Dazzle brunch guests with Pumpkin French Toast and my Brown Butter Maple Syrup. If you love a sweet, but not too sweet start to your day you really can’t go wrong. Among my most popular offering from my time as an innkeeper, plus my make ahead tips, so you can spend time with guests instead of hiding in the kitchen.
The deeply comforting scent of pumpkin and warm spices wafting through the kitchen on a crisp, cold morning is enough to make anyone hungry. Pumpkin French Toast, an autumn-inspired twist on a breakfast classic — indulgent enough for weekend brunch, but simple enough to pull off on a weekday, particularly if you dredge your bread overnight.
From Innkeeper to Home Chef: My Go-To Pumpkin French Toast Recipe
As a former innkeeper, I’ve made my share of French toast, and this one strikes the perfect balance between sweet and satisfying. The batter — or dredge — is lightly sweetened and spiced, so it doesn’t overwhelm the custard texture, without being soggy in the middle.
The Secret to Perfectly Caramelized French Toast
The secret lies in the finish: once both sides are cooked, I sprinkle the top with brown sugar and flip it back into melted butter. This creates a thin caramelized coating, like a breakfast brûlée. It adds a subtle sweetness, a gorgeous sheen, and the French toast holds beautifully if you’re cooking in batches.
Larder / Shopping List:
• Thick-cut bread (my choice: multigrain, but many prefer brioche or challah)
• Pumpkin purée
• Eggs
• 15% milk fat Cream or half-and-half
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves (ground)
• Butter
• Maple Syrup
Make-Ahead Brunch Magic: How to Serve Without Stress
If you’re hosting brunch, that brown sugar brûlée is a solid recipe hack. Cook your French toast ahead of time, arrange the slices on a baking rack, and reheat them at 300°F for about 10 – 15 minutes. They come out perfectly warm, glossy, and ready to serve without losing their texture. This way you have more time with your guests… and… well… there’s champagne.
A Brown Butter Twist: top with warm Brown Butter Maple Syrup
If you’re really in the mood to impress, just add butter! Brown about a half cup of butter, over medium-high heat, until deeply coloured and rich looking. Skim off any foam with a wet spoon and add a cup of high quality maple syrup to the hot brown butter. Whisk and serve immediately – or reserve until needed.
If you’re making the brown butter syrup ahead, be sure to re-heat and serve warm or the butter will solidify on top of the syrup. This is not our desired result. We want, smooth, butter scented, maple syrup that wows!
Plattering and Hostess Brunch Tips
Finish with warm Brown Butter Maple Syrup, straight up plain maple syrup, honey, jams or jellies, a dusting of powdered sugar, or a dollop of whipped cream. And fruit! Lots of fruit.
Add a few toasted pecans or pumpkin seeds for a bit of crunch. Pair with crisp bacon, sausage, or a simple fruit compote for a balanced brunch plate.
Pumpkin French Toast – perfect for slow mornings, family gatherings, or holiday weekends when the coffee’s strong and the conversation takes so long… we swap that coffee for wine! Because there’s always room for Champagne, Babes.
Peace Love & Butter
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Pumpkin French Toast
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
Description
Bring autumn flavour to your breakfast table with Pumpkin French Toast — golden, caramelized, and perfectly spiced. Easy to make ahead for effortless brunch entertaining.
Ingredients
- 12 slices thick-cut bread (multigrain, brioche or challah)
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup 15% milk fat cream or half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar – 1 for the dredge, 2 for the brûlée
- 1/2 cup butter (plus more for cooking)
- 1 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Make your dredge: Whisk cream, pumpkin, eggs, spices and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in a large bowl or flat casserole dish until smooth.
- Soak your bread: Layer sliced bread in dredge so that each slice is well covered and rest, a minimum of 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge for more flavour.
- Heat. Cook. Coat a large, flat pan well with butter, over medium heat. Add soaked bread to the pan, slice by slice, allowing room between. Move pan, NOT product, to brown and cook evenly. Be sure to control your heat. Watch for bubbles to form; toward the centre of your french toast slice. This indicates your pumpkin dredge is cooking through. Time to flip.
- Brûlée. Hold. Once you’ve flipped your french toast coat the cooked side well with brown sugar, working quickly so as not to burn the french toast. Add chunks of butter to the pan. As the butter melts, turn the sugared toast, sugar side down into the butter and cook until bubbly and sticky. Either serve immediately OR move to waiting baking rack over a sheet pan, sticky side UP. Hold until needed. Re-heat in a 300*F (150*C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes until piping hot.
- Brown Butter Maple Syrup: While cooking your Pumpkin French toast in batches; heat butter in a small pan over medium high heat. Allow to bubble and brown until deep, and rich coloured – about ten minutes. Remove from heat. Skim foam with a wet spoon and discard. Add maple syrup and whisk. Serve immediately, or, hold until needed, reheat and serve warm.
Notes
Serving suggestions: swap out regular maple syrup, or serve with honey, jams or jellies. You can never go wrong with fruit. Pumpkin pairs well with berries, oranges or sauteed pears. Or keep it super simple and dust with icing sugar and a big scoop of whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream. (Because, we’re NOT counting calories.)
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch
- Method: Sautee
- Cuisine: North American
