Pumpkin Brioche Bread Pudding
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Pumpkin Brioche Bread Pudding is a cross between a breakfast casserole and a sweet pumpkin pie! It's made with brioche bread, then smothered in pumpkin custard and topped with golden raisins and pecans.
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Why You'll Love It
If you're a true pumpkin spice lover, this easy recipe is for you! Cozy and warm spices are nestled between brioche bread and pumpkin custard to create a comforting dessert with lots of fall flavor!
This pumpkin bread pudding is perfect for special occasions like Thanksgiving or Christmas morning because you can make it ahead and pop it in the oven when needed. It will remind you of a french bread casserole which is similar to Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding.
Pumpkin Brioche Bread Pudding is very versatile, so dress it up for dessert, or serve it at a casual brunch. Drizzle it with maple syrup or bourbon caramel sauce for a special treat. Or, add a dollop of pumpkin spice whipped cream for a real show stopper!
Ingredients
Use high quality ingredients for best results. See recipe card for quantities.
- brioche loaf - use a day old plain or vanilla brioche loaf
- pure pumpkin - purchase pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie mix
- brown sugar - sweetens pudding perfectly
- pumpkin pie spice - the only spice you'll need in this recipe
- large eggs - create the custard base
- evaporated milk - adds richness to the custard
- heavy cream (or milk) - for a dense pudding, use cream
- vanilla extract - adds a touch of vanilla flavor
- pecans - gives the pudding a little crunch
- golden raisins - adds sweetness and texture
- real maple syrup - the perfect drizzle
How to Make Bread Pudding
It's easy to make bread pudding with this old fashioned recipe that features quality ingredients. Since it's basically a custard or soufflé, it cooks into a slightly jiggly consistency. Adding bread creates enough firmness to cut it into squares.
1 - Gently cut brioche bread into cubes with a serrated knife and place in the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
2 - Sprinkle the bread with raisins and pecans.
3 - Whisk the rest of the ingredients together slowly, taking care not to scramble the eggs.
4 - Pour pumpkin mixture over bread and cover completely. Make sure all pieces of bread are submerged. Let sit for 10 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until middle is set but slightly jiggly.
5 - Cool 10 minutes, then serve with pumpkin spice whipped cream and pure maple syrup.
Recipe FAQS
Bread pudding is a dessert created with stale bread and custard made from eggs and cream. It's been nicknamed the 'poor man's pudding' since it uses leftover bread as its main ingredient instead of letting it go to waste.
The best bread for pudding needs to have a thicker consistency so it will hold up to the custard and not fall apart. Brioche is more dense and works well in this recipe. You can also use a french baguette if brioche is not available.
Pumpkin bread pudding is best served warm within 30 minutes of coming out of the oven. Enjoy it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or maple syrup drizzle. You can also add whipped cream if desired. Some folks like to eat their bread pudding cold, but I'm not a fan of the consistency once it's refrigerated.
Make sure you check the pudding after 40 minutes. That's all the time my oven needed to bake it perfectly. You definitely don't want to overbake it or it will be dry. Look for a light and fluffy texture with a little jiggle in the middle.
Top Tips
- Use brioche bread that is at least a day old. Since it has a high butter content, brioche is more dense and can stand up to the weight of the cream. Using another type might not yield the same results.
- Check the pudding after 40 minutes to make sure it's not over baked. It should be golden brown with a slight jiggle in the middle. If it starts to crack, it may be cooked too long.
- Make this dish up to a day ahead and keep in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
Storage and Freezing
Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container. If you wish to freeze this recipe, do so after baking. Be sure to wrap it well and it will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
To reheat, bake refrigerated leftovers in a 300 degree oven until warmed through. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake as directed until warm.
Variations
- Add a little 'sass' to your bread pudding by drizzling it with bourbon caramel sauce instead of maple syrup.
- Add chocolate chips instead of raisins for a completely different taste.
- Serve this pudding with vanilla ice cream and candied pecans for a flavor explosion!
- Lighten up this version by using 2% milk instead of heavy cream and evaporated milk.
Related Recipes
If you're crazy about pumpkin spice, here's more recipes to love...
- Pumpkin Spice Latte Bread
- Pumpkin Spice French Toast
- Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Pie
- Pumpkin Spice Coconut Bark
- Pumpkin Spice Flip Cake
Recipe Card
Pumpkin Brioche Bread Pudding
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Equipment
- 13 x 9 inch baking dish
- large bowl and whisk
- hand or free standing mixer
Ingredients
BREAD PUDDING
- 1 loaf brioche bread 14 ounces
- ½ cup pecans
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 1 can pure pumpkin 15 ounces
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 can evaporated milk 12 ounces
- 1 cup heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pure maple syrup for drizzle, optional
PUMPKIN SPICE WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 16 ounce carton heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
BREAD PUDDING
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cube brioche loaf into bite size pieces and place in a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle bread cubes with raisins and pecans.
- In a separate bowl, whisk pure pumpkin, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, eggs, evaporated milk, heavy cream and vanilla extract together until smooth.
- Pour pumpkin mixture over bread in casserole dish. Cover all pieces of bread and let it sit for 10 minutes to absorb the custard.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until middle is set.
- Cool bread pudding for 10 minutes before cutting into 8 squares. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and pumpkin spice whipped cream.
PUMPKIN SPICE WHIPPED CREAM
- With a mixer, beat heavy cream until peaks form.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice.
- Pipe onto bread pudding.
Notes
- Use brioche bread that is at least a day old. Since it has a high butter content, brioche is more dense and can stand up to the weight of the cream. Using another type might not yield the same results.
- Check the pudding after 40 minutes to make sure it's not over baked. It should be golden brown with a slight jiggle in the middle. If it starts to crack, it may be cooked too long.
- Make this dish up to a day ahead and keep in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- See this recipe as a story on the web!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
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You call for a "carton" of heavy cream for the topping. At the store I found 8 oz., 16 oz., and 32 oz. "cartons" of heavy cream. Which "carton" should I choose to finish this recipe?
It's a 16 ounce carton (1 pint) of heavy cream for the whipped topping
If this is anything like your chocolate bread pudding recipe, I can't wait to make it!