Baked Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast
So easy with the best cream cheese filling! Prep the night before and bake right before serving!
I finally opened my first can of pumpkin this season! Now it definitely doesn’t feel like fall just yet as it is hitting close to 100 degrees F outside here in Southern California but still – this french toast should be made all year long.
It’s pretty much pumpkin pie in french toast form. Except it’s unbelievably easy to make.
You can even prep everything the night before, toss it in the fridge, and throw it in the oven before serving the next morning.
It’s actually better that you make it ahead of time so those little pieces of bread can soak up all that pumpkin goodness.
And those bread cubes up there – those are King’s Hawaiian rolls. AKA – the best rolls in the world. And the only rolls to use when it comes to baked french toast.
Oh and you can’t forget that oozing cream cheese filling right in the middle layer. Imagine it to be a mini cheesecake filling in the middle of your french toast.
Amazing, right? And there’s no need for syrup here. From the sweet, fluffy King Hawaiian rolls to the cream cheese filling and crumbly crumb topping, you’re set.
Just pop this baby out of the oven and serve. It’s even better when eaten right out of the baking dish too. Why waste time plating?
Baked Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast
Ingredients
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (12-count) package KING'S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls, cubed
For the crumb topping
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
For the cream cheese filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes; set aside.
- In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla.
- Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Place a layer of bread cubes evenly into the baking dish. Pour half of the pumpkin puree mixture evenly over the top. Spread cream cheese filling in an even layer. Top with remaining bread cubes and pumpkin puree mixture to completely cover the filling.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- To make the crumb topping, combine flour, sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add cold butter and toss to coat, using your fingers to work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the bread cubes.
- Place into oven and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Serve immediately, sprinkled with pecans and confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by King’s Hawaiian. All opinions expressed are my own.
I made it this morning and it was delish!
My family loved it. Another fantastic dish I will be making again and again. Thank you!
Super easy to assemble and full of flavor. I made one in a 13×9 foil pan for work and one in an oval casserole like the pic for Christmas Day (one for my nursing unit and one for my family). The 13×9 needs a few more rolls to fill but came out great. Everyone loves it. Thank you for the gift of your fabulous recipes!
Where in this recipe does it say to use stale bread? I only see it in the reviews.
Hello!!! This dish looks AMAZING! I made it for my family and used a standard 9×13 pan, but I found that the first layer or the cubed Hawaiian rolls seemed really thin and then when I added the pumpkin mixture, it seemed as though there wasn’t enough liquid. I wonder if using a slightly smaller pan might work better? I notice that in the pictures it looks like you used a smaller oval dish??
Hi Sarah! So, it really depends on how small or how large you cut up the Hawaiian rolls. You can certainly use a smaller oval dish if you prefer! 🙂
Hello Chungah- As for taste. Do you prefer this recipe or the crockpot version?
Thank you!
To be honest, I love both! It’s too hard to choose!
When it looks this good, do you even need syrup? lol
(I’m not asking for me, i’m asking for my kids haha)
Made this last weekend. Followed the recipe except I didn’t have confectioner’s sugar so I used regular. It was perfect. Not bland. I used my corningware oval casserole dish and it was perfect for 2 layers. My rolls were fresh, not stale, and I let it sit overnight in the fridge before baking (uncovered). It wasn’t soggy at all. I think I did bake it for about 50 minutes. No complaints here.
I made this for Christmas Eve brunch for family. Put it in a smaller casserole dish instead of a 9×13, but forgot to take into account it would take longer to bake that way. It took closer to an hour to cook all the way through. Also in that shape container, the cream cheese filling was a bit too abundant. We all loved it! I could understand those who felt it was bland, but come on, it’s French toast! The pecans and the topping were fantastic touches. Thoroughly enjoyed, would totally make again!
Should the bread be stale or fresh? Looking to make this for Christmas morning! Someone above asked this and the response was “yes” which doesn’t help!
Yes, the bread should be stale.
This recipe is DELICIOUS!! I could seriously eat the entire thing myself. Fantastic recipe! Also, for a bit of added sweetness glazed pecans are divine on top 🙂
This was the hit of our leftovers brunch this weekend. I made the recipe with a medium challah loaf and half a loaf of cinnamon-raison bread mixed together (I did have to make more of the pumpkin puree mixture to cover evenly as a result). Otherwise kept to the instructions and enjoyed thoroughly after baking. Lived up to your blog name.
