Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Cranberry Maple Syrup is cozy and comforting with rich pumpkin custard, warm spices, and a drizzle of maple-cranberry syrup. This delicious recipe is the perfect fall dessert or make-ahead dish for brunch, Thanksgiving dinner, or Christmas morning.
For more comforting desserts, try Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust and Paula Deen Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting.
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❤️You're Going to Love This
- Pumpkin pie flavor. Cozy cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves give it the cozy flavor of pumpkin pie.
- Maple cranberry syrup. A tart-sweet drizzle that makes this taste like pumpkin French toast casserole.
- Easy recipe with simple ingredients. Just whisk, soak, and bake.
- Make ahead. Prep it the night before for an easy fall breakfast or Christmas brunch.
- Dairy-free option. Use almond milk for a dairy-free pumpkin spice bread pudding.
This easy pumpkin bread pudding recipe is like a cross between French toast and traditional pumpkin pie in bread pudding form. It's soft, custardy, and filled with pumpkin spice flavor, topped with a sweet and tangy maple cranberry syrup. Perfect for fall desserts, weekend breakfasts, or festive holiday season brunches.
🎃Ingredients
- Day-old bread. I used marble rye in these photos. Brioche, challah, French bread, or even regular sandwich bread all work great. Slightly stale bread soaks up the custard best. Toast fresh bread cubes for 10-15 minutes if needed.
- Pumpkin. Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Milk. I use almond milk, but any kind of dairy or non-dairy milk will work.
- Nuts. Pecans add crunch and complement the warm spices, but walnuts or almonds also work.
- Cranberries. Use dried cranberries in the pudding and fresh or frozen cranberries for the maple syrup.
- Maple syrup. Use pure maple syrup for the best flavor. Pancake syrup won't taste the same.
- Spices. Swap in pumpkin pie spice or add extra ginger, cardamom, or allspice for a custom blend. A tiny dash of cayenne or black pepper is also delicious in pumpkin recipes like these mini pumpkin pies.
🥣How to Make Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding
Step 1. Grease an 8x8-inch baking dish and add cubed bread, dried cranberries, and ⅓ cup chopped pecans.
Step 2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin purée, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Pour the liquid mixture over the bread, pressing to soak all the cubes. Let sit at least 1 hour or overnight.
Step 3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle pecans over the top and bake about 1 hour, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean or the internal temperature is 170°F.
Step 4. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat maple syrup and fresh cranberries 2-3 minutes, until cranberries pop. Spoon over warm bread pudding and serve with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.
✅Expert Tips
- Use stale bread. Leftover bread absorbs more custard for a rich, pudding-like texture.
- To make ahead, press a layer of plastic wrap over the surface to keep the bread submerged in the custard, refrigerate, and bake the next day.
- Watch for doneness. It's done when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Freezer-friendly. Cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
❓FAQs
It absorbs more custard, resulting in a soft, creamy texture that doesn't turn soggy.
Yes. Assemble, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight, and bake straight from the fridge as the oven preheats.
Store leftover bread pudding and maple cranberry syrup covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes. Cool completely, wrap well, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Insert a knife in the center - if it comes out clean or reaches 170°F internally, it's ready.
Cover bread pudding in foil and reheat it in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
😋More Delicious Pumpkin Desserts
📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Cranberry Maple Syrup
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed day-old bread (about 6 slices)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 2 cups almond milk
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Combine the bread cubes, dried cranberries, and ⅓ cup pecans in the baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk milk, pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until well combined.
- Pour the pumpkin mixture over the cubed bread. Gently press to soak the bread into the custard. Let sit for at least an hour or cover and refrigerate up to overnight (press plastic wrap onto the surface to keep the bread immersed).
- Preheat oven to 350. If chilled overnight, place the cold dish in the oven while it preheats. Sprinkle the top with 3 tablespoons pecans. Bake 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the internal temperature reaches 170°F.
- In a microwave-safe dish, heat maple syrup and the cranberries for 2-3 minutes or until it boils and the cranberries pop. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil over.
- Drizzle warm syrup over the bread pudding and serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Refrigerate leftovers up to 5 days.
Notes
- Use stale bread: Dry bread absorbs more custard for a rich, pudding-like texture. Toast fresh bread cubes for 10-15 minutes if needed.
- Easy to make ahead: Soak overnight and bake in the morning.
- Reheat: Cover with foil and warm in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Freeze: Cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 3 months.
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