If you love pumpkin desserts, you’re going to fall head over heels for this Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread Pudding. Made with cinnamon swirl bread, plenty of warm spices, and real pumpkin, this easy dessert (or breakfast!) will surely impress.
Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe
Cinnamon bread pieces soaked in a rich pumpkin custard and baked to perfection, this homemade bread pudding is perfect for the fall season.
- Great any time of year – Although pumpkin is loved during fall, our family enjoys pumpkin recipes like this one all year round!
- Serve for breakfast or dessert – While bread pudding is commonly served as a dessert, it would also be a great breakfast recipe for Saturday mornings!
- Use up leftover bread – When you have a loaf of bread that’s on the verge of going stale, bread pudding is the perfect recipe to use it up.
What You’ll Need
You only need a few ingredients to make this great fall dessert which is why this cinnamon bread pudding is one of our favorites.
- Eggs – Fresh, quality eggs are best! You need 5 for a great custardy texture without it being too “eggy”. Egg yolks have the most flavor, so if you are worried, use 3 whole eggs and 4 egg whites. Some yolk is essential to make a custard base.
- Whole milk – You can use a different fat percentage or even a non-dairy milk, but whole milk will give it a richer flavor and texture. Some use part heavy cream too, but I found this to be a little too rich for my taste.
- Canned pumpkin – make sure you use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mixture.
- Sugar – Using a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar sweetens the pudding and adds a hint of molasses flavor.
- Vanilla extract – Use a good quality pure vanilla extract. Try your hand at homemade vanilla extract.
- Pumpkin pie spice mix – Use a pre-bought pumpkin spice, or make your own. You can also substitute apple pie spice.
- Salt – Just a touch helps bring out the sweetness and pumpkin flavor.
- Cinnamon swirl bread – Find this in your grocer’s bread aisle. You can also use a loaf that has raisins in the swirls. Stale bread or day-old bread works best because the dry parts soak up the custard well. If you can’t find it, you can also use plain brioche, challah bread, or French bread.
Variations
This pumpkin bread pudding is great because it is so versatile, and served so many different ways.
- For any meal – Serve it for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
- Hot or cold – You can serve it hot or cold (it’s amazing warm from the oven, but leftover bread pudding is awesome straight from the fridge, too).
- Sauces – Top with a sauce like homemade caramel sauce, a bourbon sauce, or a traditional vanilla sauce. Fudge is also delightful.
- Topping – Serve it with homemade whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can also drizzle maple syrup over top or sprinkle it with chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Add ins – Stir a cup of raisins or chocolate chips into the custard.
- Muffins – Use a batch of our Pumpkin Muffins with streusel for a fun twist.
- Seasoning – Add in nutmeg, ground cloves, ginger, allspice, or cinnamon.
How to Make Bread Pudding
This recipe is so easy to make!
- Prepare oven and pan. Preheat the oven and prepare the baking pan.
- Make pumpkin-spiced custard. In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except for the bread. Set aside.
- Slice bread. Slice the bread using a serrated knife (bread knife). Since cinnamon swirl bread is usually pre-sliced and on the thinner side, you want to use slightly larger cubes so they don’t disintegrate.
- Let bread soak. Gently toss the cubed bread into the pumpkin custard and allow it to rest so the bread can soak up some of the liquid.
- Add to pan. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan.
- Press. Use a spoon or spatula to press down on the egg mixture, evenly distributing it and really pressing it down to help create the right texture.
- Bake. Bake until set, for bread puddings that usually means it will be slightly spongy, but with an internal temperature of 160°F. Actual cooking times might vary depending on the depth of your baking dish.
- Cool and enjoy. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then serve with caramel sauce and whipped cream!
Common Questions About Pumpkin Bread Pudding
No — these are not the same. Pumpkin pie filling has sweeteners and seasoning while canned pumpkin is only the puree.
Pumpkin bread pudding may be watery if the ratio of wet to dry ingredients is off or if it is under-baked.
Yes! It’s easy to use a store-bought can of pumpkin puree for this bread pudding.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Store any bread pudding leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Reheating: To reheat and serve the next day, cover the container with foil and bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave for 45-60 seconds, or until warmed through, but like any bread, it has the tendency to get a little chewy.
Freezing: In fact, it freezes really well. Wrap any baked leftovers in aluminum foil and/or freezer paper well. Or place in a plastic freezer bag and try to get out as much air as possible to prevent ice crystals.
More Desserts You Will Love
I’m a lazy baker, but like maximum flavor. Here are a few favorite easy baking ideas.
Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 15 ounces canned pumpkin
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 16 ounces cinnamon swirl bread (1 loaf)
For serving:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Coat a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin spice mix, and salt. Set aside.
- Working with a few slices at a time, cut the bread into 1 1/2” cubes.
- When all the bread has been cut, gently toss into the pumpkin mixture to coat.
- Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes.
- Carefully spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to evenly spread the mixture around and to press down on the mixture.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the mixture is set and doesn’t jiggle when you wiggle the pan.
- Allow to cool before serving. Serve with caramel sauce and whipped cream.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe is amazing and so perfect for fall. Wish I could eat it every day, but might regret that soon enough.
This is such a great idea! The epitome of fall flavors. My whole family loved it. Thanks!
so delicious! i love bread pudding and love using things other than normal plain bread for it! yummmmmm!
Love this for a crisp fall brunch! The flavors are perfect and I cannot wait to make this weekend!
I love the flavor of this bread pudding. It’s easy to make too 😉