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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
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!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Made this for Easter brunch and it was a big hit! Loved that I was able to prep it the night before and just throw it in the oven the next morning. Another great recipe!
Hey Tara,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a go, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! Have the best week!? xT
We made this with homemade sweet potato bread! It was loved by the whole family!
Hey Jacqueline,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xT
This was a great Christmas Eve breakfast. Easy to make and looked impressive, and was super good. Served fresh out of the oven is best.
Hi Keri,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I assembled this the night before and stuck it in the fridge overnight since we were going to have a full house New Year’s morning and everyone LOVED it. I used a loaf of challah – make sure to get it whole and not sliced so you can cut nice thick pieces to soak up all the custard! I was out of pecans so used slivered almonds. Skipped the bourbon sauce and used maple syrup. Super delish and adaptable recipe!
Hey Sarah,
I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for testing it out! Have a great week! xTieghan
Can this recipe be easily cut in half, or if not, can part of it be frozen after it has been baked?
Hi Diane,
Yes, you can totally cut this recipe in half. I hope you love it, let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Another great recipe from Half Baked Harvest! This was a big hit for our New Years breakfast today!
For the 21 & older crowd, I’d just like to add that before digging into to all of this deliciousness, a shot of the bourbon you used in the recipe will get the party started in your tummy. You’re welcome from Milwaukee. CHEERS to the new year!
Hey Andi,
Awesome! I love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
I’ve weirdly never made French toast, but this sounded to good not to make! I made it for Christmas breakfast and used brioche, since I couldn’t find challah at the store. There was not a bite left!! Really good and will definitely make again when I have company.
Hi Alissa,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Holidays!? xT
I made this for the first time for Christmas brunch and it was a hit! Very delicious!
Hi April,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Holidays!? xT
Couldn’t find challah or brioche so I used French but it was still delicious and a huge hit 🙂
Hey there,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xT
Delicious! Made for breakfast on Christmas morning. Couldn’t find Challah. Read but used brioche buns which were still delicious!
Hi Julie,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xT
All I have on me bread-wise is Ezekiel sprouted, do you think that will work? Any tips on how to adjust for the thinner bread? I have literally everything else so I hate not to try it.
Hi Sarah,
Honestly, I don’t think that would be your best option. Brioche or challah is the best when making French toast. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
This recipe is soo good. Question, how much egg mixture should you have left to pour over your bread, and should you leave a space between each slice. I had alot of egg mixture left and I think I put too much in my pan while cooking. I will watch for your response. Thank u for this recipe
Hey Holly, I usually have about 1/2 cup of the egg mix leftover. No need to leave any spaces between the bread. Glad you love the recipe!
Made this last night for breakfast for dinner and oh my word. This was DELICIOUS. Everyone was in awe over it. Only thing I did differently was use half milk and half heavy cream in the custard. I also couldn’t find any challah so I made some from scratch and it really was incredible. Freaking amazing. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers.
Hi Cassidy,
Happy Holidays! Thank you so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!?? xTieghan
My friend is allergic to nuts can I substitute blueberries?
Thanks and Merry Christmas
Hi Jeannie,
Sure, you could do that. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Its Christmas Eve already and the only licuor I got in my kitchen is Jaggermeister. Made my research, it is mostly made of spices. Gotta give it a try, let’s see how it goes…
Love ALL your recipes, btw. THANKS!
Hi Diana,
I hope you love the recipe! Merry Christmas! xTieghan
Hi, what’s the best sub for challah in a pinch?!
Thanks! Love all your recipes!
Hi Lindsey,
Brioche would also work well here. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan