The perfect fall pumpkin dessert, not to mention it is comforting, pleasantly sweet, and amazingly delicious. A great way to use leftover pumpkin puree and leftover bread.Made with simple ingredients and easy to customize and make your own with various (optional) add-ins like dried fruit, nuts, and spices.
The best bread for fall-inspired bread pudding
First and foremost, we must discuss the bread. Homemade challah is my preferred enriched bread of choice. It’s soft, deeply golden, and super satisfying. Plus, this recipe offers a great excuse to use the version of challah bread with raisins. A loaf of French brioche is another great option.
Ingredients needed for this recipe
I swapped out a few ingredients from my original pumpkin maple bread pudding to provide a clean and healthy recipe without refined sugar. Gather together two cans of pumpkin puree, whole milk, heavy whipping cream, large eggs, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, kosher salt, vanilla extract, Challah bread, pecans, and raisins.
A few helpful tips on ingredients:
Pumpkin: Make sure to purchase Pure Pumpkin Puree (no added sugar) versus Pumpkin Pie Filling (added sugar and spices). Fresh pumpkin puree is another great option.Milk + Heavy Cream: Full-fat of both dairy products adds body and richness. It is dessert, after all! Substitute 1 ⅔ cups half-and-half (half milk, half cream) for a slightly richer custard.Maple Syrup: Any color (dark, amber, golden) of pure maple syrup is wonderful. Use whatever you have on hand. Alternatively, you can use a cup of brown sugar or even coconut sugar as a sweetener in this recipe.Cinnamon, Nutmeg + Allspice: The touch of ground spices really make this pumpkin dessert recipe taste like fall. Feel free to use 2 teaspoons of Pumpkin Pie Spice (or pumpkin spice) instead.
How to make this recipe?
All it takes is one large bowl, a whisk, and a 9×13 inch baking dish (or a 9 or 10-inch pie plate) to get this pumpkin pudding mixed together and ready for the oven. Simply:
Serving suggestions:
This pumpkin dessert recipe is so delicious, like you-can’t-stop-eating-it delicious.
Serve with sweet condiments: For extra decadence, I like to serve it warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of maple whipped cream, cream cheese maple frosting, creme fraiche or my chocolate frosting without butter.Try it with store-bought condiments: For even more sweetness, warmed caramel sauce or bourbon butter sauce would pair beautifully.
Variations for this pumpkin spiced bread pudding:
Pumpkin apple bread pudding: Wash, peel, core and dice 1-2 tart apples (such as Granny Smith) and saute over low heat in 1 Tablespoon butter. Cool and add to the pumpkin custard mixture.Pumpkin chocolate chip bread pudding recipe: Add 1 cup dark, milk or white chocolate chips along with the mix-ins.Switch it up by using different nuts: Add or replace the pecans with 1 cup chopped walnuts.Pumpkin Bread Bread Pudding: I have seen a few recipes online for pumpkin bread bread pudding (say that 5x fast!) which uses leftover pumpkin bread. I have never tested this myself as I feel it would be too sweet and steal away from the silky pumpkin custard. However, if you want to give it a go, feel free to try using half Challah half pumpkin bread to add in more pumpkin goodness into the recipe.Sweet Potato Puree: If you’d rather make this recipe with sweet potatoes use an equal amount of sweet potato puree instead of pumpkin puree.
Making Ahead & Dessert prep for Thanksgiving:
This recipe works wonders made ahead of time, which is why I always make sure to make it as a Thanksgiving dessert. Simply prep it the night before, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and set it in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge an hour beforehand, then bake in the oven following the recipe card below. If baking directly from the fridge, simply add 5-10 minutes to the baking time.
Storage and reheating instructions
The leftovers of this easy bread pudding recipe will keep for up to 2 days in the fridge. Cover with plastic wrap and keep it in the same baking dish you made it in. Or, cut into individual portions and place in an airtight container with squares of parchment between each piece. To rewarm, place the entire pumpkin casserole, covered (to prevent from drying out) in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until it is thoroughly warmed. For individual bread pudding squares, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, tent with foil, and bake for 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.
More Pumpkin Recipes You Might Like:
Easy Pumpkin BreadPumpkin Oatmeal MuffinsPumpkin Ginger SoupAlmond Flour Pumpkin MuffinsNeed more dessert inspiration? Check out our Refined Sugar-Free recipes archive for more.
This recipe is adapted with minor changes from Anne Burrell and Suzanne Lenzer’s “cook like a rockstar” cookbook.
