Pumpkin French Toast with Whipped Maple Cinnamon Butter

Imagine sinking your teeth into a piece (or two) of pumpkin French toast. Now imagine sinking your teeth into it topped with a soft and creamy whipped butter that’s been flavored with maple syrup and cinnamon.

What type of bread is good for pumpkin French toast?

The top three choices of bread to use for French Toast are Brioche, French bread, and Challah. However, most people use plain old white bread because it’s the most common bread in the kitchen.

My personal preference is Brioche from the bakery, UNCUT. I like to cut the bread myself at home, typically at a ¾″ – 1″ thickness. To give you an idea of how big this is, picture a slice of frozen garlic bread. That’s about the thickness I shoot for.

How to Make the Best Pumpkin French Toast

I say best for many reasons, with the primary one being because they’re super easy to make. You probably already have most of the ingredients on hand and the others ones can be picked up at any local grocery store. Plus, you can get several batches (or servings) from each ingredient. And of course, the flavors are both amazing and scream all things fall

Ingredients

• DAIRY -From the dairy family, you’ll only need large eggs and half and half. If you don’t like to use half and half, it can be substituted with a variety of things, such as heavy whipping cream, milk, coconut milk, or almond milk. Overall, half and half or cream simply makes it richer.
• SPICES – As for spices, you’ll want to grab the vanilla, cinnamon (of course), cloves and nutmeg. These come together to give a flavor that says bring on the sweaters, boots, and changing colors of the leaves.
• OTHER – In addition to all of that yummy goodness, the only ingredients left to add are pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and the bread of your choice. Let me remind you the thicker the better, but that’s just my personal preferance.

Directions

1. As with any traditional French toast recipe, you’re going to start by combining everything except the bread. It’s best to use a shallow dish so you can easily dip each side of the bread.
2. Once you have everything mixed, heat your griddle to the medium-high heat setting and spray it with oil or butter.
3. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, place it on the griddle, and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. Serve a couple slices topped with your favorite toppings. I highly recommend a dallop of whipped cinnamon maple butter, but you can opt in for good old fashioned maple syrup, whipped cream and nuts.

Mistakes to Avoid When Making Pumpkin French Toast

Have you ever cooked French toast and it turned out too brown (or burnt) on one side or both? Or how about an inconsistency in the taste?

These tips will help you get flawless pieces of French toast every single time.

1. Choose the right bread.

I know I mentioned earlier that you can choose whatever kind of bread you want, but truth be told… the kind of bread you use really does matter. The original recipe of French toast (wherever that came from) started with a type of brioche (or challah). With any other type of bread you risk having holes throughout or it not being spongy enough to soak up the egg mixture.

2. Stick with the half and half (or milk).

Use anything less than these two creamy bases and you risk creating a watered down consistency versus the thick dessert-like mixture.

3. Whisk the ingredients together thoroughly.

Believe it or not, and as artistic as it may look, having bits of cooked egg white hanging on to the toast isn’t ideal. Make sure you whisk everything together so it is properly mixed, coats well on each piece of bread, and cooks evenly.

Speaking of cooking evenly…

4. Make sure the heat isn’t too high when cooking.

Medium-high heat is the absolute highest temperature you want to cook French toast on. If you want to play it safe, go for medium-low heat so you can give the inside time to cook before burning the outside. The look you want to go for is that golden brown crust that’s nicely carmelized.

Before you head to IHOP or any other crowded breakfast place, consider making these delicious fall flavored beauties yourself. Trust me, it’s worth it!

Did you make this recipe?

Snag the full recipe below and give it a try! Once you do, come back and tell me how it turned out. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out my other fall-inspired recipes!

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