This Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe is made with sweet challah bread, layered with pumpkin puree, and filled with spicy fall flavors. A drizzle of homemade caramel sauce and a dollop of whipped cream finish this Fall treat off. It’s the perfect make ahead dessert for the holidays that will have your family wanting more!
We all know that when Autumn rolls around, many of our baking recipes are going to contain that sweet pumpkin flavor. If you love flavorful bread pudding, this will quickly become a seasonal favorite, along with my famous apple bread pudding. While you are stocking up on the canned pumpkin puree, grab a few extras so you can make pumpkin cinnamon rolls and two-ingredient pumpkin donuts.
Special gatherings call for easy comfort food recipes like this pot roast recipe, brown sugar glazed ham, crockpot steak bites, or herb roasted chicken. All of these dishes pair well with a rich tray of pumpkin bread pudding for dessert!
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love Pumpkin Bread Pudding
- A twist on the traditional bread pudding. Also, try our Apple Bread Pudding!
- Perfect dessert for the fall and holiday seasons. Wonderful after a great Thanksgiving dinner.
- Homemade bread pudding can be made ahead of time.
- Great recipe for serving crowds, make a double recipe!
- A way to use leftover old bread (not stale bread though)
- Ingredients are pantry staples, so you won’t have to shop much!
🍞 Ingredients:
- Challah bread – brioche or thick French Bread will work as well.
- Unsalted butter – adds that richness to each bite
- Large eggs – let whole eggs come to room temperature to make mixing easier
- Half & half – or heavy cream, great richness and adds moisture
- Light brown sugar and granulated sugar – that bit of sweetness
- Vanilla extract, pumpkin spice, and salt
- Pumpkin puree – be sure you’re using 100% pumpkin puree and not a blend that already has spices or sugars in it
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- We also love to add nuts into the bread pudding before baking. Our favorite are chopped pecans, but walnuts are great too.
- Try mixing in some dried cranberries, raisins, or even chocolate chips.
- If you want to keep this dairy free, you can substitute soy milk or your favorite alternative milk into this. Just use slightly less as it is not as thick as the half & half.
- Whole milk works great too if you’re cutting back on the fat.
- You can omit the caramel sauce over the top and use a simple maple syrup or cream cheese glaze.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Grease the baking pan with cooking spray or by brushing it with butter.
Step 1: In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin mixture including the eggs, half and half, sugar, vanilla, two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, and salt.
Step 2: Place the bread cubes in the bottom of the greased baking dish.
Pro Tip: We are using canned pumpkin puree for ease, but if you have a fresh pumpkin, you can use that instead.
Step 3: Pour the egg mixture over the top of the bread. Stir to coat if needed. Drizzle the melted butter over the pumpkin bread pudding.
Step 4: Cover tightly with foil and chill for at least four hours or overnight.
Step 5: When it’s time to bake, allow the dish to come to room temperature while the oven preheats to 350 degrees.
Step 6: Bake for 45 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking for another 30 minutes.
Step 7: While it’s baking, combine the butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly and remove once the temperature reaches 220 degrees. Remove from the heat and pour in the half and half, vanilla, and salt.
Step 8: Slowly drizzle the sauce over the warm bread pudding. Reserve some for individual servings. Let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve pumpkin bread pudding with caramel sauce with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Recipe Tips for Delicious Pumpkin Bread Pudding
- Making bread pudding ahead of time is a great idea, because the longer it sits, the better it tastes. However, do not let it chill for more than 24 hours or it may get soggy.
- We like using challah bread because it’s a little sweet, thick, and buttery – much better than regular sandwich bread.
- Your baking dish should be room temperature before cooking. If not, it could shatter during the baking process.
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Watch the temperature of the caramel sauce, it burns easily. We use a candy thermometer for best results.
- Keep the leftover caramel sauce in a container with a lid for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. Mason jars work well. When ready, heat for 30 seconds in the microwave or over low heat on the stovetop.
- To use fresh pumpkin puree: cut your pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. Place each half flesh side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees until it’s fork tender. Scoop out the pumpkin and pulverize with a blender until smooth. Allow it to cool before adding it into this bread pudding mixture.
Fun Fact
The United States produces over 1.5 BILLION pounds of pumpkins per year!
Recipe FAQs
Keep leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave if desired.
If you want to freeze it, transfer cooled leftovers to a freezer bag (do not add the caramel.) Save the sauce for when you are ready to serve.
You can, but we like it when it’s warm or at room temperature!
More Pumpkin Desserts For Pumpkin Lovers
If you tried this Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Bread Pudding:
- 8 cups 1 pound loaf Challah bread, cubed into 1 inch pieces)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 8 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups half & half
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
Caramel sauce:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup half & half
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Butter the sides and bottom of a 9×13 baking dish with 2 tablespoons of butter. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, half & half, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice blend, salt, and pumpkin puree. Be sure that all the eggs are well beaten and all the ingredients are well combined.
- Into the bottom of the prepared 9×13 baking dish, place the cubed challah bread.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture over the bread making sure you cover all the bread with the egg mixture. You can gently stir the mixture so that all of the bread is coated in egg mixture.
- Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and drizzle it over the entire top of the pumpkin bread pudding.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350* F. While your oven is preheating you will want to allow your baking dish to sit at room temperature to warm up before placing it into a hot oven. This is especially important if you are using a glass baking dish.
- Bake the pumpkin bread pudding for 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the top is lightly golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While your pumpkin bread pudding finishes baking you can make your caramel sauce by adding the unsalted butter, granulated sugar and light brown sugar to a saucepan on medium heat. You will melt your butter and cook your sugars for 5-6 minutes, whisking constantly, or until the mixture reaches 220*F on a candy thermometer. Be very careful not to let your sugars burn.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the half & half, vanilla extract and salt until fully incorporated.
- When the pumpkin bread pudding comes out of the oven, slowly pour the caramel sauce over the top of the warm bread pudding. Reserve about ½ cup of the caramel sauce to serve with individual servings.
Would you like to save this?
We’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Making bread pudding ahead of time is a great idea, because the longer it sits, the better it tastes. However, do not let it chill for more than 24 hours or it may get soggy.
- We like using challah bread because it’s a little sweet, thick, and buttery – much better than regular sandwich bread.
- Your baking dish should be room temperature before cooking. If not, it could shatter during the baking process.
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Watch the temperature of the caramel sauce, it burns easily. We use a candy thermometer for best results.
- Keep the leftover caramel sauce in a container with a lid for up to 1 month in the refrigerator. Mason jars work well. When ready, heat for 30 seconds in the microwave or over low heat on the stovetop.
- To use fresh pumpkin puree: cut your pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy parts. Place each half flesh side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast at 400 degrees until it’s fork tender. Scoop out the pumpkin and puree with a blender until smooth. Allow it to cool before adding it in.
Nutrition
Make this recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @girlinspired1 and follow on Pinterest for more!
Comments & Reviews
Fanny Drake says
The recipe looks delicious n will be making it for desert thanksgiving day.