This post updated September 2015 as part of the #ThrowbackThursday photography project, where I add better photos to already delicious recipes!
Welcome to my blog! I’m looking forward to sharing recipes with you and hopefully encouraging you to get creative and play in the kitchen too. Let’s begin, shall we?
I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin as a food trend. The pumpkin has been terribly abused and after one too many bad pumpkin incarnations, I actively avoided cooking with pumpkin (other than savory soups) until this year. We needed a dessert for Thanksgiving and I wanted something comforting and decidedly “fall”. I also happened to have some fresh pumpkin puree around and some Goodie Godmother challah bread.
I’m not going to say this is the perfect bread pudding, but it was so. good. We waited all of five minutes before sneaking bread hunks from the edges of the pan for “quality control” purposes.
Pumpkin Challah Bread Pudding
A sweet pumpkin bread pudding with just enough pumpkin spice makes a decadent and unique fall dessert!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Bread Pudding:
- 6 cups bread cut into 1” cubes left out to dry overnight
- 2 cups whole milk or heavy cream
- 3 eggs
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- cup ½ pecans, chopped
Whiskey Sauce (Optional)
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- 1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
Instructions
Pumpkin Bread Pudding Instructions:
- Warm the milk or cream with the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, or in the microwave in a large glass measuring cup, until the butter is melted and the milk is just warm. Set aside.
- Grease a 9x11" baking pan and pour in your bread cubes, ensuring they're evenly distributed. Sprinkle the pecans over the bread crumbs.
- Whisk the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin spice together in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the milk and butter mixture, stirring until smooth.
- Pour the milk evenly over the bread cubes. If you have time, loosely cover and refrigerate the pudding at least one hour, up to overnight.
- About 20 minutes before you intend to bake, preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes or until the top of the pudding is brown and the center is set. Look for the edges to just start pulling away from the pan, or an internal temperature of 160 F.
- Remove and allow to cool 30 minutes before serving so the pudding can set. Bread pudding may be served warm or at room temperature.
- Store extra bread pudding in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave at 30 second intervals before serving.
Bread Pudding Bourbon Sauce Instructions:
- Place the butter and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until melted and the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and whisk in the egg - keep stirring rapidly to avoid lumps!
- Whisk in the whiskey.
- The sauce will seem thin, but will thicken a bit as it cools. You may store extra sauce for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Notes
- I prefer brioche or challah bread for flavor and texture, but any slightly stale bread will do.
- You can use lighter milk for this recipe, but you'll have a thinner custard. The fat in the cream gives richness to the dessert. If you need a non-dairy substitute, use a higher-fat option.
- If you don't have pumpkin spice on hand, use a mixture of 1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon cloves. The seasoning has a lot of flexibility to use what you'd like.
- The sauce is optional. Sometimes, I make it. Sometimes, I dust the bread pudding with powdered sugar and call it good. Do what works for you.
- This recipe is excellent to make in advance because you can assemble early in the day, then refrigerate and bake closer to serving time. Bread pudding can be served warm or at room temperature.
- If you end up with some lumps of egg in your sauce, don't fret! Run the sauce through a sieve to remove the bits of cooked egg.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 488Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 328mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 2gSugar: 38gProtein: 9g
These nutrition values are estimates. Exact values will vary depending on the ingredients, brands, and quantities used.