What’s better than French toast on a fall morning? Pumpkin French toast! My sourdough pumpkin French toast is sure to be a hit this holiday season. The delightful sourdough tang perfectly compliments the sweet, warm flavors of the pumpkin spice batter.

I used my Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe for this, but you could use my Same-Day Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe if you are short on time! Store-bought works too, but it will be slightly less flavorful.

Sourdough Pumpkin French Toast

Equipment

Shallow mixing bowl or baking dish for dunking
Skillet
Spatula or turner

Ingredients

Sourdough bread
4 eggs
Milk of choice
Sourdough discard (omit if you want a sweeter batter)
Pumpkin puree
Vanilla extract
Pure Maple syrup
Pumpkin pie spice or chai spice
Butter for skillet

Instructions

If using homemade sourdough bread, use my recipe here for the best results. I recommend making it the day before so that it has had time to cool before being dunked in the batter.
Slice 12 equal-sized slices of bread and set aside.
Mix your eggs, milk, sourdough starter, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice.
Preheat your skillet to medium to medium-low heat. Coat with butter for extra flavor and to prevent sticking (extra important if you are using a cast iron)
Coat each side of all 12 slices of bread. A quick dunk on each side is all you’ll need, there is no need to fully soak the bread.
Transfer coated bread to your preheated skillet and allow to cook for 2-5 minutes or until the toast is lightly browned and able to be lifted from the skillet without sticking.
Flip and cook on the other side until it is golden.
Transfer to a plate and serve warm. Store in the fridge for 3 days.

Substitutions

MILK: I highly recommend whole milk for this recipe, but if you are dairy-free, I would use regular or full-fat Oatly.
EGGS: While nothing can replace eggs, I’ve heard of people using bananas, flax, or store-bought egg substitutes for recipes like this. If you swap eggs for something else, please let me know!
BUTTER: Nonstick cooking spray also works for this recipe. If looking for a buttery flavor without the dairy, my favorite of all time is the country crock plant butter sticks! I love the avocado oil version, but the olive oil butter is the most common to find at a local store.
DISCARD: You can definitely omit this from the recipe if you want a sweeter batter! I include it in this recipe because I enjoy the extra tang it provides.
MAPLE SYRUP: If you don’t have maple syrup on hand, try using honey or brown sugar in it’s place.

Notes & Tips

If you use sourdough discard, make sure that it has been fed recently. If it hasn’t, you might end up with an overly sour batter with an alcohol aftertaste. This is caused by the “hooch” that occurs when a starter is overly hungry.
If you want to include a starter in the batter but want a more subtle flavor, use a bubbly, active starter instead of unfed discard.