keeper!
Have you ever tried Brioche Bread?
Thank you for sharing this.
Amy Engberson says
I’m glad this recipe made its way into your favorites! I haven’t ever tried Brioche bread before. I bet it’s delicious though!
Shari Kelley says
Hi, I was wondering about the butter. Do you slice the 2 T butter into 8 pieces? When you turn the French toast over, does the butter end up under the pieces of French toast? Also, after you turn the toast, do you try to get the egg mixture on top too? This looks so yummy! I can’t wait to make it.
Amy Engberson says
Good catch! I just edited the instructions so they are written more clearly. I slice the butter into pieces and top each French toast with one slice of butter. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning you’ll just need to bake it. If you don’t have time to let it sit overnight you can read the tips in the notes section of the recipe card.
val says
Made these, without sitting overnight, and they came out great. Thank you so much.
Amy Engberson says
Yes! If I’m running a bit behind I make it and let it sit for about 30 minutes and bake it too. It works great, although I do love it when I have it sitting in the fridge ready to bake in the morning!
Carmen says
Amazing recipe! We used 1 cup pumpkin and skipped the ginger. It was DELICIOUS!!
Amy Engberson says
That sounds yummy! Fall breakfasts are so yummy!
cynthia brown says
hi is canned pumpkin the same as pumpkin puree
Amy Engberson says
There are two different types of canned pumpkin; pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin puree. For this recipe, you need pumpkin puree. Pumpkin pie filling has spices and pumpkin puree is simply pureed pumpkin. You can also make your own pumpkin if you’re into that sort of thing! 😉 Here’s an amazon link to pumpkin puree if that’s easier than hitting the grocery store! {affiliate link}
Gretchen says
If I made this on a Thursday night, could it sit for a full day on Friday and be cooked early Saturday morning for a tailgate or is it better to just bake tomorrow and reheat on Saturday morning? All set to go. Can’t wait to try! Would it spoil if it soaks in egg/ pumpkin mixture over 24 hours-if it sits 2 nights before baking?
Amy Engberson says
Hi Gretchen! Sorry I just saw your comment and I’m afraid I might not be getting back to you in time. I’ve never tried making this french toast two days ahead of time. I would spread the cream cheese mixture on the bread and put it in the baking dish without the milk/egg mixture. Then I’d add the milk/egg mixture before going to bed on Friday night. That would eliminate it from getting too soggy while resting for the extra day. YOu could easily make the milk/egg mixture on Thurday and store it in the fridge until you are ready to pour it over the bread! Hopefully that helps1 Happy tailgaing!
Krista says
This is a breakfast I have to make! Love everything about it!
Amy Engberson says
It’s like waking up to the most decadent breakfast ever! It’s seriously the BEST!
Jamielyn says
WOW, this looks INCREDIBLE! Talk about a perfect fall breakfast!
Amy Engberson says
It’s such a cozy breakfast! Perfect for waking up, hanging out in your p.j.’s and enjoying the morning!
Dee says
I love French toast AND pumpkin, so this sounds fantastic! Definitely making this for breakfast!
Amy Engberson says
Me too! Stuffing it with cream cheese makes it even better!
Paula says
Stuffed French toast is the best!
Amy Engberson says
I agree! It’s makes the best breakfast or dinner, especially since it’s SO easy!
Mahy Elamin says
Wow, I definitely want to try your recipe for breakfast. Absolutely love this method! Looks so good. Thank you for sharing this great recipe. YUM!
Amy Engberson says
I can’t wait for you to try it! It’s such an easy way to prepare it and no one will ever know you didn’t stand over a griddle all morning making it! Now that’s a win!
Michele says
Talk about amping up French toast… that cream cheese filling not only looks amazing, but I cant wait to make it! The added bonus being I can make it ahead of time to take all the stress out of cooking!
Amy Engberson says
Make ahead meals are such a lifesaver! I have a feeling you’re going to love this one!
Paula says
Looks wonderful, I need this stat!
Amy Engberson says
Yep! You need it tomorrow morning for breakfast! It’s so worth the little bit of effort it takes to make it the night before!