With different holidays approaching, I wanted to share a delicious brunch recipe that is perfect for festive mornings: Weight Watchers Pumpkin French Toast Casserole. I’m sure you’ve heard of classic French toast casserole, but this recipe is a step above that; it’s a pumpkin-y version! Not only that, but it is Weight Watchers friendly. You can make this dish with either regular brown sugar or a sugar replacement, and it is low in points either way. Using a sugar replacement will make the dish 4 WW points per serving, and if you use real brown sugar, it’ll be 6 points per serving.
This casserole is layered with bread slices and a French toast custard mixture that has pumpkin puree. It also has hints of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and real maple syrup. To top it off, there’s a yummy cinnamon sugar topping that gives it the perfect amount of sweetness. I really enjoy this dish because its flavor and texture is to die for. It really tastes like baked French toast; the bread slices become so fluffy and custardy, almost like bread pudding. You can also serve it in so many ways by enjoying it with various toppings.
If you’re like me, you might want to pair a sweet breakfast item like this with a savory one. I have tons of ideas in my breakfast recipe collection that would pair wonderfully with this dish. For instance, these WW Scotch Eggs or Crispy Air Fryer Turkey Bacon are excellent options!
Why You Should Try This Recipe
- It’s perfect for holiday mornings! This casserole is perfect for brunch or late breakfast on holiday mornings. It has warm, comforting flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, maple, and brown sugar.
- Easy to prep. This layered casserole is easy to assemble and you can even prep the custard mixture the night before to get ahead on prep!
- It has a great presentation. Impress your loved ones with this French toast bake. Its layered presentation creates a distinctive and enticing appearance.
Recipe Overview
- Serving Size: 1 slice (177g)
- Number of Servings: 8
- Time to Cook: 40 minutes
- WW Points Per Recipe: 4 WW points per serving, 31 points for the entire recipe (Click here to view the recipe in the WW app. WW login is required)
Ingredients in WW Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- 8 Eggs
- ¼ cup Pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Pumpkin pie spice
- 1 can (15-oz) 100% Pumpkin puree
- 16 slices Whole wheat bread
- ⅔ cup Plain, unsweetened almond milk
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 5 tbsp Brown sugar substitute or brown sugar
- ¼ tsp Ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Light butter substitute
Instructions for making WW Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make the custard mixture by mixing the spices into the pumpkin and then mixing it with the eggs, milk, vanilla, and maple syrup. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Make the brown sugar topping by mixing the topping ingredients together until it is crumbly.
- In a greased baking dish (9×13 or slightly larger; mine was larger), put a single layer of 8 bread slices. Pour about 1/3rd of the custard over the bread and use a spatula to spread the mixture and soak the bread.
4. In the opposite direction, layer the remaining 8 bread slices on top, slightly overlapping each other if needed. Pour the remaining custard on top and around the edges, filling in the gaps.
5. Sprinkle the topping over top.
6. Bake the casserole for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and the egg custard is set and firm. If your topping has melted, take a knife and spread it evenly on the top pieces of toast. If the topping holds shape, you can leave it as is (this will depend on which type of sweetener you use). Allow to rest a few minutes to set up.
Variations and Substitutions
- Splurge Version: Serve this delicious casserole with whipped cream, vanilla glaze, or more maple syrup on top! You can also dust it with a coating of powdered sugar.
- Pumpkin French Toast Casserole with Croissants: Feel free to try this casserole with large croissants. Only use enough croissants to fill the pan about halfway and keep in mind the texture will be slightly different. It will likely be more pudding-like since the croissants will get softer than the wheat bread.
- Pumpkin French Toast Casserole with Cream Cheese: Make a cream cheese frosting to spread on top of the casserole after it bakes. To keep it low-point, you can use low-fat cream cheese. You can also put some cream cheese into the custard, but you will need to add more milk to thin it out.
- Milk Type: You can use oat milk, 2% milk, skim milk, or any other preferred milk. I only used almond milk since it is so low in points, and its flavor pairs well with the other ingredients.
- French Toast Casserole For a Crowd: Since this casserole is layered a certain way, I suggest simply making two pans if you want to serve more people. If you layered the custard and bread higher in the pan, it might not cook in the center, and you would have to adjust the cooking time significantly. It is supposed to be a shallow casserole.
- Lower the Points: You can either cut this into smaller servings or use less maple syrup to reduce the points. Another option is to omit the maple syrup and use a zero-calorie sweetener in its place.
Tips and Tricks for Making WW Pumpkin French Toast Bake
- The topping might turn out differently depending on if you use real sugar or sweetener. I used a sugar replacement and the topping became more like a cinnamon sugar paste that I could spread when taking the dish out of the oven. If your topping doesn’t melt, it will be more like a streusel, which is just as delicious! Either outcome is fine and it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong.
- How to store leftovers: Tightly wrap leftovers and keep them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Since the pumpkin custard is a bit thick, make sure to use a spatula or spoon to really spread it out so the bread can soak it up.
Related Recipes
Cinnamon French Toast Bubble Up
WW Holiday French Toast Casserole
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 Eggs
- ¼ cup Pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Pumpkin pie spice
- 1 can, 15-oz 100% Pumpkin puree
- 16 slices Whole wheat bread
- ⅔ cup Plain, unsweetened almond milk
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 5 tbsp Brown sugar substitute or brown sugar
- ¼ tsp Ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Light butter substitute
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make the custard mixture by mixing the spices into the pumpkin and then mixing it with the eggs, milk, vanilla, and maple syrup. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Make the brown sugar topping by mixing the topping ingredients together until it is crumbly.
- In a greased baking dish (9×13 or slightly larger; mine was larger), put a single layer of 8 bread slices. Pour about 1/3rd of the custard over the bread and use a spatula to spread the mixture and soak the bread.
- In the opposite direction, layer the remaining 8 bread slices on top, slightly overlapping each other if needed. Pour the remaining custard on top and around the edges, filling in the gaps. Sprinkle the topping over top.
- Bake the casserole for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and the egg custard is set and firm. If your topping has melted, take a knife and spread it evenly on the top pieces of toast. If the topping holds shape, you can leave it as is (this will depend on which type of sweetener you use). Allow to rest a few minutes to set up.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.