Is there any breakfast more quintessentially autumn-themed than Pumpkin Spice French Toast? We think not! Thick slices of bread are dipped into pumpkin French toast batter, then cooked in a buttered skillet until fluffy, golden, and crispy-edged. Slather on some butter, drizzle on the maple syrup, and let the fall fest begin!
We’re the first to admit that the pumpkin spice mania can get a little crazy this time of year, but when the crisp air of autumn hits, the truth is that we’re right there with everyone else: Bring on the pumpkin goodness!
We love how easy it is to bring fall into the breakfast equation with this pumpkin spice French toast. It’s a cinch to make at home for a cozy breakfast, but pumpkin French toast is one of the easiest fall camping recipes to make, too.
Fall camping season starts after Labor Day and goes until Thanksgiving … and that just so happens to coincide with Pumpkin-Spiced-Everything Season. So what better way to embrace the flavor of fall during your late-season camping trip than with pumpkin French toast?!
You can even make the batter ahead of time and pack it in your ice chest, so that all you have to do at camp is dunk your bread and cook it up.
Ingredients
Bread: We love using a nice thick-cut bread, such as brioche or Texas toast (the secret to great French toast!) It soaks up the batter well and, when cooked, develops a golden crust outside while maintaining some of the custard-like interior for a fluffy, crispy-edged French toast. Other breads that work well in pumpkin French toast include French bread, challah, or sourdough. Another option is to buy any loaf of unsliced bread and cut it yourself into ¾-inch to 1-inch slices. Slightly stale, day-old bread is perfect because it keeps its structure better after being soaked.
Milk: Whole milk creates a lovely, rich French toast batter. A great dairy-free option is full-fat oat milk.
Eggs: An essential ingredient in French toast. Eggs, together with the milk, create a custard-based batter that gives you that creamy interior and golden exterior.
Pumpkin puree: Your standard canned pumpkin puree works great (but if you have homemade pumpkin puree on hand, use it!) Just make sure you have canned pumpkin, NOT pumpkin pie mix.
Pumpkin spice: Also known as pumpkin pie spice, this warmly spiced mix includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice. You can find it in the spice section of most grocery stores. If you don’t have pumpkin spice on hand, you can substitute one teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon each of ground ginger and ground nutmeg, and a pinch of ground allspice or cloves.
Sugar: Granulated white sugar adds a welcome touch of sweetness.
Salt: We like to use sea salt in this French toast recipe to highlight the pumpkin flavors and help balance the sweetness. Butter: For frying up perfectly golden slices of pumpkin French toast.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice French Toast — Step by Step
First, make the batter. Grab a medium-sized bowl that’s large enough to dunk the bread into, then break the eggs into it. Beat the eggs until completely blended. Add the milk, pumpkin, pumpkin spice mix, sugar, and salt, and mix well until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
Set a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, and when hot, add a tablespoon of the butter.
Dip your first slice of bread into the batter, letting it soak for a few seconds on each side. Let the excess drip off, then place it in the skillet. The batter should sizzle a little bit in the butter. If it doesn’t, then the pan wasn’t warm enough, and you should adjust your heat a little higher.
Dip and add additional slices of bread until the skillet is full. Cook each piece until golden and crispy on one side, then flip and cook it on the other side until golden and cooked through.
Repeat the process until all of your French toast is cooked, adding more butter to the skillet as needed.
Serve pumpkin spice French toast with butter, warm maple syrup, and/or pumpkin butter, which adds even more pumpkin goodness!
Tips for Making
Make-Ahead / Storage Tips
Make the batter ahead of time by mixing the milk, eggs, and pumpkin spices into a mason jar or another airtight container up to two days ahead of time. When you’re ready to make it, pour the mix into a bowl, add the sugar, and whisk to combine.
We love to use this make-ahead method when camping because it both speeds up breakfast and cuts down on individual ingredients that need to be transported.
Serve it with…
- 4 eggs
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 12 slices thick cut bread, such as Brioche or Texas Toast
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
-
Beat the eggs first in a bowl large enough to accommodate a slice of the bread. Then add milk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, sugar, and salt together, until thoroughly mixed.
-
Heat a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat.
-
Dip a slice of bread in the batter and let it soak for about 10 seconds on each side. Let the excess drip off, then place it in the skillet to fry until golden and crispy on each side, about 3 minutes per side.
-
Repeat with the rest of the bread, adding more butter to the skillet as needed.
-
Serve with maple syrup, pumpkin butter (totally optional), and a cup of hot coffee. Enjoy!
This post was first published 10/2020 and updated 10/2024 for clarity. The written recipe has remained the same!
