Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll French Toast for Two or Three
Pumpkin cinnamon roll French toast turns leftover cinnamon rolls into a cozy fall breakfast. It’s pumpkin spice French toast made with halved cinnamon rolls instead of bread, cooked in a skillet until golden.
Most pumpkin cinnamon roll recipes are big casseroles made with two cans of dough. This one is a small skillet batch for two or three people, so it’s an easy way to use up a few rolls on a slow weekend morning.
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- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Which Cinnamon Rolls to Use (and What About the Icing?)
- Ingredients for Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll French Toast
- How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll French Toast
- Tips for Golden, Not Burnt, Cinnamon Roll French Toast
- Toppings and Serving Ideas
- Storing and Reheating
- What to Do With the Rest of the Pumpkin Puree
- FAQs
- More Breakfast Ideas to Try
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll French Toast
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- π½οΈ Makes: 6 pieces, or 3 servings of 2 pieces
- π Starts with: 3 large cinnamon rolls that are already baked
- β±οΈ Time: 10 minutes prep, 10β12 minutes in the skillet
- π³ Equipment: one large skillet and a shallow bowl, no oven
- π Pumpkin: just 2 tablespoons of puree
- π Make ahead: whisk the custard early and keep it covered in the fridge until you cook
Which Cinnamon Rolls to Use (and What About the Icing?)
Homemade, bakery and canned rolls all work. Pumpkin cinnamon rolls double up on the fall flavor, but regular cinnamon rolls are just as good here.
- Homemade or bakery rolls: slightly chilled or day-old rolls are the easiest to slice and dip without falling apart.
- Canned rolls (like Pillsbury): bake them as the package directs and let them cool before slicing.
- Icing: unfrosted rolls are best. Frosting is mostly sugar, which can scorch in a hot pan, so scrape most of it off frosted rolls. If you bake canned rolls for this, leave the icing off.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll French Toast
Pumpkin puree: use plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling already has sugar and spices added.
Spices: the custard gets ground cinnamon plus a little pumpkin pie spice. Store-bought spice is fine, or stir together this homemade pumpkin pie spice blend.
Milk: the recipe calls for whole milk. 2% milk or your favorite dairy-free milk also works, though the custard’s richness may vary slightly.
Eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and butter round out the list, plus a pinch of salt. Full amounts are in the recipe card below.
How to Make Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll French Toast
1. Whisk the pumpkin custard
In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt until smooth. A wide, shallow bowl makes it easier to dip the flat pieces.
2. Slice the rolls in half
Cut each cinnamon roll in half horizontally, like a bagel. You’ll have 6 thinner rounds, each with the swirl showing on the cut side.
3. Dip each piece
Dip a piece into the custard, turn it to coat both sides and lift it right out. The rolls are already soft, so a long soak makes them hard to handle.
4. Cook cut side down first
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add the pieces cut side down, leaving space between them. The flat cut side sits right on the pan, so it browns evenly.
5. Flip and finish
Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side, until both sides are golden brown and the centers are heated through. Cook in batches, adding a little more butter to the pan as needed.
Tips for Golden, Not Burnt, Cinnamon Roll French Toast
The brown sugar in the custard and the sugary swirl in the rolls both brown fast, so the edges can turn dark before the center is warm.
- Lower the heat if needed. If the outside browns before the center is warm, turn the burner down a notch for the next batch.
- Slice evenly. Rounds of the same thickness cook at the same rate.
- Wipe the pan between batches. Dark bits of sugar and custard left in the skillet can burn and stick to the next pieces.
- Keep the first batch warm. Set the cooked pieces on a plate and cover them loosely with foil while the rest cook.
Toppings and Serving Ideas
Stack 2 pieces on each plate and pile on whipped cream, fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, then add a drizzle of maple syrup and a light dusting of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. For a homemade topping, try this maple whipped cream sweetened with real maple syrup. Chopped pecans add a little crunch.
Storing and Reheating
- Best fresh: serve the French toast warm, right out of the skillet. The texture is best when it’s freshly cooked.
- Leftovers: store cooled pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: warm the pieces in a skillet or an air fryer until heated through.
What to Do With the Rest of the Pumpkin Puree
This recipe uses only 2 tablespoons from a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree, which leaves you with most of the can. Bake a batch of pumpkin muffins with cream cheese frosting (they use 1Β½ cups), or make this pumpkin honey bun cake with a cake mix base (1 cup). For more ideas, browse these easy pumpkin desserts for fall and Thanksgiving. Move leftover puree to a covered container before you put it in the refrigerator.
FAQs
How is this different from regular pumpkin French toast?
Most pumpkin French toast is made with thick slices of bread, like brioche, challah or Texas toast. This version uses halved cinnamon rolls instead, so every piece already has a cinnamon swirl. The pumpkin goes into the custard, not the bread.
Can I make cinnamon roll French toast for a crowd?
This recipe is sized for 2 or 3 people. You can double or triple the ingredients, but you’ll spend more time at the stove cooking batches. For a big group, a baked casserole is easier to serve all at once. You’ll find some in these easy breakfast casserole recipes.
More Breakfast Ideas to Try
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Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll French Toast
Equipment
- Shallow bowl
Ingredients
French toast
- 3 large cinnamon rolls already baked, unfrosted or with the icing scraped off (bake and cool canned rolls first)
- 2 large eggs
- ΒΌ cup whole milk 2% or dairy-free milk works
- 2 tbsp pumpkin puree plain puree, not pie filling
- 1-2 tbsp brown sugar
- Β½ tsp vanilla extract
- Β½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ΒΌ tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp butter plus more as needed for the skillet
For serving
- whipped cream
- fresh strawberries, raspberries or blueberries
- maple syrup
- ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for dusting
Instructions
- Make the custard: In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt until smooth.
- Slice the rolls: Cut each cinnamon roll in half horizontally to make 6 thinner rounds.
- Dip: Dip each piece into the custard, turning to coat both sides. Lift it out right away; don't let it soak.
- Cook the cut side: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add the pieces cut side down, without crowding the pan, and cook for about 2β3 minutes, until golden.
- Flip and finish: Flip and cook for another 2β3 minutes, until golden brown and heated through. If they brown too quickly, lower the heat. Repeat with the remaining pieces, adding more butter as needed.
- Serve: Stack 2 pieces on each plate. Top with whipped cream and berries, drizzle with maple syrup and finish with a dusting of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
