Rich, comforting Pumpkin Bread Pudding is welcome on the Thanksgiving table and all throughout the fall. Warm and cozy spices, tender bread, and a hint of maple syrup make this delectable dessert an absolute keeper.
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Pin RecipeWhen the weather starts to cool, all I want to do is bake! And I love baking all of the pumpkin things, like pumpkin cupcakes, baked pumpkin spice donuts, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, and so much more. I also love throwing together a pumpkin bread pudding with any leftover bread I have on hand—it’s such a wonderful take on a pumpkin dessert!
This beautifully colored, creamy pumpkin bread pudding is a fall favorite! It’s sweet and tender, with a gorgeous mellow smoothness from the pumpkin. This season, think beyond the pie and make a sumptuous pumpkin bread pudding!
Cozy Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe
A bread pudding essentially takes stale bread and folds it into a rich egg- and cream-based custard that’s baked until it’s set. You can use any kind of bread to make bread pudding, although in this recipe I like to use a sweeter bread like challah bread or brioche. The resulting bread pudding is delightfully sweet and soft.
This pumpkin bread pudding is special because it calls for, well, pumpkin! Think of a traditional bread pudding, but stir in pumpkin puree and a trio of ground spices like cinnamon, cloves, and ginger. Then drizzle in a little maple syrup for that classic fall flavor and you’ll have the makings of a truly unique fall or Thanksgiving dish. I’m not saying you have to give up the pumpkin pie, but you might want to consider adding this one to the holiday dessert table.
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Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread Pudding
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Nonstick cooking spray – Always essential when baking!
- Eggs – To create a rich, creamy filling.
- Pumpkin – Use one full can of plain pumpkin puree.
- Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar.
- Maple syrup – For a sweet hint of maple flavor.
- Ground spices – Cinnamon, cloves, ginger
- Milk – I like to use whole milk but 2% will also work.
- Heavy cream – If you’re out of heavy cream you can substitute half-and-half with good results.
- Stale bread – Use challah, brioche, or another rich bread.
- Walnuts – For extra crunch.
Variations
I love throwing in add-ins to this bread pudding. Some of my favorites include:
- Chocolate chips. Chocolate and pumpkin are delightful together!
- More nuts. Pecans or chopped and toasted almonds are wonderful in this bread pudding.
- Raisins. Instead of or in addition to chocolate chips, add raisins.
- Vanilla. A hint of vanilla is lovely. Add 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract along with the maple syrup.
How to Make Pumpkin Bread Pudding
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350℉. Coat the inside of an 8 x 8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, then set aside.
- Mix: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, canned pumpkin, brown sugar, and maple syrup until well combined. Add the spices, milk, and heavy cream, then whisk again. Add the cubed bread and walnuts and toss together until the bread is well-coated in the custard mixture.
- Place the pudding mix in the baking pan: Add the bread and custard mixture to the baking dish, spreading it out evenly along the bottom.
- Bake: Bake in the oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and it’s no longer wet inside. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve with desired toppings, such as whipped cream or caramel sauce.
Quick Tip
You can substitute pumpkin pie filling for the pureed pumpkin. If you do so, omit the added ground spices.
How to Store Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Store leftover bread pudding in an airtight container or tightly covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Place the baking dish in the oven to gently rewarm, or place a portion of bread pudding on a microwave-safe plate and reheat it in 30-second intervals until warm.
Serving Suggestions
It’s perfectly fine to serve pumpkin bread pudding plain, or eat it straight from the fridge as a sweet, cold snack! But I also like to dress it up with:
- Whipped cream – Homemade or store-bought whipped cream is absolutely delicious with bread pudding.
- Caramel sauce – A rich and silky caramel sauce would be perfect with pumpkin bread pudding.
- Chocolate sauce – As mentioned, chocolate and pumpkin are wonderful together! Drizzle portions of pumpkin bread pudding with a generous spoonful of chocolate sauce for a real treat.
- Vanilla ice cream – Serve warm pumpkin bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream!
FAQs
If your bread pudding is watery, it probably has not baked long enough. The custard needs to be cooked properly so that it sets and is not runny.
Pumpkin pudding is basically the filling of pumpkin pie! It may consist of milk, cream, spices, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla.
Canned pumpkin and pumpkin puree are the same thing. The terms are used to describe 100% steamed and pureed pumpkin with no additional flavorings or additives.
More Tasty Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 3 eggs
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 4 cups stale bread, cut into ½ inch cubes (challah, brioche or other rich bread)
- 1 ½ cups walnuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350℉. Coat the inside of an 8 x 8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.Nonstick cooking spray
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, canned pumpkin, brown sugar, and maple syrup until well-combined. Add the spices, milk and heavy cream, then whisk again. Add the cubed bread and walnuts and toss together until the bread is well-coated in the custard mixture.3 eggs, 1 15-ounce can pumpkin, ¾ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, 2 cups whole milk, ½ cup heavy cream, 4 cups stale bread, cut into ½ inch cubes (challah, brioche or other rich bread), 1 ½ cups walnuts, chopped
- Add the bread and custard mix to the baking dish, spreading it out evenly along the bottom.
- Bake in the oven until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean and it is no longer wet inside. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve with desired toppings, such as whipped cream or caramel sauce.
How long to bake it before you start checking it
Hi Lori! We recommend being to check it around the 50 minute mark.