Fall is in full swing, and that means cooler temperatures, hot drinks and pumpkin everything! If you’re a fan of adding pumpkin to all of your fall recipes like I am, you’re in luck. Today we’re taking a simple French toast recipe and elevating it to a cozy and decadent breakfast, worthy of a fall feast. Or at least a cozy morning next to the campfire.
French toast is one of those fantastic recipes that does double duty. Not only is it extremely easy to make, but it’s also a comfort food that seems to always be a crowd-pleaser. Adding pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices gives your regular French toast recipe a cozy fall twist. It also smells amazing while cooking, so it’s the perfect recipe to get everyone excited about breakfast. Or dinner, since this is a fantastic simple recipe when you want to have an easy breakfast for dinner meal after a day of driving or exploring.
Photo: Kacey Cribari
Falling for French Toast
The flexibility of cooking French toast is just one of the reasons why it’s perfect for RV and camping trips. You can just as easily cook this recipe on your RV or camp stove as you can on a Blackstone or any griddle. You can even cook them in a cast-iron pan over the campfire. This recipe is also very easy to throw together. It only takes 5 minutes to prep, and just a few minutes longer to cook. This makes it a great choice when you want a tasty breakfast but don’t feel like spending all morning cooking when you could be outside adventuring instead.
For this French toast recipe, you can use any type of bread, but I’ve found the best styles are thicker cuts such as brioche, Texas toast, or sliced French bread. Heftier bread slices tend to hold up better than delicate and thinly sliced sandwich bread. However, I’ve used those in a pinch and they still taste great. Just be careful when dipping thinner and delicate bread slices in the egg mixture and flipping the toast in the pan so it won’t rip or fall apart. This recipe also works well for bread that is a day or two old as it will soak up the egg batter and hold together better.
Photo: Kacey Cribari
Another benefit is that this recipe is easily customizable. If you don’t use dairy products, you can use any non-dairy milk instead. I’ve found that the flavors in almond milk work very well with the pumpkin and spice blend. And if you really love the taste of pumpkin spice, you can always add more pumpkin pie seasoning to the recipe. You’ll also want to make sure you are using canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which has more sugar and other flavors and spices already added to it.
I love serving this French toast with butter, maple syrup, and a shake of cinnamon, but you can also add powdered sugar, walnuts, or any of your favorite French toast toppings.
While they’re best served fresh off the griddle or skillet, these cooked French toast slices store very well and can be kept in the fridge for a few days. They can also be frozen and stored in an airtight freezer bag for up to six months. To enjoy them again, just remove the toast slices from the fridge or freezer and heat them in the microwave or a toaster. We love making a large batch and having some on hand in the freezer for later. Although these tend to be eaten pretty quickly, so you might not have any leftovers to worry about!
Pumpkin French Toast
Makes approximately 10-12 slices of French toast
Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup milk (or non-dairy milk such as almond milk)
- ½ cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 10-12 slices of thickly cut bread such as brioche-style, Texas toast, or French bread
- Butter for pan or griddle
Photo: Piviso/Pixabay
Optional Toppings:
- Maple syrup
- Cinnamon
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat the griddle, pan, or skillet to a medium temperature. If you’re making these over the campfire, build a small cooking fire and let it burn down to the coals before cooking.
Photo: Kacey Cribari
2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, pumpkin, sugar, spices, and vanilla extract. Whisk the mixture until smooth.
Photo: Kacey Cribari
3. Butter the griddle, pan, or skillet.
Photo: Kacey Cribari
4. Dip a slice of bread into the egg mixture, making sure both sides of the bread are well coated. I like to give each side 10-20 seconds, so the bread can really soak up the pumpkin egg batter. Then carefully transfer the slices to the hot pan or griddle. Cook each slice for about 3-4 minutes on each side until both sides of the bread are golden brown.
Photo: Kacey Cribari
5. Repeat with more slices of bread until you use up the mixture. You can easily get 10-12 slices of French toast out of the recipe, depending on how large and thick the bread slices are. Add more butter to the pan or griddle as needed as you work your way through cooking the French toast. If you’re making a large batch, you may need to scoop out any bits of toast or batter that have blackened or burned throughout the cooking process.
Photo: Kacey Cribari
6. Serve immediately with butter, syrup, a shake of cinnamon, or however you like your French toast.
Photo: Kacey Cribari
It can also keep in the refrigerator for a few days and be reheated for an easy breakfast with minimal prep. If you end up with extras, you can also freeze the cooked slices for up to 6 months.
