Baked Pumpkin Pie French Toast
I’m not big on the “pumpkin everything” sentiment during the autumn season, but here’s a recipe I can get behind. Check out your new favorite autumnal brunch recipe, Baked Pumpkin Pie French Toast.
INGREDIENTS:
French Toast
1 loaf French bread, cut into 1- 1 ½” slices
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin purée (unsweetened)
1 ¼ C plant milk or heavy cream (I prefer heavy cream, like Silk or Califia Farms)
¼ C Just Egg (or other liquid egg substitute) or aquafaba (chickpea brine)
½ C brown sugar
½ C vegan butter, cubed, unsalted preferred
2 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. allspice
⅛ tsp. nutmeg
⅛ tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch salt (can skip if using salted butter)
Whip Cream
1 can coconut cream (full fat) or 1 C vegan heavy cream
1T vanilla extract
¼ tsp. almond extract (optional)
2-4 tsp. powdered sugar (or to your sweetness preference)
IN THE MIX
Mixing it up before the big dip.
Equipment:
13” x 9” baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet
Large glass or stainless steel bowl (whip cream)
Large shallow bowl or pan (for soaking)
Hand or stand mixer (whip cream)
Prep
Place can of coconut cream (if using) in refrigerator at least 24 hours ahead to chill
Cut bread into ¾” - 1” slices
Put bowl (for whip cream) in freezer for at least 15 minutes before making whip cream.
Place baking dish in oven 15 minutes before bake time
Use a larger bowl or dish than I did to soak your bread for better results = )
DIRECTIONS:
These days, there are quite a few vegan and plant-based whip cream options out there which you can certainly use for this recipe. However, I always prefer to make my own.
Whip Cream
Put your large (empty) bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes before making. This helps to get your heavy or coconut cream to form nice peaks, without overmixing and either heating up or breaking your mixture. I also like to through in the mixer attachments too, but you don’t have to.
If using the coconut, separate coconut cream solid from milky water (save the milk for something else like a smoothie or curry).
Place either the solid cream or heavy cream (if using instead),in a chilled bowl and whip with hand or stand mixer (with a whisk attachment) on medium- medium/high speed until the mixture begins to form soft peaks and thickens.
Add in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar and continue to mix until slightly stiffer peaks develop. Try not to mix too long that you warm up the mixture or worse, overman and break it. If the mixture gets to warm, pop it back in the freezer until the cream has chilled and blend again.
Place finished whip cream in a bowl or jar until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 375°
French Toast
Mix pumpkin, milk, JustEgg/aquafaba, vanilla, and spices in a large, shallow bowl.
Dip slices of bread into the batter and turn each piece a few times to make sure it is evenly coated.
Let the soaked pieces sit on the counter for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If your bread is really old (or you’d like to prep ahead for breakfast), let the bread soak, covered in the refrigerator overnight.
When ready to bake, place the baking dish in the preheated oven to warm 15-20 minutes before you assemble French toast.
Remove the pan from the oven and add cubed butter. Swirl around until all the butter has melted.
Next, add in the brown sugar on top of the butter and spread around, stirring to combine.
Place soaked bread slices on top of the sugar mixture, then place the pan/ baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven.
Bake at 375° for 15 minutes, then carefully flip bread pieces and raise oven temp to 425° and bake another 15-25 minutes (until golden brown).
When finished baking, remove from the oven and let the French toast cool slightly in the dish for about 10 minutes. A little cooling allows for the butter/sugar mixture to form a nice crust on the French toast.
Serve french toast with warm maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream, sprinkled with cinnamon or powdered sugar.
Enjoy!
