French toast casserole Archives - Makin' it Mo'Betta

This Pecan Pie Bread Pudding could also be titled Best.Thing.Ever. I know that’s a strong statement to make, but geez…it was pretty darn tasty. If I do say so myself. And I do. Because I have a blog and that’s sort of my job…to let y’all know when something should be put on your “to make” list ASAP. This would make an excellent breakfast/brunch dish for the holidays too. Just sayin’. Since it’s already NOVEMBER! (Don’t ask me how that happened already!)

I’m calling this breakfast, but slap some vanilla ice cream on that bad boy and it could become dessert. I think I ate it for every meal until I gave the last two pieces to my parents so they could experience it’s awesomeness. And the fact that I couldn’t button my jeans. Calorie friendly it is not.

It’s like pecan pie and French toast casserole got together and had a baby. A sweet, delicious, nutty baby.

This is what dreams are made of right here.

Pecan Pie Bread Pudding

Ingredients

8 cups bread, torn into bite-size pieces (I used Challah, could also use Italian, French, King’s Hawaiian, etc.)
2 tablespoons melted butter
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white (granulated) sugar
1 teaspoon maple or vanilla extract (I used ½ teaspoon of each)
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
Pour your bread pieces into the baking dish. It will be very full, gently press it down into pan.
Drizzle melted butter over bread.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, corn syrup, sugars, extract(s), salt (if using) and cinnamon.
Stir pecans into sugar mixture, then pour over bread. Gently press the bread down into the pan so everything is coated.
Bake for 40-45 minutes.

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Once done, you can use the parchment paper to lift the casserole out for easy cutting. Enjoy!

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I have two words to convince you to make this…streusel topping. Is not everything better with a streusel topping? Well, almost everything.

This is probably the best French toast casserole I have made so far…and I’ve made several. It is very similar in taste to my Easy Baked French Toast with Streusel Topping but this has the added benefit of pumpkin…which is a vegetable, making this healthy *wink wink*. I really liked the texture as it wasn’t ‘soggy’ like bread pudding and as I said, the streusel topping just takes it over the top. It makes a nice, sweet, cinnamon-y crunchy topping.

Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

6 1/2 cups stale French bread, cut into approx. 1″ cubes
5 eggs
1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
1 cup milk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (or fresh, but not canned pumpkin pie filling)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup butter, cold
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease or spray an 8×8 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, honey, milk, pumpkin, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.
Add bread cubes and gently stir to combine.
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, flour, and pumpkin pie spice. Cut in butter until crumbly.
Add bread mixture into prepared pan, gently pressing down with a spatula.
Sprinkle streusel over the top.
Bake for approx. 45 minutes or until topping is nice and brown and the center is puffed, indicating the middle is center is cooked. The casserole will deflate a little as it cools.
Let casserole sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Can be served plain or with your favorite syrup (or this quick and easy version if you suddenly realize you’re all out!)

Recipe adapted from

The original recipe (link above) said to use softened butter for the streusel. I do not recommend that because the streusel becomes a gooey, sticky blob of cinnamon butter. Ask me how I know this. I had to carefully try to spread it over the bread cubes. The end result was delicious, but I think you will get a better crumbly, traditional streusel by cutting in cold butter.

Also, if you need an egg-free version, both of these are pretty good! Egg-Free French Toast Casserole and Egg Free Baked Pumpkin French Toast.

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Thank you ladies!

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