This Pumpkin Chip French Toast Bake is a great time saver for breakfast. Make it the night before and reheat each slice in the microwave the next day.
With the busy season quickly descending upon us, it is easy to not take time for breakfast. Not that I would know about that per say...wink, wink. Sometimes I just get so busy and distracted that before I know it, it is lunch time. I know, I know. Breakfast is the most important meal, and definitely helps keep you going on busy days. I tell my kids this all the time, so why don't I listen to myself.
This easy french toast bake is one that you can make up the night before and have in your refrigerator for the next morning. There is no excuse to not warm up a square of this...it only takes 30 seconds. Or if you are the morning person type, get up early and serve it fresh from the oven.
My family doesn't know what a morning person looks like, so we go the microwave route. 😉
Most of the ingredients for this breakfast should be in your kitchen right now. If you don't have bagels, use bread. It is an easy substitution to do. My kids always convince me that they are going to eat bagels for breakfast, and then they sit there all lonely like. So, I have to throw them into the freezer before they go bad. When I know I am going to make a french toast casserole, I pull the frozen bagels out the day before.
I like to toast my bagels pieces before adding them to the egg mixture. The toasted pieces seem to soak up more of the egg and pumpkin.
This french toast has a sugar cinnamon coating that gets baked on top, mini chocolate chips inside and chips sprinkled on top of the glaze. This is not a breakfast for the faint of heart. Yes, it is sweet, but oh my, so good! Plus, don't you usually douse your french toast in maple syrup? Ok, then the chocolate chips and glaze doesn't seem so bad now, does it? 🙂 If you are one to count calories, leave out the chocolate chips and don't add the glaze...but I'm telling you, it's good with all that on top.
The best thing about this bake is that breakfast is ready all week long without you having to do a thing. Well, ok, you have to make it the first day, but then no work. That is until someone eats the last square, and then you will have to make another one. But that is easy to do.
Like I said, make it the night before and you will be back to easy breezy mornings.
Now all I need is a fresh cup of coffee and another square of this french toast, and I will be ready to face the day.
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Recipe
Pumpkin Chip French Toast Bake
This pumpkin french toast bake is great to keep in your refrigerator for busy mornings. It is so easy to reheat and go.
Ingredients
For the French Toast
- 5 cups cubed bagel pieces (about 4-5 regular sized bagels)
- 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cups milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- โ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ยฝ teaspoon nutmeg
- โ cup mini chocolate chips
For the Topping
- ยผ cup flour
- ยผ cup brown sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons butter, softened
For the Glaze
- ยฝ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick baking spray.
- Place the bagel cubes on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Drizzle with the melted butter when they come out of the oven.
- Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Add the toasted bagel pieces and stir together. Let sit for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the mini chocolate chips gently. Pour into prepared pan.
- Mix together the topping ingredients until they resemble coarse sand.
- Sprinkle over the top of the mixture in the baking dish. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool slightly before serving.
- Mix the powdered sugar and milk together and drizzle over squares before eating if desired. Keep refrigerated. Reheat each square in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Notes
*Substitute bread if you do not have bagels on hand.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 261Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 262mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 2gSugar: 17gProtein: 7g
Other delicious pumpkin breakfast ideas to start your morning with:
Mary
I mentioned before that this recipe looked absolutely amazing & I wanted to try it myself for Christmas morning. Well I FINALLY got around to posting about it & thought I'd send you over the link. My family & I were more than impressed with the outcome. Thanks so much; I look forward to trying MANY more of your recipes.
Erin | The Emerging Foodie
This looks amazing! And so creative with the bagels! I'm dreaming of using Trader Joe's pumpkin bagels with it... MMM! Hope you had a beautiful Thanksgiving, Jocelyn!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Erin...and the pumpkin bagels would be awesome for this!
Chels R.
Those chocolate chips are just the most perfect addition to that French Toast Bake.
Jocelyn Brubaker
The chocolate was definitely my favorite part...but I'm kind of partial to it ๐
Julianne @ Beyond Frosting
This looks so insane. Breakfast is my favorite meal. I could eat it for every meal! Happy Thanksgiving to you guys!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Breakfast for dinner is a favorite around here too! So good!!! Thank you Julianne! Hope your Thanksgiving was good too!
Tieghan
Bagels!! What a genius idea!! My family LOVES bagels, so this is perfect!! Have a great Thanksgiving!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Yup, bagels ๐ Hope your family loves it too Tieghan!!!
Laura @ Lauras Baking Talent
This french toast looks great! Thanks for sharing ๐
Beth @ bethcakes
Oh, this looks incredible! I am definitely a breakfast person. I wake up hungry. So making this one day and having it for breakfast for the rest of the week sounds like a perfect idea to me! ๐
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Beth. Having it ready to go right away makes the day start out better!!!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel
These would be awesome with cinnamon raisin bagels too!!
Gloria @ Simply Gloria
Perfect for the leftover bagels I've got going on in the bottom of the fridge...and no one is touching them as I type. So, this is perfect! (love the texture of bagels, any how.) Love it also, becz it's all full of pumpkin...delish!
Jocelyn Brubaker
It sounds to me like you need to have a breakfast bake to get rid of the bagels ๐
Averie @ Averie Cooks
I love this texture! I call this almost 'bread pudding' and I love love love things like this. Bagels - very smart! Too often things like this start out with (day old or dry!) old bread and starting out with soft and chewy bagels is so smart! Pinned! Like seriously, this is my heaven right here ๐
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you so much Averie! Something about bagels just works so well in these kind of breakfast casseroles...I like that they hold up a little better than bread.
Renee @ Two in the Kitchen
Oh yummy! I LOVE breakfast treats. It's like having dessert for breakfast, which is just fine with me!! ๐
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family Jocelyn!!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Dessert for breakfast...I like the way you think ๐
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet
This looks fantastic Jocelyn! It almost reminds me of bread pudding. My kids would love to have this for breakfast!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Nancy! I know my kids loved it, so I hope yours do too!
Mary
Yum!! Sounds and looks amazing! We will be making this in my house for Chrostmas morning
Jocelyn Brubaker
I can't wait to hear what you think ๐
Kelly
Wow, what a great way to use up bagels, I love this idea Jocelyn! This looks like such a tasty breakfast and I love that you can make it ahead of time and reheat it. Pinned, looks incredible!
Jocelyn Brubaker
I am all about doing things early to make life easier later. Thank you so much for sharing!
Mary Frances @ The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Oh my goodness, that looks so dense and moist! Absolute perfection. Meh, who counts calories this week ... this is the stuff my dreams are made of, really and truly. Cannot wait to try! Pinned!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Yeah, counting calories during holidays is kind of silly ๐
Brenda @ SweetSimpleStuff
I never thought of using bagels for french toast!!! Love french toast bakes ... pinning ๐
Jocelyn Brubaker
Give bagels a try next time! Thanks for the pin love!