Making this for tomorrow morning and just realized I basically tripled the amount of pumpkin I needed..it’s been a long day! Any chance this will still turn out or do I need a plan B? Thanks!
Unfortunately, it’s really hard for me to say. I hope it turned out okay! 🙂
I made this yesterday and I was a little disappointed. Perhaps I had my hopes up a little too high. It was rather blah in my opinion and the topping was not good at all. Even my husband agreed with me and he eats everything.
I was very excited to try this because PUMPKIN AND CREAM CHEESE! 🙂
This dish is really lacking something. I would venture to say it is too sweet where it is sweet and too bland where it’s not. The 9×13 recommended sized baking dish was a disaster. I notice in the photos it looks jam packed and that dish must be considerably smaller. In the recommended size the bread doesn’t even cover the bottom and when you go to spread an even layer of cream cheese… well it’s impossible to do because of how few and far between the bread cubes are. Pouring the pumpkin egg mixture wasn’t working with this size either. You couldn’t cover all the bread and since the cubes were so far apart most of the mixture went between the bread, creating a dense eggy layer on the bottom and a layer of dryer bread up top that had notrouble been able to soak up any mixture despite the 5 hour soak time I allowed.
I would definitely recommend a smaller dish if you decide to try this recipe out. It may make all the ddifference in taste too, who knows! The topping was tasty.
do you know if this recipe can be frozen and cooked at a later time? Looks delicious! <3
It’s December and two years later! Just stumbled upon your recipe during the Christmas season. Subbed the pumpkin and pumpkin spices with eggnog, nutmeg and rum extract—-still DELICIOUS!
Thank you
Other than adding the pecans into the streusel topping itself, I made this as written. It is divine! It only served 6 as part of a breakfast with us all looking forlornly at the empty dish. Next time I will double it.
Thank you for our new Christmas favorite!
Hi I am not a fan of pumpkin. Just wondering if I can use sweet potatoe. Thanks Marie
That sounds like an amazing substitution but without having tried this myself, I cannot really answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
This looks fantastic! I would like to take this to a brunch I’m going to. In your recipe it says bake and serve immediately. If I put it in an insulated carrier after baking and it isn’t served for 30 mins to an hour after will it get too mushy? Or will it be OK? Thanks!
Alyssa, this is really best when served immediately as sogginess can become a factor here.
Hi!!
I know for other french toasts, you are supposed to use stale or day old bread. ShouId I leave the Hawaiian sweet rolls out for a bit or use them straight from the packaging?
Thanks!!
Yes!
I wish there was another measurement of how much bread for this recipe for those of us who can’t get that brand of rolls 🙁 making this tonight was a disaster using rolls that I thought were maybe the same size?
C, you can simply eye the measurements – it’s a very forgiving recipe and you can’t really have too much or too little bread 🙂
This recipe looks and sounds delicious! I will be making it on Saturday morning. We have a girl’s night out on Friday and this will be a perfect breakfast the next day for those staying over.
wondering… If anyone had leftovers and did it taste good next day?
Hi, Chungah. I experimented with freezing this recipe and thought I’d give the results since you keep getting questions about it.
First of all, unfortunately, my results might be a touch different than others because I was not able to get the King’s Hawaiian rolls. I had to use French bread. I realize this might make the recipe completely different, but I figured I’d let you know what happened anyway! 🙂
The best results for frozen were when I cut the milk to 1/2 cup in the pumpkin mixture and made sure to COMPLETELY cover the bread. If there were pieces that weren’t covered, they had a weird texture.
Then, do not add crumb topping until right before baking. Freezing it on top makes it really gross.
Last, I baked directly from frozen for about an hour as opposed to the 45 minutes.
It still wasn’t as good as your recipe as stated above, but it was the closest out of the other options. Unfortunately, freezing it seems to make it just a teeny bit mushy on the bottom no matter what I try, but if you’re wanting to make a bunch of breakfasts ahead for busy mornings, it will do. 🙂 Hope that helps with all of the questions you keep getting about freezing.
