This cozy gluten-free pumpkin French toast casserole is the perfect special breakfast for the holidays or pumpkin season. Warm spices, pumpkin, maple, and a crunchy brown sugar pecan streusel make it a crowd-pleaser—and it’s easy to prepare ahead of time!
This Cozy Breakfast Bake Is Perfect For Cold Weather
This pumpkin French toast casserole is ideal for a cozy weekend brunch or a holiday morning. It’s simple to prepare and always a hit. Highlights include:
🥣 Easy to make: With straightforward steps—cube the bread, whisk the pumpkin custard, toss the streusel—you can even assemble it the night before.
🥧 Rich fall flavors: Pumpkin puree, warm spices, maple, and vanilla combine with a brown sugar pecan streusel for comforting, seasonal taste.
🍞 Pro tip: Use slightly stale bread for the best texture—fresh bread can become soggy.
Happy breakfasting! xo, Emily
Gather Your Ingredients
- Gluten-Free Bread. Use a whole loaf (12–15 oz) cut into 1-inch cubes. Sandwich-style gluten-free breads work best.
- Pumpkin Puree. Unsweetened pumpkin puree—not pumpkin pie filling.
- Whole Milk. For richness, though dairy-free milks can be used if desired.
- Eggs. Five large eggs form the custard—egg substitutes aren’t recommended.
- Butter. Some melted for the custard and cubed for the streusel.
- Vanilla Extract.
- Pumpkin Spice. A warm blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
- Brown Sugar. Light brown sugar for the streusel.
- Gluten-Free Flour. A small amount of measure-for-measure blend helps the streusel hold together.
- Cinnamon & Salt. Cinnamon for the streusel and a pinch of salt in the custard to balance flavors.
How To Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin French Toast Casserole, Step By Step
The full recipe card with quantities and the printable version is below in the recipe section.
- Prepare the bread. Let the bread sit out a few hours (or up to a day) to dry slightly so it holds shape. Cube into 1-inch pieces and transfer to a greased 9×13 pan (glass or ceramic preferred).
- Make the custard. Whisk pumpkin puree, milk, maple syrup, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt until smooth. An immersion blender helps if the spice clumps.
- Combine. Pour the custard evenly over the bread, pressing gently so dry cubes are tucked into the liquid.
- Prepare the streusel. In a bowl combine brown sugar, chopped pecans, gluten-free flour, and cinnamon. Cut in cubed butter until clusters form.
- Rest. Cover and let the casserole soak at least 1 hour or refrigerate overnight. Keep the streusel separate until ready to bake to preserve its texture.
- Assemble and bake. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle streusel over the top and bake uncovered 40–45 minutes, until golden and custard is set. If the streusel browns too fast, tent with foil partway through baking.
- Serve and store. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with maple syrup. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for 2–3 days.
Toppings To Try
This casserole is delicious on its own, but a few finishing touches elevate it for special occasions:
- Maple syrup. Drizzle for sweetness and shine.
- Powdered sugar. A light dusting makes for a pretty presentation.
- Whipped cream. Vanilla whipped cream adds a decadent finish.
FAQ + Tricks For The Best Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
Stale bread works best. Slightly dried bread soaks up the custard and keeps its shape. Fresh bread can turn too soft.
Make-ahead tips. Assemble the casserole and store the streusel separately if you plan to refrigerate overnight. Add the streusel just before baking to keep it crisp.
No pumpkin spice? Mix 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp cloves as a substitute.
Nuts not wanted? Skip the pecans in the streusel—it’s still delicious.
More Cozy Breakfast Recipes To Try
Gluten-Free Eggnog French Toast Casserole
Gluten-Free Belgian Waffles
Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins
SOFT Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
🌟 Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try this gluten-free pumpkin French toast casserole. I can’t wait to hear how it goes.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
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Ingredients
For Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- 1 loaf gluten-free bread cut into 1-inch cubes (12–15 oz.)
- 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 5 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For Optional Brown Sugar Streusel
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons butter cut into small cubes
To Serve:
- Pure maple syrup (optional)
- Powdered sugar (optional)
- Whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
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Prepare the bread. Let it dry a few hours or overnight if possible, then cube and place in a greased 9×13 pan.
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Make the custard. In a large bowl whisk pumpkin, milk, maple syrup, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until smooth.
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Pour. Cover the bread evenly with the custard, pressing any dry pieces into the liquid.
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Make the streusel. Combine brown sugar, pecans, gluten-free flour, cinnamon, and cubed butter, working until clusters form.
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Rest. Cover and let soak at least 1 hour or refrigerate up to overnight. Keep streusel separate until baking.
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Assemble & bake. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle streusel over the casserole and bake 40–45 minutes until golden and set. Tent with foil if topping browns too quickly.
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Serve & store. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with maple syrup. Refrigerate leftovers for 2–3 days.
Notes
- Stale bread works best. It soaks up custard without becoming mushy.
- Make-ahead tip. Assemble the casserole and refrigerate, keeping the streusel separate until morning to preserve crunch.
Video
Find the recipe:
sweetsandthankyou.com/pumpkin-french-toast-casserole/