Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Toffee Sauce

This pumpkin bread pudding post is sponsored by Dixie Crystals in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.

Pumpkin bread pudding is perfect for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, or just any time you feel like having delicious pumpkin bread pudding with toffee sauce!

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Toffee Sauce

If you know me, or if you’ve read my blog for at least two minutes, then you know that I love sweets.  One look at my pumpkin brownies baked in a pumpkin should convince you of my devotion to dessert.

Since it’s officially fall, I’m ready to enjoy pumpkin recipes again.  Last year’s brownies baked in a pumpkin were showstopping, but they were a little bit time intensive.  This year, I’m making something that’s quicker and easier, yet is absolutely delicious and perfectly themed for fall.

Bread pudding is one of my weaknesses.  Often, I’ll eye a loaf of bread in the pantry, practically willing it to go stale so I can go ahead and make bread pudding out of it.  Making a pumpkin bread pudding is the natural evolution of bread pudding for this time of year.

The great thing about bread pudding is that it’s flexible.  You can throw in different spices or mix-ins, use different types of breads, or swap out white for brown sugar, and you’ll still end up with a delicious result.  I encourage you to experiment!  As long as you have the basic ratio of eggs to milk (2 eggs to 1 cup of milk), and enough total liquid to soak the bread, you’ll do just fine.

Consider this pumpkin bread pudding for your Halloween festivities, Thanksgiving meal, or just any fall day where you want something warm and wonderful.

If you enjoy pumpkin, you’ll fall (ha!) for my pumpkin muffins and my soon-to-be famous crustless pumpkin pie.

Tips for Making Pumpkin Bread Pudding

• Stale bread is preferable (it’s drier, and dry bread soaks up more liquid), but fresh bread will work fine.  Don’t let a lack of stale bread stop you!
• Stick with whole milk rather than low fat or skim milk for the best texture.  Some bakers even use a mix of milk with cream or half-and-half for an incredibly rich soaking liquid.
• Adding a shot of your favorite liquor is a great way to add flavor.  I love brandy or dark rum, but bourbon or cognac work well, too.  Think about what liquor would coordinate well with the flavor of your mix-ins.
• Try some extra mix-ins: chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, dried apple chips, etc.
• You can bake bread pudding without a water bath, but it may get a bit drier and more firm.  Water baths are not as difficult as they sound, so I recommend you give it a try.
• If the bread pudding browns too much, cover it loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking until done.
• Bread pudding is great for breakfast.  Just consider it French toast with attitude.

5 from 1 vote

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Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Toffee Sauce

Pumpkin bread pudding is perfect for fall! Whether it's Halloween, Thanksgiving, or just a beautiful fall day, you'll love this easy pumpkin bread pudding.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 8

Calories 359 kcal

Author Katie Moseman

Ingredients

For the Bread Pudding

• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 7 1/5 ounces pumpkin puree (half of a 15 oz can)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 8 ounces challah bread (half of a 1 pound loaf)

For the Toffee Sauce

• 1/2 cup half and half
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

For the Bread Pudding

1. Rub the butter all over the inside of a 9 by 5 inch bread pan until the butter is used up. Set the pan aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the sugars, pumpkin, and spices, then stir until well combined. Add the milk and whisk until the mixture is completely liquid. Add the eggs and whisk until combined.
3. Cut the challah bread into 1 inch slices, then cut or tear into pieces that are approximately the size of a 1 inch cube. Place the bread chunks in a large bowl.
4. Pour half the liquid mixture over the bread chunks. Mix the pieces gently with your hands until coated. Add the rest of the liquid and mix again.
5. Place the bread pieces into the pan, fitting them snugly (no large gaps) but not cramming them tightly. Press down lightly on top of the bread pudding to compact it. Cover it with aluminum foil that presses down on top. Weight the top with a couple of weights, such as tuna cans, to provide a gentle pressure.
6. Let the pudding rest in the refrigerator overnight. (Want to skip this step? See note.)
7. When you're ready to bake, fill a 13 by 9 pan with 1 inch of water and place the pan in the oven. Preheat the oven to 325. When preheated, remove the weights and the foil from the bread pudding and carefully place the bread pan in the water bath in the oven.
8. Bake for approximately 1 hour or until you can press on the top of the bread pudding without liquid coming out of the cracks. Let cool while you make the toffee sauce.

For the Toffee Sauce

1. Combine the toffee sauce ingredients in a pan and heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Turn up the heat and boil rapidly for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened. Cool slightly.

To Serve

1. Cut the bread pudding into thick slices and put on serving plates. Drench with toffee sauce and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

You can make this recipe immediately, without waiting. Just set up the water bath and preheat the oven, and skip the part where you cover the pudding and put it in the fridge overnight.

Nutrition Facts

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Toffee Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 359 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13g 20%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Cholesterol 110mg 37%

Sodium 274mg 11%

Potassium 271mg 8%

Total Carbohydrates 53g 18%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 38g

Protein 8g 16%

Vitamin A 88.8%

Vitamin C 1.5%

Calcium 16.7%

Iron 10.7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Leave a comment!  How do you like your bread pudding?