I don’t get the MommaJax saga. She should get her own blog if she wants to publish her own recipes. Oh well, her loss…I followed your recipe exactly and it certainly didn’t have a hard layer at the bottom (yuck) and it most certainly did not need syrup. This turned out incredibly delicious – one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever made or eaten. I served it with fried ham, and eggs too – great for brunch!
I would think that peaches would also be a good substitute – even canned if you drained off the syrup. So, so good – thank you!
Just made this and we are all inhaling it! Thanks for sharing!
I made this for my family over the holidays and it was a hit !! My small town grocery store didn’t have King’s Hawaiian Rolls, so I substituted Challah rolls and it still turned out amazing. Will definitely be making this again!!
I don’t live in the states and want to try and make this recipe as it looks yummy. How big are these rolls that you say i need to use. would one long french bread be enough? thanks!
Yes, one loaf of French bread should be more than enough.
just wondered if there is a way to freeze this recipe
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Thank you so much for your recipes!! I baked this recipe today in the morning before taking my 2 girls to school, needless to say my husband and 2 daughters (who are EXTREMELY picky) devoured it.
Jey: You should take your time to fully read the article before raising fault accusations, this lovely young lady takes HER TIME to share her recipes with all of us, and receives nothing in return for the time and love she puts into writing her blog for all us to read.
Thank you Chungah!!
I find it interesting that you think it’s OK to plagiarize recipes as your own! A disclosure of sponsorship does not provide credit to the recipe owner. I wonder how many of your recipes are not actually yours??
http://www.kingshawaiian.com/recipes/baked-pumpkin-cream-cheese-french-toast/
Jey, that link you sent me is actually me! Please check the names. They are the same! 🙂
Good for you Chungah!
shame on Jey for accusing without checking the facts!
I’m making this for a Thanksgiving Morning Brunch – can’t wait!
I find it interesting, Jey, that you chose to accuse this extraordinary chef of plagiarizing this and other recipes, given you didn’t bother fact checking first. Next time you decide to publicly point a finger at someone, try actually scrolling down to the end of the recipe. Not surprising, I see no admission that you were wrong, nor an apology. But then, bullies never do either. Many thanks for your delicious and unique recipes, Chungah. Please, keep them coming!
Wish there was a way to print out these recipes on your site???
There is a gray PRINT button in every recipe box. Simply click on this button for a printer-friendly recipe to print.
I made this over the weekend, but with a few changes based on comments. It was delicious and we are still eating the leftovers for breakfast! I have a go-to recipe for baked french toast with cream cheese, so most of my substitutions/modifications were based on that recipe. I also had 5 dozen slider rolls left over from a party, and needed recipes to use them – that was the impetus! Anyway, I placed one package of rolls face down into the 9×13 pan, without cubing them. That way the top was flat for spreading cream cheese. I filled in the spaces with other rolls, I would guess another half of a package. I made the cream cheese filling as directed, but since the rolls were not sweet like the Kings rolls, I added 1/2 c instead of 1/4 c 10x sugar. I decided not to put half the egg mixture on these rolls like the recipe said, since these rolls were going to mush much easier than Kings rolls (they are quite dense). I spread the cream cheese mixture over the top, and then poked some holes in the layer by twisting a paring knife in 12 spots or so. (Note: raisins sprinkled on this layer would probably taste great.) I also made a change with the pumpkin mixture…pumpkin purée has a mild flavor, so I switched that out to Trader Joe’s pumpkin butter. Even though this is quite “spiced” already, I did not change the spices for this recipe. I also noted multiple comments about the moistness of others’ batches when they made it, so I added more egg (my go-to recipe has 2 eggs for every 1/4 c fluid) to help it “set” better ~ I added 3 more eggs to make it 6 altogether. I then cubed enough slider rolls to fill the dish, then spread the egg mixture over the top. I used my hands to push the bread down and to make sure some egg got into the bottom layer. The cubes turned to mush instantly, which made me worried. I then foiled it and chilled overnight. The next am I heated the oven to 400f (like my go-to recipe) while sprinkling the topping over the casserole, and then baked the foiled casserole for 30 minutes. I removed the foil for the last 20-30 min ~ it puffs up and bubbles. It was really delicious, except the bottom did not get as much egg as I would have liked and was thus hard (which the family enjoyed with syrup, actually). Next time I would definitely pour a small amount of the egg mixture over the bottom before spreading the cream cheese. But there was NO mushiness anywhere, it was excellent with syrup, and I was asked to make it again for Thanksgiving (if not sooner)! Thanks!
