Pumpkin Bread Pudding
intro
Warm, custardy bread pudding loaded with pumpkin and cozy fall spices, with a crisp top and soft gooey center, perfect for cool autumn gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep baking dish and oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack positioned in the middle. Grease a 9x9 inch (23x23cm) square glass baking dish with 1 teaspoon of softened unsalted butter. If using fresh instead of day-old brioche, spread 8 cups of 1-inch bread cubes on a sheet pan and toast for 8 minutes at 350°F to dry out, then transfer cubes evenly to the prepared dish.
Whisk spiced custard base
In a large 4-quart mixing bowl, combine 4 lightly beaten large eggs, 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree, ¾ cup packed light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon fine table salt. Whisk vigorously for 1 minute until the mixture is completely smooth, with no visible lumps of spice or streaks of unincorporated egg.
Finish custard mixture
Slowly stream 1.5 cups of room-temperature heavy whipping cream and 3 tablespoons of cooled melted unsalted butter into the spiced pumpkin base, whisking constantly at a low speed to incorporate. Continue whisking for 30 seconds until the custard is a uniform, velvety light orange color, with no separation of fat on the surface.
Soak bread in custard
Pour the finished pumpkin custard slowly and evenly over the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Press all bread pieces down firmly with a silicone spatula to fully submerge every cube in custard. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes at room temperature, pressing down on the bread once halfway through the resting period to eliminate dry spots, while the oven finishes preheating.
Bake until set
Cover the baking dish tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil, then place it on the middle oven rack. Bake covered for 25 minutes at 350°F (175°C), then remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. The pudding is done when the top is deep golden and crisp at the edges, and the center jiggles only slightly when nudged, with no runny liquid seeping to the surface.
Rest and serve warm
Transfer the baked pudding to a wire rack and let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow the custard to set fully. Dust the top evenly with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar, if using, before cutting into 6 equal squares. Serve warm, plain or with a dollop of whipped cream or caramel drizzle.
Tips
2.Avoid overbaking: the center of the pudding should have a gentle jiggle when removed from the oven, as it will continue to set during the 10-minute rest period. Overbaking produces a dry, rubbery custard.
3.This recipe is make-ahead friendly: assemble the unbaked custard and bread mixture, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 12 hours before baking. Add 5 minutes to the covered bake time if cooking straight from the fridge.
OMG this is the ULTIMATE fall dessert! I made this for our family Sunday dinner last weekend and every single person went back for seconds. The spice blend is perfect, not too heavy on the cinnamon, and the texture is so custardy and cozy. 10/10 will be making this for every potluck from now until Thanksgiving!
Game changer for weeknight meal prep? Wait hear me out! I baked this on Sunday, cut it into individual portions, and grabbed a slice every morning on my way to work this week. It’s sweet enough to feel like a treat but not so sugary I crash by 10am. So easy to throw together too, even with my three kids running around the kitchen while I prepped!
First time ever making bread pudding and this was so straightforward! The only thing I messed up was leaving it in the oven 10 minutes extra so the edges were a little crispier than I wanted, but the middle was still chef’s kiss. My roommate ate half the pan in one sitting lmao. Will definitely set a timer next time!
Made a couple swaps to make this vegan: used oat milk instead of dairy, flax eggs, and vegan brioche, and it turned out SO good! I was worried the pumpkin flavor would get lost with the swaps but it was still perfectly spiced and rich. Even my non-vegan boyfriend asked for seconds!
Made this after a chilly fall hike last weekend and it was the perfect post-adventure warm treat. We heated up slices over the campfire (don’t judge, it worked!) and topped them with marshmallow fluff. 10/10 cozy vibes, exactly what we needed after 6 miles in 40 degree weather. It was so easy to prep the night before too, just popped it in the oven when we got home!
I was worried this would be too heavy after a big Thanksgiving test run dinner, but it’s perfectly light while still feeling indulgent. I used leftover sourdough from my local bakery instead of regular white bread and it added such a nice tang that cut through the sweet pumpkin and spice. Obsessed!
My kids loved it!!! I’ve been struggling to find fall treats they don’t turn their noses up at (they say pumpkin spice is “too spicy” smh) but they ate two slices each after dinner last night. Even asked if I could pack a slice in their lunch boxes for school today. Total win!
Brought this to our tailgate last Saturday before the game and people were asking me for the recipe before the first quarter even started. It’s so easy to transport in the baking dish, no fancy serving stuff needed, and it tastes just as good room temp as it does warm. Total tailgate home run!
Super easy recipe, came together in like 15 minutes of prep which is perfect for a lazy rainy Sunday. My only note is I wish it had a little more pumpkin flavor — next time I’ll add an extra 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree to make it extra pumpkin-y. Otherwise, texture was spot on and the spices were warm and cozy.
I know it’s still 90 degrees here in Phoenix but I don’t care, it’s fall as soon as September hits and I’m making all the pumpkin things. This bread pudding was so good I even turned my AC down to 68 while it baked so I could get the full cozy vibe lmao. Worth every penny of the extra electric bill.
Made this for my girlfriend’s birthday dinner and she said it’s better than the bread pudding we had at that fancy downtown restaurant last month. Win for me! I topped it with a quick bourbon caramel drizzle and it was chef’s kiss, highly recommend adding that if you want to make it feel extra fancy.
Just pulled this out of the oven and my entire apartment smells like fall heaven. I prepped all the ingredients last night so all I had to do when I got home from work was pop it in the oven, zero stress. Can already tell this is going to be a weekly rotation this season!
I’ve been making my own pumpkin bread pudding for 30 years and I have to say, this spice blend is better than mine! I love that it’s not overloaded with nutmeg, which so many recipes overdo these days. Shared the recipe with all my friends at the senior center this morning!
Made this in my tiny dorm oven! Had to cut the recipe in half because my baking dish is tiny, but it still worked perfectly. Only issue was my dorm smoke alarm went off because I forgot to put a baking sheet under the dish and a little bit bubbled over, oops. Still tasted amazing though!
Full transparency, I normally hate pumpkin spice everything — I think it tastes like candle wax 90% of the time. But my roommate made this and made me try a bite and I’m obsessed. The pumpkin flavor is really natural, not artificial tasting, and the bread gets so soft and custardy. I might even make this myself this weekend, that’s how good it is.
Used gluten free cinnamon raisin bread for this and it was so good! The raisins added little bursts of sweetness that paired perfectly with the pumpkin and spices. I was worried GF bread would get too mushy but it held up great, even with the custard soak. Will be making this all fall long!
This was my first time bringing a homemade dish to my friend’s annual fall potluck and I was so nervous it would flop. Nope! Multiple people asked for the recipe, one person even said it was the best dish at the whole party. Super easy to follow, no fancy ingredients needed, total confidence booster for a new baker like me.
Made this with my 7 year old daughter for her school’s bake sale and it was such a fun easy recipe to make together. She loved helping stir the pumpkin custard and sprinkle extra cinnamon on top. We sold every single slice in 15 minutes, she was so proud. Great recipe for making memories with the kids!
Made this with a few light swaps: whole grain bread, unsweetened almond milk, and half the sugar, and it still tasted totally indulgent! It’s the perfect treat to satisfy my sweet tooth without throwing off my nutrition goals. I love that it’s versatile enough to tweak for different dietary needs without ruining the flavor.