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Fall weekend mornings are made for this Baked Butter Pecan French Toast. Made with a warming vanilla and cinnamon egg custard, sweet maple, brown sugar, and pecans. It’s baked until caramelized on top, and served warm with a cozy sweet bourbon maple syrup. Every piece of toast is soft, buttery, and custardy inside, yet caramelized around the edges. It’s almost like creme brûlée. Add fresh whipped cream and…beyond delicious!
When it comes to holiday breakfasts, I am very specific. Christmas is without a doubt cinnamon rolls – usually on Christmas Eve morning, and if there’s any leftover, they’re snacked on throughout day. Christmas morning is my mom’s Monkey Bread (an oldie but goodie!). In more recent years, we’ve been doing bacon and eggs too (I need a good savory casserole to make).
And for Thanksgiving? Well, that’s my wild card. It can really be anything, but we love something on the sweeter side. This year, it’s french toast. And probably these apple cinnamon rolls too, because we have a big group and both recipes are perfect.
But my goodness, this french toast is such a favorite.
The idea
The idea came from my baked cinnamon crème brûlée french toast that I shared a few years back. It’s my favorite baked french toast.
I wanted to give it a fall spin. I loved the idea idea of butter pecan…it’s my favorite flavor combination in November. So I went in that direction.
The details
Star with the “gooey” bottom layer that almost makes this french toast similar to a sticky bun. It’s a mix of brown sugar, maple, and butter. You’ll layer it on the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle over some pecans.
This next step is key. The sweet maple butter caramelizes and thickens in the oven around the french toast. This leaves you with a sticky sauce surrounding each piece of toast.
It is delicious!
The custard is a simple mix of eggs, milk, cinnamon, orange liquor, and vanilla. I highly recommend using the orange liquor as it adds that touch of special flavor. And truthfully, you really should have a bottle of orange liquor on hand at all times. Especially during the holidays, it makes the perfect margarita.
Dip each piece of bread in the custard, then arrange in the baking dish. Pour over that remaining maple/butter sauce and top with pecans.
Once the french toast has been assembled, place it in the fridge for an hour, or up to overnight. This is great if you want to have breakfast already prepped and ready for baking in the morning!
Finish with the syrup
While the french toast bakes, make the bourbon syrup. It’s simply maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
It might not seem like much, but the touch of bourbon really gives the french toast some warming “November” vibes.
Serve as is, or dollop with whipped cream. Then add plenty of the bourbon maple syrup. It is perfection.
The nuts add crunch, and the sauce keeps everything sticky and delicious. The french toast itself is eggy and custard-like…all together it’s the best!
Looking for other easy fall breakfast dishes?? Here are my favorites:
Cinnamon Knots with Coffee Icing
Cream Cheese Swirled Cinnamon Pumpkin Butter Bread
Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Lastly, if you make these Baked Butter Pecan French Toast, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How-To Video:
Baked Butter Pecan French Toast
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 531 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup, plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 7 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups roughly chopped pecans
- 8 large eggs, beaten
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier (orange liqueur)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 loaf challah bread, sliced into thick slices
- whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Bourbon Syrup
- 1 cup real maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- 1. Grease a 9x13 inch-baking dish with butter. 2. In a bowl, mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, maple syrup, and 6 tablespoons melted butter. Pour half the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half the pecans. 3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, Grand Marnier, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Submerge each piece of bread into the egg mix, allowing the bread to sit at least a minute to soak up the eggs. Arrange the bread in the baking dish. Pour the remaining egg mix over the bread slices. Then add the remaining brown/sugar maple mix.4. In a bowl, mix the remaining pecans, butter, and brown sugar. Sprinkle the nuts over the french toast. 5. Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375° F. Bake for 45 minutes or until the French toast is golden and crisp. If the tops of the bread begin to brown too quickly, cover with foil.7. Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small pot, mix the maple syrup, bourbon, and vanilla. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes until thickened8. Serve the french toast warm, drizzled with syrup. Enjoy!
