A French toast bake full of buttery pecan flavor and baked in a cast iron skillet, make this filling breakfast recipe on a chilly fall morning or to welcome Santa on Christmas.

At the beginning of September, my thoughts start to wander to all things fall like pumpkins, pecans, football, and chili. Only the weather in Las Vegas still says SUMMER! I’m ready to turn on my oven and bake again and the thermometer is still 100 degrees.  In fact, we won’t see fall weather for another two months.

So when I say that this butter pecan French toast bake is perfect for fall weather, we’re just going to pretend it feels like fall here and YOU can enjoy it on a chilly fall morning.  Don’t you also think this would be delicious for Christmas morning, too?

Cast Iron Skillet Butter Pecan French Toast Bake

Slice your bread and make sure it all fits into the skillet, Don’t try to overfill. Your bread won’t soak up any of the egg/milk mixture and will simply dry out when baking. You want it full, but not three layers full.

The French toast bake is made in one pan. You’ll need a large ovenproof skillet. I have been cooking in cast iron only for over a decade, and love it. Going from stove to oven is a definite plus with these bad boy. They are heavy though so make sure to have hot pads ready to use for taking the pan in and out of the oven.

If you have a baking pan that can go from stove top to oven, feel free to use that as well.

In a large ovenproof skillet, such as a cast iron skillet, add the pecans, brown sugar and butter. Heat on medium low heat just until bubbling, and sugar is dissolved. Stir frequently to keep the sugar from burning. Immediately remove from heat once bubbling.

Turn the heat off and remove the pecans into a small bowl. Set aside. Keep the skillet out, though! You will bake the French toast right on top of the buttery, sweet gooey-ness on the bottom of the pan.

Add bread cubes to the same skillet. You want to make sure the skillet is full, but not over full. Two layers of bread seems to do the trick well. Three layers gets to be too much. For smaller skillets, use less bread.

Add eggs to a mixing bowl and beat with a whisk. Mix in milk, heavy whipping cream and vanilla. You could also add in a little nutmeg and cinnamon, if you’d like.

Carefully pour the milk and egg mixture over bread in pan, evenly coating the bread. Double check to make sure all bread is coated. If not, press bred into pan so it can soak up the mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 and let skillet set for about 30 minutes. Top with reserved pecans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until center is set.

Scoop the French toast out of the skillet to serve. Serve with maple syrup and a side of bacon or sausage links.