Sure, you could make an autumnal pumpkin French toast for brunch and call it a day…or you could up the ante and sneak actual pumpkin pie in there. (The crowd goes wild!)

Now, we wouldn’t ask you to whip up an entire pie *just* to make this recipe—so if you don’t have any leftover pumpkin pie on your hands (let’s face it, it’s usually gone in two minutes), just pick one up from the grocery store. This may be the very best excuse yet to eat dessert for breakfast.

RELATED: Sunday Morning French Toast

Pumpkin French Toast

Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Time:

Ingredients:

Nonstick spray, as needed

1 large loaf challah or brioche bread

3 slices pumpkin pie (homemade or store-bought)

4 large eggs

1¼ cups whole milk

½ cup granulated sugar

1½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Confectioners’ sugar, for serving

Maple syrup, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. Slice the bread into 6 even pieces (they will be quite wide). Use a small serrated knife to make a horizontal slit in each piece of bread—don’t cut all the way through. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the pumpkin pie (mostly filling, but it’s OK if some crust gets in, too) into the slit in each piece of bread.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Gently dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture, allowing it to soak up some of the custard, then transfer it to the prepared baking dish.

4. Drizzle the butter over the bread and transfer the casserole to the oven. Bake until the top is golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar and serve with maple syrup.