Pumpkin Cream Cheese Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole
Begin this recipe the night before you plan to serve it.
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (or 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree)
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice blend
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, divided
- 1 pound loaf day-old brioche bread (or challah), cut into 1" cubes
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes
To Serve (Optional)
- pure maple syrup
- powdered sugar
- sweetened whipped cream
Instructions
Prepare the Pumpkin Custard
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, Pumpkin Spice Blend, lemon zest, and salt.
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Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk until smooth.
Finally, add the half-and-half and 1 tablespoon of the melted butter to the bowl and whisk everything together until smooth.
Assemble and Soak the Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
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Grease the slow cooker's ceramic insert with the rest of the melted butter- alternatively, if you plan to bake this casserole- grease a 9"x13"x3" casserole dish.
Add half of the cubed brioche and half of the cream cheese chunks to the dish. Cover with the remaining bread and the rest of the cream cheese.
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Pour the pumpkin custard over the bread and cream cheese. Use a large spoon to stir the casserole before covering the dish and refrigerating the casserole for 8 hours (or a minimum of 4 hours).
Cook the Casserole
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After soaking, bring the ceramic dish to a warmer temperature by allowing it to sit on the counter for a half-hour. This important step reduces the chance of that ceramic insert shattering due to a drastic change in temperature.
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Cook the casserole for 2 hours on high or until the casserole's internal temperature reads 165°F.
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Spoon the casserole onto individual plates or bowls, and sprinkle with a generous amount of powdered sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup, or a combination of the two.
Enjoy soon after serving.
Store leftovers in a container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
Optional stir-ins:
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 12 oz white or dark chocolate chips
add the stir-ins when layering the bread and cream cheese
When baking this Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast casserole in the oven:
- place your baking dish into the oven before preheating. Allowing the dish to heat slowly- while the oven is coming up to baking temperature- will prevent the shattering of ceramic (or glass) baking dishes
- bake the casserole at 350°F for 45 minutes- covered in aluminum foil. Uncover and bake and additional 15 minutes
- the internal temperature of your baked casserole should be 165°F
To serve refrigerated leftovers: reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
For the frozen leftovers: thaw completely under refrigeration before reheating thoroughly in the microwave.