As simple as beating a couple of eggs, this easy Pumpkin Bread Pudding becomes a perfect fall dessert or sweet breakfast with just minutes of prep.
Most days, I try to be really careful about carbs. If I’m going to eat bread, it needs to be amazing bread. Let me be honest, even having said that, this girl has a thing for bread pudding. I mean, cubes of bread baked in a creamy custard with crunchy, buttery nuts and sweet toppings can’t be bad, right?
I find myself creating new versions of bread pudding as seasons change. The base of good quality bread with a simple custard is perfect for experimenting with flavors. With pumpkin on every food blogger’s mind right now (see what I mean, below), this little dish of heaven happened.
Bread puddings are super versatile. I’ve made sweet versions and even savory bread pudding! In its sweeter form, a bread pudding can pass as dessert or even breakfast. Topped with a drizzle of warm maple syrup, it’s basically a baked french toast casserole. The fall flavors in this Pumpkin Bread Pudding make it deliciously perfect to serve on a cool weekend morning, maybe even Thanksgiving morning, or later that night, warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top.
The richness of pumpkin in this recipe creates an almost pumpkin pie-like texture and taste. I love the crunch of walnuts on top with that creaminess below. This recipe is not overly sweet, so that kind of gives you the chance to add whatever you like best on top. A few shakes of powdered sugar, a healthy drizzle of pure maple syrup (or both!) or scoops of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream all pair really well with this.
Use whatever bread you love. I prefer the tender, eggy texture of challah, but any crusty bread, day-old actually is best, will taste delicious. You may even try a cinnamon or raisin bread…that sounds divine! If you try that…I’d love to hear about it!
Today, I’m joining so many of my favorite blogger friends in celebrating a Virtual Pumpkin Party aka #virtualpumpkinparty ! If you looooove pumpkin, you’ll want to click through the links below and take a peek at some of the most creative and delicious pumpkin recipes on the interwebz! Happy fall, my friends!
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 pound loaf of challah brioche or your favorite bread
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups milk see Notes
- 15 ounce pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons butter diced into small cubes
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- <i>Topping ideas:</i>
- powdered sugar
- pure maple syrup
- honey
- whipped cream
- vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch baking dish.
- Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes. Place the cubes into the baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and add the milk, pumpkin, sugar, spices and salt. Whisk to combine. Pour the mixture over the cubes of bread.
- Dot the top of the bread cubes with the bits of butter and the walnuts.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until set.
- Allow to cool for just a few minutes, then top with your favorite topping. Serve warm.
Notes
#virtualpumpkinparty
Cake Over Steak • Quick Pumpkin and Kale Risotto + Arancini
Twigg Studios • Sausage Stuffing Baked in a Pumpkin
Donuts, Dresses and Dirt • Pumpkin Spice Latte Popsicles
Cloudy Kitchen • Pumpkin Cake with Vanilla German Buttercream
Vegetarian Ventures • Smoky Pumpkin & Black Sesame Hummus
Eat Boutique • Pumpkin Scallion Dumplings
A Little Saffron • Pumpkin Stuffed Shells
Two Red Bowls • Pumpkin & Maple Caramel Baked French Toast
Wallflower Kitchen • Mini Pumpkin & Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Wit & Vinegar • Pumpkin Butterscotch Banana Split
Style Sweet CA • Pumpkin Creme Brulee Cake