We don’t have those rolls or the pumpkin spice here in the UK. What can I use to substitute, please?
Lauren, you can substitute a loaf of French bread, ciabatta, or any other kind of bread that you prefer.
Interested in making this for all the ladies in my sister in laws wedding on Saturday for bridesmaids breakfast while we are getting ready. I would like to make it tonight. Do you think it would be fine to soak for 2 days? or do I have to make it the night before? I just don’t want soggy toast! Recipe looks delicious! 😀
I actually haven’t tried soaking for more than 8 hours. I would leave it overnight just to be on the safe side.
Thanks for the prompt response! Looking forward to making it! 🙂
Hi,
I would like to know How you eat this baked pumpkin ? I mean, with what ?
It seems so tasty.
Thanks from France.
This is not typically served with anything else – you just eat it as is! Although a hot cup of coffee wouldn’t hurt.
Hi there!!!! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Quick question… my mom isn’t a huge fan of pumpkin (crazy, I know) but she really wants to try this recipe out as welll. I saw your post above for the blueberry and lemon french toast, which also sounds fantastic, but she is set on making this recipe without the pumpkin puree. Is there a good substitute for the pumpkin??
Thank you!
Sidney, the blueberry lemon recipe is actually a great substitute if your mom is not a fan of pumpkin. Just be sure to add a layer of the cream cheese filling and you should be fine!
OH MY GOSH!! Yummy!!!! I tired your blueberry lemon recipe, with the addition of cream chesse and pecans….I served it to 4 adults and 2 toddlers- we have zero leftovers. Thank you so much for sharing both recipes- they made for very happy tummies over here 🙂
Thank you,
Sidney
just wondered if there is a way to freeze this recipe
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! I recommend using your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
So, I tried this tonight, but it turned out rather soggy. Followed recipe … I tore the bread, instead of cubing it, should the rolls be a Little dry? Mine weren’t..Also, I think I poured more liquid on the bottom than top…. help!?
What a bummer! But it doesn’t sound like you followed the recipe – the bread should be cubed as indicated in the recipe and the liquid should have been equally distributed to the top and bottom layer. Additionally, you can certainly reduce the amount of liquid if you prefer more of a “dry” french toast.
I’m thinking of making this as a dessert. What do you think? Would you change anything? Sounds wonderful and looks like it would be almost a bread pudding.
It’s already sweet as it is so I wouldn’t change a thing!
Could this lovely pumpkin cream cheese french toast be made in a slow cooker? If so, how long and would the recipe need to be tweaked?
Pat, please understand that it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional oven recipe to the slow cooker method without further recipe testing. I recommend using your own judgement to convert this recipe to utilize a slow cooker.
What can I use if I can’t find the Kings Hawiaan’s rolls, not sure what these are? And is the pumpkin puree just the regular can of pumpkin you would buy to make pumpkin pie? Live in a small town…Walmart is our grocery store.
Yes, Cindy, you can use canned pumpkin puree. And I’m sure you will be able to find King’s Hawaiian rolls at Walmart. It’s a very popular item.
Thanks, will be making this this weekend for sure!!!!
I’m Canadian and they are not sold here. Is there a difference between this brand and regular dinner rolls? Are the sweetened or something?
Yes, they are sweetened!
Sometimes the King’s Hawaiian Bread and Rolls are with other bread products in the grocery store. Some stores have a display for it in their bakery area. I’ve seen it at Wal Mart in their Bakery/Deli area sometimes. It depends on the store. Just ask someone who works there. Most stores carry it in my area.
This is a brilliant idea! And I like that you can make it ahead of time. It’ll be perfect for when our family gets together for Thanksgiving! I can’t wait to try this…it’s making me drool!
