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Rich, spiced pumpkin flavors combine with a sweet and crunchy pecan topping making this Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe a comforting and indulgent treat that your whole family will love.

It’s my favorite time of year! Fall is in the air, and that means it’s time to indulge in all the pumpkin desserts! I know not everyone is a pumpkin fan…but I am!

One of my NEW favorite seasonal treats is this Delicious Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding! When I hear the words “Bread Pudding” I instantly think of a “Christmas Carol” and the classic bread pudding shared by Bob Cratchits Family.

This bread pudding is a delightful dessert that combines the warm flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg with the satisfying crunch of pecans. Plus, it’s a great way to use up stale bread and reduce food waste. (It won’t reduce your waist…but calories don’t count during the Holiday Season! Am I right or am I right?! We can all dream!)

My salted caramel sauce is the perfect topping for this pumpkin-spiced custard based dessert! Finish it off with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream for a perfect holiday meal finale!

Ingredients need to make Pumpkin Bread Pudding

• ½ cup packed light brown sugar – you can use dark brown sugar for a richer depth of flavor.
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamon (optional)
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1½ cups half-and-half – for a richer, creamier custard you can substitute heavy cream.
• 1 cup whole milk – you can substitute with 2% milk.
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin – this is pure pumpkin purée NOT pumpkin pie filling.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (16 oz) loaf hearty crusty French bread, stale bread works best, cut into 1-inch cubes.

Ingredients for Candied Pecans

• ½ cup chopped pecans
• ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Topping Ingredients

• Salted caramel sauce, for serving (see link for recipe) You can also use store purchased salted caramel ice cream topping.
• Sweetened whipped cream, for serving (see recipe post on how to prepare sweetened heavy cream)

Instructions for making Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe

Preheat oven to 350° (F). Butter a 9 x 13, or 8 x 12 – inch baking dish. Set greased baking dish aside.

Preparing Candied Pecan Mixture

In a medium bowl combine chopped pecans and melted butter. Stir to evenly coat. Add brown sugar. Toss to coat and set aside. The brown sugar will not stick to all the pecans, and that is fine!

Pumpkin Custard Mixture

In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Yep, basically you’re making your own pumpkin spice!

Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in half-and-half, milk, pumpkin, and vanilla. Can you see how we are creating a rich creamy custard for the bread cubes?

Whisk until all ingredients are combined!

Let’s talk Bread!

I want to take a minute to talk about the type of bread that work best in bread puddings and why?

Unlike a lot of desserts, bread puddings can be made with a wide variety of substitutions and additions. They can be made with virtually any bread or roll, except those made with baking soda for their leavening. Examples of this would be muffins, biscuits, or quick breads…like banana bread.

Light egg breads like challah, or brioche bread, produce puddings with beautiful airy and spongy textures. Artisan breads like French bread, create a more dense pudding.

You could also use cinnamon swirl bread in this recipe for added flavor. Just be sure it is a yeast bread. Old bread works best as it tends to be a bit dryer and more readily apt to soak in the custard mixture.

Check your local bakery section for special holiday breads made this time of year. Get creative and put your own spin on this pumpkin lovers dessert!

Back to our recipe…

Place cubed bread, whatever type of bread you choose to use, in an extra large mixing bowl.

Pour pumpkin mixture evenly over bread cubes then gently toss to coat.

TIP: You can use a silicone spatula to gently fold mixture to coat.

Let mixture rest 10 minutes to absorb some of the pumpkin custard mixture.

Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Don’t worry too much if the bread starts to fall apart. It’s going to be fine.

Baking Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Gently press down the cubes to even it out just a little bit in the pan. It also lets the egg mixture settle into all the nooks and crannies! We all know about nooks and crannies…right?! (Sometimes we call them wrinkles and crinkles at this age! Wink, wink!)

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes carefully slide rack out and sprinkle top of the bread pudding with prepared pecans, bake for an additional 10 minutes or until set. Total bake time should be about 50 minutes.

PRO TIP: Why do we wait to place the pecans on until the end of the bake time? So they don’t burn! Because they are coated with brown sugar and butter, they tend to toast quickly, and the sugar can burn.

The top should be slightly golden brown and the nuts crispy.

Let cool for a few minutes, then cut into individual servings. Serve with salted caramel sauce, sweetened-whipped cream with a sprinkle of nutmeg, or a side scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This Easy Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding is the perfect dessert for the fall season. Forgo the traditional pumpkin pie at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner and indulge in one of the best bread puddings I’ve ever had!

One of the things I love about this great recipe is that it can be made a day ahead of time and baked the next day! Prepare all the ingredients per the instructions, place them in your baking dish, cover it with plastic wrap, or aluminum foil, store it in the refrigerator overnight. Before baking bring the dish to room temperature, this will prevent your baking dish from cracking when placed in a hot oven.

Bake right before serving! It’s best served warm, fresh out of the oven!

The rich, spiced pumpkin flavors combined with the sweet and crunchy pecan topping make it a comforting and indulgent treat that your whole family will love.

Frequently asked Questions and Answers

• Can I use “fresh bread” to make bread pudding? Yes you can, however it works much better with old bread. Older bread tends to be dryer and allow the bread to soak up all that egg mixture.
• Can leftover bread pudding be saved and reheated? Absolutely! Store any leftover bread pudding in an airtight container. To reheat place in the microwave on high for 1–2 minutes. Serve warm.
• Can I add other toppings or ingredients to this recipe like cranberries? Yes! You could add dried cranberries, chocolate chips, bourbon, brandy, rum, or raisins. There are so many different ways to make classic bread pudding. Bread puddings are like sponges. They can absorb almost anything. So don’t be afraid to get creative!

Other Favorite Holiday Pumpkin Recipes

• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Dump Cake Recipe
• Easy Traditional Pumpkin Pie Recipe
• Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
• Layered Pumpkin Lush
• Pumpkin Pound Cake with homemade walnut caramel sauce
• No-bake Pumpkin Pie from Julia’s Simply Southern

In addition to being a wonderful Holiday dessert this Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding with its scrumptious salted caramel sauce is incredibly easy to make, so you can enjoy it any time you want a taste of autumn!

Happy Nesting My Friends! Stop back by soon… I’ve got more wonderful Seasonal recipes coming your way!

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