Nommable • Pumpkin Biscuits with Mushroom Thyme Gravy
With Food + Love • Cinnamon Raisin Pumpkin Seed Bread
Hortus • Creamy Roasted Squash Soup + Pumpkin Risotto
Sevengrams • Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Jojotastic • 1 Pumpkin, 2 Ways: Pumpkin Trail Mix & Dog Treats
Grain Changer • Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal
Girl Versus Dough • Pumpkin Cranberry Flax Crisps
Earthy Feast • Pumpkin Grits + Pumpkin Home Fries + a Fried Egg
Harvest and Honey • Truffled Pumpkin Papardelle Alfredo with Frizzled Sage
Tasty Seasons • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
Broma Bakery • Pumpkin Butter Pop Tarts
Tending the Table • Roasted Pumpkin and Barley Salad
The Sugar Hit • Super Soft Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Delicious Not Gorgeous • Waffles with Spiced Pumpkin Butter and Brown Sugar Walnut Crumble
The Green Life • Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chunk & Hazelnut Skillet Cookie (Vegan)
Foolproof Living • Pumpkin Creme Fraiche Pasta with Sage
The Monday Box • Pumpkin Mini Bundt Cakes
Design Crush • Pumpkin Whiskey Cocktail
The Road to Honey • Pumpkin Pie & Chocolate Layer Cake
My Name is Yeh • Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt and Hazelnut Dukkah
Give Recipe • Orange Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Heartbeet Kitchen • Magic Vegan Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Beard and Bonnet • Marbled Pumpkin Muffins
Eat Within Your Means • Vegan Pumpkin Blender Muffins
Snixy Kitchen • Pumpkin Tapioca Pudding with Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Ruby Josephine • Moroccan Sweet Pumpkin + Beef Tagine
Lab Noon • Pasta Bake with Roasted Pumpkin and Saffron Sauce, Pistachio and Goat Cheese
An Edible Mosaic • Pumpkin Spice Chia Seed Pudding
Hey Modest Marce • Mascarpone Pumpkin Pie
Inspired By the Seasons • Pumpkin Applesauce Smoothie
CaliGirl Cooking • Pumpkin Praline Cinnamon Rolls with Spiked Cream Cheese Glaze
Sally’s Baking Addiction • Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Well and Full • Spicy Chipotle Pumpkin Hummus
Appeasing a Food Geek • Cheese Fondue Stuffed Roasted Pumpkin
SweetPhi • Pumpkin Chili Biscuit Bake
Warm Vanilla Sugar • Buttermilk Pumpkin Doughnuts
Mademoiselle Poirot • Cinnamon-Pumpkin Mousse on Honey Panna Cotta topped with Hazelnut Brittle
Heart of a Baker • Pumpkin Sticky Buns with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Flourishing Foodie • Massaman Curry with Pumpkin and Chickpeas
Ginger & Toasted Sesame • Pumpkin Jeon
Lindsay Jang • Best Ever DIY Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Fix Feast Flair • Hokkaido Pumpkin + Sage Mac and Gouda
Will Frolic for Food • Pumpkin Kale Patties with Coconut Cilantro Rice
A Couple Cooks • Pumpkin Pecan Baked Steel Cut Oats
Vermilion Red • Pumpkin Pie Souffle
- Britnell • Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Displaced Housewife • Brown Butter Pumpkin Donuts
Sweet Gula • Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
La Pêche Fraîche • Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes
Kitchen Konfidence • Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi with Rosemary Brown Butter Sauce
Loves Food, Loves to Eat • Savory Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Kale & Caramel • Goat Cheese & Sage-Stuffed Pumpkin Challah
Okie Dokie Artichokie • Pumpkin Chorizo Chili with Sweet Potatoes + Pinto Beans
Salted Plains • Easy Pumpkin Bread
Liliahna • Chicken Legs with Pumpkin and Tortellini
TermiNatetor Kitchen • Whole Wheat, Pumpkin & Brown Sugar Brioche
Vermilion Roots • Sweet Rice Dumplings with Pumpkin
Celebrate Creativity • Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Tarts
Serendipity Bakes • Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
So Much Yum • Vegan Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
