Fall Recipe: Pumpkin French Toast

Baking yummy fall treats as the weather gets cooler and the air gets more crisp should be considered a love language. We've partnered up with Sasha Nevarez from @dashofsash to bring you the perfect autumn recipe - it is absolutely delicious and it only takes 15 minutes to prep! This pumpkin French toast is ideal for a dreamy breakfast or brunch. The pumpkin flavors are bright and are complimented with a crunchy pecan streusel topping! For more recipes and custom cakes, cookies, and other baked goods, check out @dashofsash on Instagram! PUMPKIN FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE BY @DASHOFSASH Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 1 hour Serves 10 FRENCH TOAST INGREDIENTS 1 loaf challah bread (or any variety of toasty, hearty bread) - cubed 1 cups milk 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup brown sugar- packed 5 large eggs 1 cup pumpkin purée 3 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt PECAN STREUSEL INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup brown sugar - packed 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup unsalted butter - cold and diced 1/2 cup pecans - roughly chopped INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the cubed bread on a baking sheet, making sure the bread is in an even layer. Bake the cubes for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly, then transfer the crisp bread cubes to a buttered 13"x9" buttered pan.* 2. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk, cream, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Pour the mixture over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours but no longer.** 3. Prior to baking the pumpkin french toast, make the pecan streusel. Combine the brown sugar, flour, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter. Stir in the pecans. 4. Remove the pumpkin french toast casserole from the fridge. Remove the plastic wrap. Sprinkle the streusel over the unbaked casserole. Bake for 50-65 minutes at 350°F.*** 5. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Serve with maple syrup if desired. Enjoy your yummy French toast! NOTES I used Challah bread for this recipe; however, an even heartier and thicker type of bread might work even better! I would refrain from using sandwich style bread though as it's a bit thin. * You should have enough cubed bread to fill the 13x9 inch pan, around 8 cups worth. ** Refrain from letting the casserole sit longer than 4 hours as it could result in a soggy dish, but give it enough time to soak up some of the liquid. You should be ok to bake it after 1 hour of chilling in the fridge! *** Sometimes i'll place foil overtop around the 45 minute mark to prevent over browning. We hope you love this recipe as much as we do. It is the perfect fall dish whether you're making a weekend breakfast with the family or hosting an autumn brunch with the girls. Make sure to check out @dashofsash for more recipes, or to order some of her amazing custom cakes and cookies. She is truly a ray of sunshine and so unbeliveably talented!