warm spices mixed with pumpkin, whole milk, and vanilla make up the custard for the perfect Fall + Winter French toast
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If you could only hear the excitement in my house when I tell the kids that I’m making them French Toast for breakfast, my Gd! You all know that challah on Friday nights is a really big deal in our house. But challah French toast on Sundays is our ritual, and the kids lose their minds
The secret to good French Toast
This might not come as a surprise, but the absolute non negotiable secret to really great French toast is the bread. Duh. This is the star of the show, and the one element that takes your dish from good to great. I always choose to use my homemade Lion’s Bread Original challah because of the soft crumb and richness. Beyond that, I want my French toast to feel luxurious. I use farm fresh eggs, whole milk, grass fed butter from happy Irish cows from my friends at Kerrygold and pure vanilla extract. This Pumpkin Spice Challah French Toast calls for canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling!) in the custard, along with plenty of the pumpkin pie spice blend we all love.
If you don’t have that particular blend of spices, feel free to use ground cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves, and allspice. Or use whatever you have! Honestly, use cinnamon if that’s all you have. Don’t let any of the particulars deter you from making this French Toast because it’s major.
How to cook French Toast
To cook great French toast, use a medium-large nonstick frying pan. The temperature of the pan is very important here. The pan should be preheated to a solid medium heat. Not too hot, and definitely not too cold. I use Kerrygold Naturally Softer Pure Irish butter to coat the pan, which adds an incredible amount of flavor to the French Toast as it’s cooking, and my slices never stick to the pan. Most importantly, you should hear a real sizzle when you place the soaked bread in the pan. But you don’t want it too hot where it burns the outside before cooking the custard-y inside, does that make sense? Your best bet is to do a test piece, say using an end slice, so you make sure that your pan is properly heated.
How long should you soak the bread?
This is a hot topic. I feel like there are two types of people: those who like it really soaked and borderline soggy on the inside, and everyone else. Believe it or not, I’m somewhere in the middle. I want French toast to feel different that just bread with maple syrup, but I hate soggy FT. I soak the bread for 1-2 minutes per side, and I find that to be the perfect balance. You’ll want to pace yourself and get the timing right here. The french toast take about 6 minutes to cook, 3 minutes per side. So when I flip the bread, I get the next round of slices into the custard to soak for 3-ish minutes total. There is a rhythm to it, but you can do it.
In terms of serving, you have a couple of choices. You can either dish up the slices freshly out of the pan to your patient customers (ravenous children), or place the slices on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack in a 250 degree oven to keep warm, as you cook up the rest. Then, I love to go with the classic toppings of salted butter and maple syrup, but get creative here! Whip up some cream, drizzle some honey, make a berry compote! You really can’t wrong here. If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat the slices in the toaster for a quick breakfast or snack.
I’m so excited for you all to try this delicious Pumpkin Spice Challah French Toast recipe, and as always, remember to tag me @lions.bread so I can see what you’re making from the blog! I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchens, and shared at your tables!
Want to save this recipe for later? Simply hover on the any of the images, and tap the ‘Pin It’ button to save to your favorite Pinterest board.
xo -L
Love this recipe? Check out Pumpkin Brown Butter Gingersnap Tart, The best Pumpkin Bread Ever, Cinnamon Raisin Spiral Challah
Pumpkin Spice Challah French Toast
warm spices mixed with pumpkin, cream, and vanilla make up the custard for the perfect Fall + Winter French toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf challah brioche, or other thickly sliced white bread - about 15 slices
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice blend
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup Kerrygold Naturally Softer Pure Irish Butter for cooking
Instructions
- Slice the loaf of challah into 1/2-inch thick slices.
- In a shallow bowl or baking dish, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs, milk, pumpkin spice, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Begin dipping the sliced bread into the pumpkin custard mixture. Let soak for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side, depending on your preference. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet.
- Cook the French toast for about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Keep the finished pieces of French toast warm in the oven, while cooking up the remainder, by placing them on a baking sheet in the warm oven.
- Serve with pure maple syrup or powdered sugar, more Kerrygold Naturally Softer Pure Irish butter, and a sprinkle of Pumpkin spice.
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