The Brick Kitchen • Pumpkin, Pecan & White Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
Lisli • Pumpkin Pie Cake
Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt • Pumpkin Pie Dip
Fig+Bleu • Pumpkin Granola
The Speckled Palate • Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Swirl Blondies
Cook Til Delicious • Fall Cliche Cake (Pumpkin Spice Cake / Maple Cream Cheese Frosting / Apple Cider Caramel Sauce)
Floating Kitchen • Chicken and Pumpkin Chili
The Wood and Spoon • Pumpkin Pecan Cake with Burnt Sugar Frosting
Fork Vs Spoon • Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Lemon & Vanilla • Pumpkin and Coconut Caramel Flan
Dunk & Crumble • Pumpkin Chocolate Icebox Cake
Chicano Eats • Pumpkin Butter Pan de Muerto
On the Plate • Pumpkin Pancakes, Salted Caramel & Pecans
Rough Measures • Cosy Pumpkin Spice Latte (Caffeine and Dairy Free)
Brewing Happiness • Pumpkin Ginger Breakfast Cookies
A Butterful Mind • Pumpkin Cheesecake with Vanilla Whipped Cream
The Little Loaf • Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Fork to Belly • Pumpkin Gnocchi
The Little Epicurean • Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie
Bourbon and Honey • Spicy Roasted Pumpkin with Honey and Feta
What to Cook Today • Spicy Pumpkin Noodle Soup
Food by Mars • Pumpkin Pie (Grain-Free, Diary-Free)
The Bojon Gourmet • Pumpkin Butterscotch Pudding
Oh Honey Bakes • Pumpkin Cake with Gingersnap Toffee
Long Distance Baking • Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake
The Jam Lab • Pumpkin Madeleines Dipped in White Chocolate
The Lemon Apron • Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf with an Olive Oil Glaze
Sun Diego Eats • Thai Pumpkin & Sticky Rice Cakes
A Cozy Kitchen • Pumpkin Chai Scones with Black Tea Glaze
A Cookie Named Desire • Pumpkin Shrubs
Eating Clean Recipes • Vegan Pumpkin Chia Pudding
Kingfield Kitchen • Vegan Fresh Pumpkin Soup
Drink and Cocktail Recipes • Pumpkin Dirty Chai
The Pig & Quill • Pumpkin Sage Cannelloni (Dairy-Free)
My Lavender Blues • Pumpkin, Banana & Olive Oil Bundt Cake
Betty Liu • Pumpkin + Pear Butter Baked Melty Cheese
Happy Hearted Kitchen • Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin with Tahini Yogurt + Hazelnut Dukkah
InHappenstance • Pumpkin Scones with Maple Butter
Live Eat Learn • Pumpkin Gingerbread Hot Cocoa
traci | Vanilla And Bean
We are bread pudding sistahs, Caroline! I love it so much too.. but put pumpkin in there and woah! I’ll take mine as dessert, slightly warmed, with a scoop of ice cream on top. I just love your photo with raining powder sugar. Just gorgeous!
Caroline
Ahhh…I’ve always felt like we were sistahs anyway, Traci! Thanks so much, sweet friend!
Sarah | Well and Full
When you said this has a pumpkin pie-like taste, I immediately starting drooling lol. I’m not a huge pie fan, but pumpkin pie is the one I’ll make an exception for. And this bread pudding would definitely give pie a run for its money! ;)
Karista
Caroline this is gorgeous. Just shared!
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings
This looks so delicious and perfect for the holidays. Love your dark moody photos!
Caroline
I agree, Karen! I’m planning on making this for Thanksgiving! Thanks a million! xo
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen
Oh my goodness Caroline, you are speaking my language with this bread pudding recipe. The challah (my favorite bread for bread pudding!), the pumpkin puree, the spices…wow! I wish I could just grab that dish right off my screen! I cannot wait to try this. Hope you have a wonderful week.
Caroline
Ah, we are soul mates, Mary Ann! Bread pudding is my favorite! xo
Aimee
This looks amazing i love the photo with the powder sugar x
Caroline
Thanks so much, Aimee! That means so much…I’m a huge fan of your photography! xo