Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe: How to Make Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Pumpkin bread pudding is a rich, creamy dessert made by coasting day-old brioche bread in a sweet pumpkin custard before baking it to a casserole that is crispy on top and tender in the middle. Serve pumpkin bread pudding as a sweet brunch side dish or as a fall-friendly dessert topped with vanilla ice cream or creme fraiche.

Once you’ve mastered the basic pumpkin bread pudding recipe, experiment with these fun and flavorful variations.

1. 1. Dairy-free pumpkin bread pudding: Swap the whole milk in this recipe for creamy, non-dairy milk like oat milk, almond milk, or cashew milk for a dairy-free take on bread pudding.
2. 2. Vegan pumpkin bread pudding: Make your pumpkin bread pudding vegan by using dairy-free milk and replace the eggs with a vegan egg yolk product. In lieu of the vegan egg yolk, you can soak 1 tablespoon of chia seeds soaked in a half cup of water for 15 minutes and add the product to your mixture.
3. 3. Nutty pumpkin bread pudding: Mix some chopped nuts into the pumpkin custard to add some slight crunchy texture and savory flavor to your pumpkin bread pudding.
4. 4. Chocolate pumpkin bread pudding: Mix ½ cup of dark or milk chocolate chips into the bread pudding mixture prior to baking to make a cocoa-flavored spin on this fall pudding.
5. 5. Salted caramel pumpkin bread pudding: Round out the fall-friendly flavors by topping this pumpkin pudding with a rich salted caramel sauce. Pour the sauce over the pudding during the last 5 minutes of baking.
6. 6. Cranberry pumpkin bread: Add fresh or dried cranberries to the pumpkin bread pudding mixture before baking it to infuse your pumpkin bread pudding with a tart flavor.

It’s hard to get this super simple dessert recipe wrong, but these tips will help guide you to pumpkin bread pudding success.

1. 1. Choose the right bread. The type of bread you use to make this recipe is a huge variable of the texture in this pudding. Opt for a sturdy, crusty bread (like challah bread, sourdough, or French bread) that has been sitting on the counter for at least a day (or more). Using fresh, soft bread will result in a mushy overall texture. If you’re in a time crunch and don’t have day-old bread, coat fresh bread cubes in a light layer of cooking spray and bake them in a 300 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15 minutes until slightly crunchy.
2. 2. Prep ahead of time. You can assemble this bread pudding a day in advance of your potluck or fall brunch. Simply assemble the pudding, cover it with plastic wrap, and keep it in the refrigerator overnight until you’re ready to bake it.
3. 3. Experiment with additions. This simple pumpkin bread pudding recipe can be altered to include a variety of ingredients and toppings. Swap the brioche bread for any crusty, day-old bread that you have on hand. Replace the milk with half and half or heavy cream for an even richer dish. Work in your favorite seasonal spices. Add dried fruits like raisins and chopped figs. Mix in nuts like chopped pecans and walnuts for some textural contrast. Play around with toppings like homemade whipped cream, caramel sauce, and ice cream.