Yum! Making tonight to enjoy tomorrow morning. So excited to see a new pumpkin recipe and this will be my first of the season! For the sake of using what I already have on hand- I have two loaves of French bread and I’m wondering how much of it do you think I will need to substitute for the rolls? Do you know approx how many cups of cubed roll went into this? I’ll use those next time…I’m sure there will be a next time. Looks fab!
I’d say about 5-8 cups. The less bread, the more “custardy” it becomes.
OMG, I love Fall and of course anything Pumpkin! No problem with feeling like Fall here in New England!
Breakfast perfection, love the easy prep!
Mercy! That looks and sounds fabulous. I will definitely try this one. THX.
Literally nothing else to say, except SINFUL and AH-MAZING.
This is definitely on my MUST MAKE list soon! Looks delicious and your photos are beautiful, as always! 🙂
My husband has been our French Bread chef since the day we met. But, I think this Pumpkin Cream Cheese french toast will top anything he has ever created. Can’t wait to prepare it. I was going to prepare it for Thanksgiving morning but I don’t think I’ll be able to wait that long. THANK YOU for ALL the recipes you post, Chungah. I have tried many of them and ALL of them have been very good OR delicious. Would love to know your secret on how you can remain so slim when your cooking is wonderful!
This recipes sounds amazing! Would be perfect for a fall brunch!
So much YUM. Love the pumpkin-cream cheese combo!
I LOVE the idea of pumpkin french toast, it sounds amazing! Plus a make ahead weekend breakfast is always a huge bonus. : )
My husband is not allowed to eat anything pumpkin – too much potassium for his kidneys. Can you suggest something else beside pumpkin? I would love to make this. Thank you.
Patty, as the pumpkin is the star of this dish, I recommend trying a different recipe. Here is another baked french toast recipe using fresh blueberries and lemon, and of course, King’s Hawaiian! https://damndelicious.net/2014/05/05/baked-blueberry-lemon-french-toast/
You can substitute blueberries for the pumpkin and is fantastic. Try it
I bet applesauce would be an amazing sub, with maybe some fresh chopped apples added throughout.
I started making this late tonight and found I had used my last can of pumpkin on a pie. I substituted mashed sweet potatoes. It is chilling in the fridge waiting to be baked in the morning. I’ll let you know.
Hellooooo fall!! <3
This looks and sounds delicious! New pumpkin recipe to try! Yay!
Looks delicious. I can’t wait to try it.
This look like the Queen of all breakfasts! Seems like today was the official day of pumpkin recipes popping up in the feed, and I am glad it was, this looks beyond amazing! x
Oh my gosh! I can’t wait to try this. French Toast is my favorite food in the world and this sounds like an amazing way to have it. I’ll have to go out and see if I can find the King’s Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them around here 🙁 . If they’re not available I’ll have to find a substitute. My husband will love this, too, and my Corgi’s will be begging for a taste 🙂 .
Use pepperidge farms pumpkin bread .. Hawaiian rolls and pepperidge parma ate at walmart
I love that you’re embracing fall, (I need to work on that) even though it’s still 100º in your area! It’s getting really chilly around here and I’m really dragging my feet about the colder weather coming – love the sunshine, but you can’t beat pumpkin weather either!
Oh this is something I need to make this weekend!!
It’s still toasty here in AZ too. Glad you aren’t letting the heat keep you from pretending it feels like Fall either! Love that crumb topping you’ve got on there – and that you can make it the night too!
I am kind of totally dying over this. Having a french toast loving husband who just started working days instead of nights, means that we can now eat breakfast together.
And you BETTA BELIEVE it’s gonna be this incr-edible thang! LOVE the cream cheese and streusel! Pinned!
Welcome fall and cooler weather my goodness does this look amazing. Perfect for Sunday fall brunch. The Hawaiian Rolls aka crack rolls with my friends and I. I can demolish a pack by myself I know I need help, LOL never ever thought of using them in french toast, brilliant. ♥
My husband loves bread pudding and this is almost like that but better with that cream cheese filling and pumpkin….Hello fall!!!
Wow it is a TRUE JOY for me to open a post from you that’s on the sweeter side and not a dinner or an app. Seriously it’s like 2012 all over and I love it!!! Your images are gorgeous and this will be a hiiiiiit!!!! I would love some right now. But the part where you said no need for syrup? There is always need 🙂