Name: Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 14 ounces fat free evaporated milk; 6 large eggs; 1 cup pupkin puree; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves; 6 cups cubed brioche bread; 1/2 cup caramel bits; 1/2 cup pecan halves

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Baked donuts turned bread pudding, this Pumpkin Bread Pudding is fall in a pan with pockets of caramel bits and crunchy pecans on top! Perfect ending to #PumpkinWeek.

Have y’all been enjoying #PumpkinWeek? I know I have. So many great recipes from so many amazing bloggers. From milkshakes to pastas to pies there’s a recipe for everyone this week. I’m sort of sad today is the last day, but everything must come to end eventually, right? That just means I can take my time cooking up all these delicious pumpkin dishes and get ideas for NEXT YEAR’S #PumpkinWeek.

Now, I told y’all I was baking all this week for #PumpkinWeek, right? I started with the Pumpkin Pretzel Sticks, then I made the Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins, and now I’m ending the week with Pumpkin Bread Pudding. And trust me when I say you’re going to love this recipe. It not only smells amazing when it’s baking, but tastes amazing when it’s done.

I am a food hoarder!

For those that are regular readers, I’m sure you know all about my food hoarding and not wanted to waste anything that I purchase. That includes bread. Honestly. I buy a loaf of bread to have with dinner, forget to have the bread with dinner, and three days later it’s molded. Why does bread mold so quickly in my pantry? Is it just me and my freakish pantry? Or do others have this issue, too?

Then there’s the hamburger and hot dog buns that could be in there for weeks on end and just get smashed and dried out. I always see them and think, “I should make a bread pudding.” But, I never do and just wind up throwing those down the disposal. Because who really wants to eat a hot dog or hamburger on those buns? I know I don’t. I buy a package, we eat four, and then the rest just sit there until I get tired of seeing them. That’s one of the problems with being one of only two; buns.

But this recipe didn’t come about because of hot dog buns or even a loaf of bread. This recipe came about from some baked donuts I made. I’ll be sharing that recipe next week for #Choctober. It’s also one not to be missed. I did a dry run of said recipe and they came out good, but a little overbaked. But I kept them because, well, see paragraphs above. After I made them I tasted them and decided to hang onto them. I planned on making a delicious bread pudding with them.

Confession.

Me and bread puddings have a sordid past. I’ve tried to make a few, but always forget to let the bread soak before baking. They usually just turn out more like a strata with egg coated bread pieces. Honestly. Y’all need to make sure and let this baby set for a while so the bread can soak up all that pumpkin goodness. As you can see in the photo there, that orange pumpkin flavor soaked clear through those donuts and gave them new life into this delicious bread pudding.

Please let this cool slightly before serving.

I know it’s going to be difficult waiting for it to cool. Trust me on this one. I can equally sympathize with your urge to want to just grab a spoon and dig in. And since it’s your bread pudding you’re more than welcome to do that, but your guests or family might have objections to that.

Consequently, I’d suggest a really sharp knife and possibly wiping it off in between slices. You see, those caramel bits are going to stick to your knife and might make for messy slices if you’re not careful. Go with the cheesecake method of slicing and wipe your knife off between slices.

Considering my sordid past with bread puddings, I think I nailed this one. You can see the bread layers and the pumpkin flavor throughout. You can see that crunchy topping of pecans and hints of pockets of caramel goodness. This one is going on the record as being my best bread pudding ever!!

What’s your favorite bread pudding recipe?