I love a slow morning and a plate of golden French toast with melted butter. This recipe was made with Trader Joe’s brioche, which makes the French toast especially soft and buttery on the inside with those beautifully crisp, golden edges. And because I can’t resist a little something extra, I topped it with homemade cinnamon sugar butter that melts right into the warm toast.

It’s simple, cozy, and the kind of breakfast that makes an ordinary morning feel a little more special.

Pumpkin Brioche French Toast: here’s what you’ll need

For the cinnamon sugar butter:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

For the French toast:

• 1 loaf brioche, sliced about 1-inch thick (I used Trader Joes Cinnamon Swirl)
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Pinch of salt
• Butter, for cooking
• Optional: Maple syrup, berries, or powdered sugar

How to Make It

Make the Cinnamon Sugar Butter

Add the softened butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to a bowl. Beat until light and fluffy.

Set aside while you make the French toast. The butter can also be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Let it soften before serving.

Make the French Toast

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, and salt.

Dip each slice of brioche into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Don’t let the brioche sit in the mixture too long—it’s delicate and can become overly saturated.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and add a little butter.

Place the soaked brioche slices in the skillet and cook for 2–3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Add more butter to the pan as needed and continue with the remaining slices.

Serve

Serve the French toast warm with a generous spoonful of cinnamon sugar butter on top so it can melt into all those golden, buttery edges.

Finish with a drizzle of warm maple syrup and, if you like, a dusting of powdered sugar or a handful of fresh berries.

A Few Tips

Use brioche. Its rich, buttery texture makes especially delicious French toast. Trader Joe’s brioche is an easy option, but any good-quality brioche will work.

Don’t over soak the bread. Brioche absorbs the custard quickly, so a quick dip on each side is all you need.

Cook over medium heat. This gives the French toast time to become golden on the outside while cooking through without burning.

Make the butter ahead. The cinnamon sugar butter is wonderful to have tucked away in the refrigerator. It’s also delicious on pancakes, waffles, muffins, or warm toast.

The Little Extra

The cinnamon sugar butter is what makes this French toast feel a little different. As it melts over the warm brioche, the cinnamon and vanilla become fragrant and the butter sinks into the toast. I typically drizzle maple syrup over my French toast. With the cinnamon sugar butter and sweet brioche you may decide to enjoy as is.

Add maple syrup and you have a breakfast that feels almost like dessert—but completely acceptable before noon.

Pumpkin Brioche French Toast with Cinnamon Butter

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup or 1 stick butter
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• pinch of salt
• 1 loaf brioche - I used Trader Joe's pumpkin cinnamon swirl
• 3 or more large eggs
• 3/4 cup milk (whole milk if you have it)
• 1 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin spice
• Butter for cooking
• Maple syrup optional

Instructions

1. In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Dip each slice of brioche in egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Don't over soak. Brioche is delicate and will fall apart if you soak it too long.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a little butter.
4. Place the soaked brioche slices in the skillet and cook for a couple minutes until brown around the edges. Add more butter to the pan as needed to cook all the bread slices.
5. Serve with cinnamon sugar butter.

Cinnamon Sugar Butter:

1. Add softened butter to a medium sized bowl.
2. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.

*The butter can be made ahead of time.