baked pumpkin sticky bun french toast
Who you callin’ sticky buns?
These last couple days, I’ve really embraced the concept of R&R. I’m more intuitive with my body than I have been in awhile, since my stress levels are over the top and my inner cogs are demanding to pause and recuperate. I slept from 7p Wednesday night to 5a Thursday morning, arising only because I had to ready myself for work. I usually pop up pretty easily at 4 to gear up for a run. But that day? Nope.
The bod needed what the bod needed.
Maybe, you and your soul desire a ridiculously scrumptious, indulgent brunch. Or maybe you’re planning for Thanksgiving because you’re desperate for comfort. Put this Baked Pumpkin Sticky Bun French Toast on your “to-make” list. An insanely cozy treat you can prep the day before and bake up the morning of, to infuse your house with the delightful smells of warm spice and sweet caramelized pecans.
Honestly, I’m glad we’re sat in the time of year we are. At least the bevy of rib-sticking recipes is more so justified, to quell the chill both in the outdoors and in many of our hearts. Think of this as a maple-scented hug in a casserole dish.
Be a Pe-CAN, Not a Pe-CAN’T
The “sticky bun” element comes from a hefty dose of caramel pecans. Here, we mimic the topping one would find on sticky cinnamon rolls. It’s divine. I’d even recommend maybe a wee bit extra to munch on as you work. Hehe.
Melt down some butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Should only take a few minutes for the granules to dissolve. Move off the heat and stir in a little vanilla, then a good bunch of pecan halves. The mixture will thicken as it cools, so don’t worry if it seems a little runnier than you expected.
Next up: the pumpkin pie custard. This formula is quite similar to my Pumpkin Pie Crunch French Toast from a couple years ago. Crazy tasty.
Grab a fairly large bowl and whisk up lots of shit: brown sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, whole milk, pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, ginger, clove, and allspice), a touch of bourbon (if you’d like, not required though), vanilla, and eggs.
Before I forget: lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Spread about 1/3 of the pecan mixture on the bottom.
Slice up a couple brioche or challah loaves – I find one isn’t enough, and two might be too much, so you may have a few slices left for random munching – about an inch thick. Dip each into the custard mix, letting excess drip off. Set into the prepared dish and repeat with the remaining slices. Pour the rest of the custard overtop.
Dab the remaining pecans all over the French toast slices. Cover the dish with foil and let sit at least 30 minutes, or pop in the fridge and let it chill overnight. Again, a perfect Thanksgiving brunch prep you don’t much have to fuss about the morning of the holiday.
Bake It Off, Bake It Off (I-I-I)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Keep the dish covered and bake 30-35 minutes. This stage allows the custard to firm up.
Pull the foil off and finish baking about 15-20 minutes. The edges of the toast crisp up, the pecans turn crunchy, and the caramel coating bubbles into every nook of the bread to infuse each bite with a gloriously sticky sweetness. Ugh. My innards are salivating just thinking about it.
That doesn’t sound right.
I serve up my French toast with whipped cream, and if you like some extra maple syrup, go for it. Powdered sugar can be nice, too. This particular iteration is quite sweet on its own so it may not require much by way of garnish. But hey, do what your heart desires. Sometimes you just gotta mimic the ridiculosity of a diner stack, you know?
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
What the French, toast?
Overnight Lemon Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast
Baked Pumpkin Pie Crunch French Toast
Baked Earl Grey Blackberry French Toast
Baked Hot Chocolate French Toast with Pumpkin Whipped Cream
baked pumpkin sticky bun french toast
Ingredients
- 2 loaves brioche, sliced into 1 inch thick pieces
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 2 tbsp bourbon (optional)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs
- whipped cream and maple syrup, to serve
sticky caramel pecans
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup corn syrup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup pecan halves
Instructions
- Start with the pecans. In a small saucepot, melt the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and cinnamon until the granules dissolve, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, then the pecans. Set aside.
- Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch cake pan or casserole dish. Pour 1/3 of the pecans onto the bottom of the dish and spread with a spatula.
- In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin, milk, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, all spice, bourbon (if using), vanilla, and the eggs. Working one slice at a time, dip the brioche into the custard, letting excess drip back into the bowl. Place into the prepared dish. Repeat with the remaining bread slices, then pour the rest of the custard mix over the bread. Dollop the rest of the pecans overtop.
- Cover the dish and let sit 30 minutes, or up to overnight in the fridge.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the toast, covered, for 30-35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until the toast are lightly toasty and the pecans golden. Let cool 10 minutes, then slice and serve!
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