An amazing breakfast for Fall! Soft and golden french toast with pumpkin, spices, and cream cheese! On top of the cream cheese is a light dusting of brown sugar and cinnamon-- add your favorite nuts if you'd like. This french toast casserole is very simple to bake and you can also prepare this at night to make the following morning. I recommend leaving the prepared french toast casserole in the refrigerator overnight- the longer the bread soaks, the tastier the casserole. Be sure to review the notes in Ingredients for Keto, Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Low Cal ingredient alternatives.

For French Toast:

• 1 loaf sourdough or Challah bread, shredded into bite sized-pieces (Gluten-Free, Low cal, and Keto diets can use preferred bread alternative)

• 6 large eggs (Vegans can replace using "Flegg" egg alternative)

• 2 cups whole milk (Gluten-Free and Vegan diets can replace with Almond milk)

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 TBSN maple syrup (Low Cal diets can replace with sugar free syrup)

• 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (You can buy in grocery store, or follow our recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spice)

For Cream Cheese Topping:

• 12 oz. whipped plain cream cheese, softened (Vegans and Gluten Free diets can replace with dairy-free cream cheese alternative)

• 1 large egg (Vegans can replace using "flegg" egg alternative)

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 TBSN maple syrup (Low Cal diets can replace with sugar free syrup)

For Cinnamon Sugar & Nut Dusting:

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1/4 cup brown sugar (Low Cal diets can use brown sugar alternative)

• (optional) 2 TBSN chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds

9 x 13 baking pan, cooking spray, large mixing bowl, whisk, ladle, medium mixing bowl, small mixing bowl, preferred pancake syrup

Prep: 10 minutes (you may prepare this the night before)

Cook: 45 minutes in oven Ready: 55 minutes Serves: 8-10

Before you handle any food, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Clean your kitchen work area and pull back your hair or wear a cap. You want to avoid contaminating your meal with harmful bacteria that could cause food illness.

To make Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast:

1. Thoroughly coat a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Evenly spread the bread pieces in the pan.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.

4. Pour over bread and mix with spoon until bread pieces are saturated with egg mixture.

TIP: Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and let mixture sit in the refrigerator overnight.

5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

6. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

7. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, one egg, vanilla, and maple syrup and whisk until creamy.

8. In a small bowl combine the brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon.

9. Remove pan from oven. Drizzle the cream cheese mixture over the french toast mixture.

10. Sprinkle brown sugar and nuts mixture on top of the cream cheese.

11. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

12. Serve immediately with preferred pancake syrup.

1 serving: 200 calories, 3 g fat (0 saturated fat), 6 g cholesterol, 12 g sodium, 0 carbohydrate (40 g sugars, 46 mg fiber), 10 g protein.

Pumpkin lovers will be glad to know that real pumpkin is very good for the heart. The fiber,potassium, and vitamin C content in pumpkin all support heart health. Studies suggest that consuming enough potassium may be almost as important as decreasing sodium intake for the treatment of hypertension, or high blood pressure.

Vegans and vegetarians rejoice! This is Vegan-friendly recipe when using Vegan-friendly milk, egg replacer, and bread. For a list of Vegan alternatives and substitutes for these ingredients, check out our post on DIY Vegan Ingredient Alternatives.

Kick the GLUTS! It's all good, because this recipe is gluten-free when using Gluten-free sweetener, bread, and whole milk (not malt-based.) For a list of Gluten-free alternatives and substitutes for these ingredients, check out our post on DIY Gluten-Free Ingredient Alternatives.

Low Cal/Carb- Use your preferred sugar-free or low carb alternatives instead of brown sugar and maple syrup.