What does Travis like to eat for breakfast before each football game? French toast! This french toast casserole pays homage to Travis’s favorite breakfast. It’s a pumpkin spiced french toast casserole that’s actually way easier to make than regular french toast.

Travis Kelce French Toast Casserole
Travis Kelce apparently eats french toast before every football game he plays. I can’t say that I blame him! French toast is truly delicious but it’s something that I don’t eat that often. This french toast casserole is super tasty! I couldn’t stop sneaking bites of it. It’s especially good with some maple syrup on top. It has all the flavors of french toast in one pot. You can make this recipe in the Instant Pot or the Crockpot.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- White bread–or texas toast, french bread. I weighed mine on a scale at it was 4 ½ pieces of bread.
- Eggs
- Milk–or half and half or evaporated milk
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Vanilla
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Sliced almonds–or pecans
- Maple syrup–or cinnamon syrup
Steps
Spray a deep pot-in-pot dish with non-stick cooking spray. Break up the bread into small pieces and add into the pot-in-pot dish.

In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the mixture over the bread and toss well until all bread is coated.

In a small bowl cut the butter into the brown sugar with a fork. Crumble the butter mixture over the top of the bread.

Cover the pan with foil. Place it on a trivet/sling. Lower the dish into an Instant Pot that has 1 ½ cups water in the bottom.

Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 15 minutes. When time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid and foil.

Sprinkle the almonds on top. Use an air fryer lid to brown up the top of the casserole by cooking for 3-5 minutes at 400 degrees. If you don’t have an air fryer lid then use your oven’s broiler to brown up the top.

Serve topped with maple syrup.

Notes/Tips
- Serve with fresh fruit like strawberries or blueberries and a glass of orange juice. For added protein serve with a side of scrambled eggs and bacon or sausage.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with white bread are Hawkeye Casserole and Instant Pot Hot Beef Sandwich.
What equipment do I need?
- A 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot*
- A deep pot-in-pot dish such as the 3 quart IP liner* (used inside the 6 or 8 quart IP liner) or a Fat Daddios 7×4 inch pan*
- A trivet/sling* to lower the dish into your Instant Pot
- Optional but nice…an air fryer lid* to brown up the top of the casserole

More Instant Pot Breakfast Ideas…
Instant Pot Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
An easy way to make french toast! With pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and streusel brown sugar pecan topping this is the perfect fall breakfast or treat. You can make this in the Instant Pot, slow cooker or the oven and can be prepped the night before and baked in the morning.
Instant Pot Lumberjack Breakfast
A layered breakfast dish of waffles, sausage, eggs and cheese. A hearty breakfast!
Farmer’s Breakfast
A hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon and potatoes that will fill you up and keep you full until lunch or even dinner! Use your Instant Pot to quickly steam the potatoes.
Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
A hearty bowl of oatmeal with apple chunks, cinnamon and brown sugar. It’s cooked quickly in the Instant Pot with any type of oatmeal.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.


Travis Kelce French Toast Casserole (Instant Pot or Crockpot)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 7 ounces of white bread or french bread (this is about 4–5 pieces of bread)
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 Tbsp butter, softened
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- Maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Spray a deep pot-in-pot dish with non-stick cooking spray. Break up the bread into small pieces and add into the pot-in-pot dish.
- In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the mixture over the bread and toss well until all bread is coated.
- In a small bowl cut the butter into the brown sugar with a fork. Crumble the butter mixture over the top of the bread.
- Cover the pan with foil. Place it on a trivet/sling. Lower the dish into an Instant Pot that has 1 ½ cups water in the bottom.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 15 minutes. When time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid and foil.
- Sprinkle the almonds on top. Use an air fryer lid to brown up the top of the casserole by cooking for 3-5 minutes at 400 degrees. If you don’t have an air fryer lid then use your oven’s broiler to brown up the top.
- Serve topped with maple syrup.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Spray a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and add in the cubes of bread.
- In a bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Pour the mixture over the bread and toss well until all bread is coated.
- In a small bowl cut the butter into the brown sugar with a fork. Crumble the butter mixture over the top of the bread.
- Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.
- Sprinkle the almonds on top. Serve topped with maple syrup.
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Made this “as is” for Sunday brunch and it was so easy and delicious, so delicious that I’ve made it again (by hubby’s request) and it’s only Tuesday!
Just to change it up a bit, I left out the pumpkin pie spice and used the same amount of cinnamon instead…then sprinkled a small handful of raisins in and around the bread pieces. Also, added some cinnamon into the brown sugar topping mix 😉
Tasted like a cinnamon raisin bun but with syrup instead of icing! 😋
★★★★★
that sounds so great! I love that idea!
“lnstant Pot Gal” that commented yesterday back again…
This recipe is easy and delicious, a definite keeper and a nice Sunday brunch treat 😋
Perfect as is, but I’m thinking to add some cinnamon to the topping mixture next time 😉
★★★★★
Thanks for your comments!! I love the idea of cinnamon topping 🙂
I have this prepped and resting in the fridge overnight for the bread to soak up the egg, milk, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice mixture.
In the morning I’ll remove it from the fridge and let sit out for while to warm up so it will cook properly in the middle.
I don’t have the fryer lid, but the pan I have used does fit in the air fryer I do have…so will brown up the top that way – anyone else not having the fryer lid could do a quick broil in their oven.
I have given this 5*s in advance as it is obviously a 5* recipe and can’t wait for brunch tomorrow 😋
P.S. Go Chiefs!!! tomorrow afternoon 🙂
★★★★★
I just made this for my dinner tonight. So good! I think you meant vanilla when you said to add cinnamon. Definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
oops you are right! I changed it to vanilla.