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About This Recipe
Enjoy all the indulgence and mouth-watering taste of your favorite breakfast french toast in a lightened up, high protein bake! Seriously, this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein French Toast Bake couldn’t be more delicious or easy to make. All you need is 10 minutes to prep it!
This bake is a perfect one to make in advance (actually recommended) and to bake the next morning. Plus, it freezes great! It also works great for meal prep for breakfast or even dessert throughout the week too if you want to enjoy this bake on a more regular occurrence.
This pumpkin french toast casserole is the best because it feels sinful yet is super balanced in macros to keep you full and satisfied. Fueling up on protein early in the day helps keep you satisfied throughout the morning and helps prevent your a blood sugar level spike and crash.
For more yummy protein-packed sweet breakfasts like this one, definitely check out this High Protein French Toast, these Protein French Toast Sticks, Mini Chocolate Chip Pancake Bites and this super popular Blueberry Sausage Pancake Bake!
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein French Toast Bake
- The ultimate fall breakfast recipe! Perfect for weekend brunches or holidays! But also great for weekday meal prep!
- Super easy to make! Baked in one dish and minimal clean up!
- Lower in calories than traditional french toast bakes but one the whole family will love!
- Packed with protein! No sugar crash with this pumpkin french toast bake.
- The best part is it freezes and reheats like a dream!
- Bread – I used brioche bread to give this french toast bake the most ‘real’ french toast like texture and taste, but any bread will work. Just know that the taste of the bread will shine through the bake, so pick one you like!
- Milk – I used unsweetened almond milk but any kind will work. You can use regular milk (or Fairlife for extra protein), oat milk, soy milk, etc.
- Pumpkin purée – make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix). My favorite brand of pumpkin is Libby.
- Eggs – I used all whole eggs for this recipe but you can also use a mixture of eggs and egg whites. Or if you rather, you can just use all liquid egg whites.
- Pumpkin pie spice mix – To give it some some pumpkin spice flavor!!
- Protein powder – I used PEScience vanilla (code Laurenfitfoodie to save!) You could also use the season Pumpkin Pie flavor if you have it! I would just recommend using one you like the flavor of because the flavor of protein will shine through this bake too.
- Baking essentials – vanilla extract and liquid stevia. I prefer liquid stevia in this recipe because it blends with the liquid mixture better, making the whole bake sweeter, but you can sub with your favorite sweetener of choice if you need to. See FAQ section below for more on this.
- Chocolate chips – I used mini-chocolate chips so the chocolate spreads further but any kind will work!
- Brown sugar – regular brown sugar or a brown sugar alternative like Truvia, Swerve or golden monk fruit sweetener all work!
- To make gluten-free: use gluten-free bread.
- To make dairy-free: use dairy-free milk, a plant-based protein powder and dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Switch up the bread: You can also use challah bread or sourdough bread.
- For higher fiber with still some of that white bread taste, I love using Dave’s Killer white done right bread.
- For lower calorie, try Sara Lee’s 45-calorie bread.
- Add more toppings, like chopped pecans for a crunch or a yummy crumb topping like the same used in this Healthy Pumpkin Coffee Cake.
How To Make
The full printable recipe is below, but let me walk you through the process so you know what to expect when you’re making it!
1. Spray a 9×13″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the bread in a single layer in the baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, pumpkin, protein powder, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and liquid stevia.
3. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the baking dish, spreading it around until the liquid saturates the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least for 30 minutes) if time allows.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the baking dish, sprinkle with the chocolate chips and brown sugar.
5. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until baked through. Cover with aluminum foil if it still needs to cook longer and you wish to not brown the top anymore.
6. Cut into slices then serve warm, drizzled with pancake syrup! This french toast bake is also DELICIOUS chilled!
Store in covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
To freeze: let cool completely then slice into individual servings. Wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap or tin foil and place in freezer ziplock bag (this helps prevent freezer burn). Freeze for up to 3 months.
Use Up Your Stale Bread!
I love using stale bread (or “day old” bread chunks) for this french toast bake because dry bread soaks up the mixture even better! The dryer the bread to more it will soak up the egg mixture and bake up to crispy, fluffy golden brown perfection!
What is the best type of bread for french toast bake?
Brioche bread or french bread is typical for a french toast bake to give it the most ‘real’ french toast like texture and taste. But ultimately any kind of bread will work. Just know that the taste of the bread will shine through the bake, so pick a high quality one and one you enjoy the taste of.
Can I use a different type of bread other than brioche?
Sure! Brioche bread is simply one of the best tasting breads for a french toast bake but other yummy options would be challah or french bread.
If you are looking for higher fiber with still some of that white bread taste, I love using Dave’s Killer white done right bread. If you are looking for lower calorie, try Sara Lee’s 45-calorie bread.
Can I use something besides liquid stevia?
I highly recommend liquid stevia if you have it because it blends in so much better with the batter than granular and you only need a tiny bit of it! But you can also use any sweetener you have on hand if you need. You’ll likely just need more to match the sweetness. Just give the batter a little taste before pouring it over the bread and make sure it’s sweet enough for you!
Why is my french toast bake soggy?
This could be for a couple of reasons. For one, make sure you are using a more stale, not super fresh bread. This allows the bread to soak up the mixture more, resulting in a less soggy bake. Allowing the bake to it sit in the fridge overnight also helps with this and gives the bread more time to absorb the mixture.
What to serve with this healthy french toast bake?
I love enjoying this bake with a side of bacon, turkey sausage, eggs or egg whites for a little extra protein. Plus the combination of sweet and savory is absolute perfection! This bake would also be delicious with a side of fresh fruit!
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 10 slices brioche bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups almond milk (480g) or milk of choice
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (240g) I used Libby
- 3/4 cup vanilla protein powder (90g)
- 4 large eggs can sub for 3/4 cup egg whites
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp liquid stevia* see notes
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips divided
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar or alternative (24g) I used Truvia
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Instructions
- Spray a 9×13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Arrange the bread in a single layer in the baking dish. Sprinkle half the chocolate chips on top.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, pumpkin, protein powder, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and liquid stevia. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the baking dish, spreading it around until the liquid saturates the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 30 minutes) if time allows.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips and brown sugar and bake for 35-45 minute, or until baked through. Cover with aluminum foil if it still needs to cook longer and you wish to not brown the top anymore.
- Serve warm, drizzled with pancake syrup! This french toast bake is also DELICIOUS chilled!
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
