Warmly spiced and ready in minutes, this pumpkin spice French toast is an easy fall breakfast. Made with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves, it’s quick to make and delicious served with maple syrup and fresh berries.
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This easy French toast recipe is a great way to bring those classic pumpkin spice flavors to breakfast without using pumpkin. The warming spices make it perfect for fall mornings, and it’s quick enough for breakfast during the week or a lazy weekend brunch.
If you love French toast, be sure to try my bacon stuffed French toast and Nutella stuffed French toast, or browse more Breakfast and Brunch Recipes.
Why you will love this recipe!
- Quick and easy: Ready in minutes, this is an easy breakfast or brunch for a chilly fall morning.
- Simple ingredients: You can pretty much make this recipe on a whim. With basic everyday ingredients, you can put this together whenever the craving hits.
- Delicious: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves give the French toast all those cozy pumpkin spice flavors without needing pumpkin puree.
Ingredients
- Eggs: An integral ingredient in French toast. They add richness and help create the custard.
- Milk: You can use a dairy or plant based milk. I like to use 2% but whole milk will work well too.
- Spices: Use ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves for that tasty pumpkin spice flavor without the pumpkin.
- Sugar: Brown sugar adds a deeper caramel-like sweetness; white sugar can be substituted.
- Bread: I made this with sliced sourdough. Make sure you allow it long enough to soak in the custard mix. Slightly stale bread is best to use as it soaks up the custard without becoming too soggy. Use thick slices that hold their shape while cooking.
How to make pumpkin spice French toast
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar and spices to make the custard (photo 1).
- Soak the bread slices well on both sides so that they absorb the custard (photo 2).
- Cook in a skillet til browned on both sides and cooked through (photo 3).
Frequently Asked Questions
Brioche is a great choice for French toast because it's rich, slightly sweet and absorbs the custard well. Sourdough also works well, as does any thick-cut bread. Slightly stale bread is ideal as it absorbs the custard without becoming too soggy.
It depends on the type and thickness of the bread. Dense sourdough may need 3 to 5 minutes per side, while softer breads like brioche may only need around 30 seconds per side. The bread should absorb the custard but still hold its shape.
Yes! Replace the individual spices with 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
Make ahead, storage and reheating
Leftover French toast can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To freeze, let the slices cool completely, then place parchment or wax paper between each slice and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Frozen French toast can be reheated straight from frozen or thawed in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a lightly oiled skillet for a minute or two on each side, or in the oven at 400°F until warmed through.
You can reheat the pumpkin spice French toast either in a hot oiled skillet for a minute on each side, or in the oven at 400F for about 4 minutes on each side.
Serving Suggestions
I served this sweet French toast with some powdered sugar, fresh blueberries, raspberries and a drizzle (or two!) of maple syrup. Other fruits like sliced banana or strawberries would work great, or go all out with a dollop of whipped cream.
Tried this pumpkin spice French toast? Leave a star rating and let me know what you thought!
Pumpkin Spice French Toast
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 slices sourdough bread (or bread of choice)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Toppings: powdered sugar, fresh berries and maple syrup
Instructions
- Add the eggs, milk, spices and brown sugar to a large shallow bowl and whisk together so that everything is well combined.
- Place the bread slices and let soak on each side in the mix for 3 to 5 minutes if using sourdough, less time if using brioche.
- While the bread is soaking, heat the oil and butter in a skillet on a medium heat.
- Once hot and the bread is soaked, let excess custard drip from the bread and place two slices into the skillet (one slice if your skillet is small).
- Cook on both sides for around 3 to 4 minutes, flip over during cooking to make sure it's browning and not burning.
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- This recipe used a dense bread like sourdough or challah. If you use a softer bread like brioche, you won't need to soak it for as long.
- Don't have the skillet on too high a heat or you will burn the bread. It should be at a medium temperature so that the middles cook through.
- Don't press down and flatten the bread with a spatula while it is cooking.
- Don't over crowd the skillet when you cook the toast, give it some room and cook a slice or two at a time.
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