The wonderful smells of this pumpkin bread pudding filling the house is the perfect Fall sensation. We love sharing this easy baked bread pudding with pumpkin spice for the weekend. It’s the perfect breakfast or brunch dish to make for family and friends. 

pumpkin bread pudding in baking dish

Pumpkin Bread Pudding – What is it? 

We love a good bread pudding and so do all our readers! Our chocolate bread pudding recipe is a hit and this version is just as good for Fall. Bread pudding is a traditional dessert that’s normally made from old bread and egg based custard. It’s an easy casserole to make that’s sweet and flavorful.  If you love pumpkin flavors and spices, you’ll love this recipe for breading pudding with pumpkin. The flavors and textures are fantastic for all bread pudding lovers. 

Best Spices for Fall Pumpkin Flavors 

There’s different spices that make you feel Fall has arrived. You can use any combination of these ground spices that you like for your version of pumpkin bread pudding. This popular pumpkin spice history is quite interesting on how it’s become so popular today. 

  • Pre-Mixed pumpkin pie spice is the easiest to use. 
  • Cinnamon 
  • Nutmeg 
  • Cloves 
  • Ground ginger
  • Allspice that’s ground
serving of pumpkin bread pudding with whipped cream

What types of bread for bread pudding? 

The key to making a great bread pudding is using stale, older bread because it bakes better without being mushy. The older bread is more firm, where as fresh loaves are softer and can easily get mushy during baking. 

  • You can essentially use any white sandwich bread. From white sliced bread to french loaves to crusty loaf bread. 
  • But our favorite is using brioche bread or challah bread because they’re soft, tender and slightly sweet. They’re fantastic for this soft custard style dessert. Leftover croissants are great too!
  • Avoid too hearty of a bread (dense rye bread or other dense loaves) or seeded breads unless you want that extra texture.

Video: Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Can you prep bread pudding overnight? 

Sure you can prep a few steps to make this easier to bake the next day. Don’t pour the egg custard mix into the bread overnight because it will soak up too much and bake dry. Here’s our suggestion for prepping this bread pudding recipe ahead of time: 

  1. Cut your bread and place it in a plastic bag the day ahead. 
  2. Make your custard mix and store it in the fridge the day ahead. 
  3. Select your baking dish and set aside. Place the cut bread into the dish to make sure the amount fits the baking dish you’re intending to use. 
  4. Next day, when you’re ready to bake the bread pudding pre-heat the oven according to the recipe instructions. Grease your baking dish. Then layer the bread in the baking dish. Give the egg custard mix a stir, then pour into the baking pan and bake. 

Tips On How to Make Pumpkin Bread Pudding 

  • Did you read our tips on on the types of bread? The type of bread you choose is important. 
  • Spice flavor level: we love a strong level of pumpkin spice. You can customize the bread pudding got your personal flavors and add more pumpkin pie spice if you like. An additional teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice makes all the difference! 
  • Allow the pudding to cool before serving. It can be very tempting to try to eat it right away. But it needs to cool to hold its shape before serving. 
  • Adding different dried fruits are always yummy. Raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots that are chopped or even chopped dates will add great flavor.
  • For some crunchy texture add a big handful of your favorite chopped nuts or use a seeded bread.
  • All pumpkin bread pudding recipe details are in the recipe box below. 
seving pumpkin bread pudding

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Yield: 12 Servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
If you use a smaller baking dish, bake for a bit longer to make sure it bakes all the way through. If needed, cover with foil to prevent the top from browning too much.
There are many options to use for the bread. You’ll want to use stale bread, as it absorbs the custard mixture the best and still retains some body to the bread pudding. Cut up day-old French bread, challah, white sandwich bread, brioche loaf, & leftover croissants are great choices. Avoid too hearty or seeded breads unless you want that extra texture. If you don’t have stale bread on hand, cut up the bread and spread out the pieces on a baking sheet pan, and leave out for a few hour to overnight or lightly toast in the oven just enough to slightly dry out.
5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients

  • 8-10 cups (1900-2350 ml) stale bread *see head note , cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 5 large eggs , beaten
  • 1 cup (240 ml) pumpkin puree (about 9 oz. or 255g)
  • 2 cups (480 ml) milk
  • 2 cups (440 g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pumpkin pie spice *see note below recipe
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
  • 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (480 ml) whipped cream (optional)

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Grease or Butter a 9”x13” baking dish. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
    Buttering a baking dish
  • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until the whites are fully incorporated. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, milk, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt and vanilla extract.
    Custard ingredients in a bowl
  • Cut bread into 1/2" cubes (*see head note regarding bread options).
    Cutting bread into cubes
  • Add the bread into the custard mix and gently toss. Lightly press down on the bread to soak up the liquids.
    Tossing bread cubes in custard mix
  • Pour the bread pudding into the prepared baking dish.
    Uncooked bread pudding in baking dish
  • Bake at 350°F/175°C for 45 minutes. Check to see if the custard is set in the center and the top golden. If needed continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until set and golden.
    Baked bread pudding in baking dish
  • Allow to cool and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
    Piece of pumpkin bread pudding topped with whipped cream on a plate

Notes

Homemade Pumpkin Puree: For the ambitious, try making the pumpkin bread pudding with a homemade pumpkin puree. Depending on the pumpkin you make the puree out of, it may be a bit more watery than the commercially bought canned purees. If so, reduce the amount of puree to 3/4 cup or increase baking times to make sure it bakes through.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, or just want to make your own ratio, here is a base spice substitution for a homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Video

YouTube video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 307kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 330mg, Potassium: 237mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 41g, Vitamin A: 3357IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 147mg, Iron: 2mg
Course: Breads, Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 307

Freezing and storing leftover bread pudding

If you plan on eating the bread pudding within 2-3 days, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge. If you want to store it for longer, you can freeze it in air tight containers. But try to eat it within about 2-3 weeks. If it freezes too long it can get freezer burn. Also, when you freeze the bread pudding, it needs to thaw in the fridge before serving. If it’s a little watery or mushy, you can warm it in the oven at 350F for about 10-15 minutes OR until the bread pudding is to your liking. You can also microwave the pumpkin bread pudding for a quick re-heat. 

seving pumpkin bread pudding

Ideas for Toppings

We love taking bread puddings over the top by offering different toppings. Add different toppings like homemade whipped cream, whipped topping are great.

  • We love having some fresh fruit like berries or even chopped fresh sweet peaches.
  • To make it extra decadent, add a big dollop of ice cream! 

More Easy Pumpkin Recipes: