Overnight Sourdough Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
This overnight sourdough pumpkin french toast casserole soaks cubed sourdough bread in a rich pumpkin custard overnight and bakes with a buttery pecan streusel topping until golden and set all the way through.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 431kcal
Equipment
- 1 9x13 casserole dish
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 medium mixing bowl for streusel
- 1 small whisk
- 1 Pastry cutter
- 1 serrated knife for cubing bread
- plastic wrap for overnight cover
- aluminum foil for baking
Ingredients
Casserole
- 1 loaf sourdough bread approximately 680 grams (day-old, cubed into one-inch pieces)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree 245 grams
- ¾ cup brown sugar 150 grams (packed)
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 7 grams 8 large eggs room temperature
- 1½ cups whole milk 360 grams
- 1 cup heavy cream 240 grams
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 13 grams
Pecan Streusel Topping
- ½ cup brown sugar 100 grams (packed)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour 60 grams
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3 grams
- 8 tablespoons cold butter 113 grams (cubed)
- 1 cup pecans 100 grams (roughly chopped)
Instructions
- Prepare the bread – Cut the sourdough loaf into one-inch cubes and spread them in a single layer in a greased nine by thirteen casserole dish. If using fresh bread, leave the cubes out uncovered on a baking sheet for several hours to dry before assembling.
- Make the pumpkin custard – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract until fully smooth and evenly combined.
- Pour the custard over the bread – Pour the pumpkin custard evenly over the sourdough bread cubes. Press the bread down gently with the back of a spoon to ensure every cube is in contact with the custard. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours or overnight.
- Make the streusel topping – In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the roughly chopped pecans. Store the streusel in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight if preparing ahead.
- Preheat the oven – Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
- Add the streusel and bake – Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the soaked bread cubes. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the streusel is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Rest and serve – Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve warm directly from the casserole dish.
Notes
Use day-old sourdough bread – Fresh sourdough has too much moisture and turns mushy during the overnight soak. Day-old bread absorbs the custard evenly and holds its structure through the full bake. If the bread is fresh, cube it and leave it out uncovered for several hours before assembling.
Add the streusel in the morning, not the night before – Streusel added overnight absorbs moisture from the custard and loses its crumbly texture before it reaches the oven. Make it the night before and store it separately in the refrigerator. Add it immediately before baking.
Pull from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking – A cold casserole going directly into a hot oven bakes unevenly. Thirty minutes at room temperature before baking allows the center to cook through at the same rate as the edges.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 229mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 3761IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 3mg