LOVED this recipe, made it for my a holiday brunch and will be making it again Christmas morning. SO yummy
Hi Kelley,
Awesome! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Happy Holidays!❄️ xT
Does the orange liqueur cook off? I have family members who don’t drink alcohol, so want to be sure it doesn’t taste boozy (obviously I’ll skip the bourbon in the syrup… for them ?).
Hey Amanda,
Yes, it does, but you can also skip it! Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
Sorry, I posted below in the wrong spot. Can this be made 24 hours before? Thanks!
Hi Devon,
Yes, that will work well for you. I hope you love the recipe! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Could you substitute Irish or cinnamon whiskey in the syrup?! I have t baked enough with bourbon to know….
Hey there,
This would change the flavor profile for you, but yes it would work. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Just made this for my annual Christmas Brunch and it was a huge hit. The only thing I changed was I only added 1 tablespoon of bourbon to the syrup. It is a must include ingredient, but I tasted it after 1 and felt it would have been too strong for my taste with 2. The next time I make this I will line the bottom of my oven. Unfortunately mine bubble over while baking and it was a mess-smoke alarm and all-UGH! But another great recipe that I will surely make again.
Hi Tracey,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Planning on serving this at Christmas brunch. Did a test run this morning and everyone loved it. I did switch out the recommended bread for sourdough and it gave a bit more contrast to the sweetness. Completely delicious!
Hey Kellie,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I couldn’t find Challah (and didn’t want to bake it myself ?) so substituted thick cut French bread. Turned out great. Tasted wonderful. A guest said the bourbon/maple syrup was “naughty!” ?
Hi Pamela,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe out, I am thrilled to hear that it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made this today for our family Christmas brunch and it was AMAZING! Probably one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made. I made a few changes: used pre-sliced brioche from the grocery store, which I than cubed. Submerged the bread cubes in the egg mixture to coat, then transferred them to the baking dish. All the egg mixture was soaked up, since there was more surface area. I’ll definitely be making this again– what a treat!
Hi Lisa,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
If I was trying to do a dairy free version of this, what kind of milk would you recommend?
Hey Sara,
Any dairy free milk that you enjoy will work here. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Delicious!! I used brioche and it was falling apart a bit when I was putting it together so I was getting a little nervous, but it came together perfectly. Not soggy for me!
Hi Ashley,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Delicious, and so perfect for this season! After soaking all 12 slices of challah in the egg mixture there was still quite a bit leftover—so much so that the slices floated in the remaining liquid we poured over them once they were in the baking dish. That seemed a bit much, so we ladled two(ish) cups of the egg mixture out of the dish, leaving enough liquid to measure about half an inch deep for soaking overnight. It worked out well!
Hi Hanna,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Wow! We had it this morning for brunch before my daughter goes back to college and it was a HUGE hit! Wonderful recipe with so much flavor! Many thanks for the recipe!
Hi Sarah,
Fantastic! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Thank you, thank you, ? the best oh and only French toast bake I have tried. This will become the holiday breakfast for awhile. I was always scared to try this type of French toast because I am not a fan of bread pudding. This recipe made me change my mind. Soooooooo freaking yummmmmmy. ?
Hi Desiree,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
French toast with cinnamon seem so interesting!!
Miki x
https://www.littletasteofbeauty.com/
It’s pretty delicious!
Absolutely delicious!! We had guests staying the weekend and wanted something we could make quick with little mess. We prepared this the night before then just popped it in the oven in the morning. Everyone loved it. Including my two picky kids.
Oh ya, and we skipped the orange liqueur!
Hey Cassidy,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
Can this be prepped in advance, frozen, and then baked? I’d like to prepare it now and give it to my daughter to enjoy Xmas morning.
Hey Karin,
Unfortunately, I’ve not tried this and I really don’t think I would recommend freezing French toast. I would try one of my cinnamon roll recipes for something like this! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan