Spiced Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Thrifty bakers once turned stale bread into pudding, and this American take welcomes pumpkin puree with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Day-old brioche soaks in a silky custard until it bakes soft and warmly spiced.

Serves 8 · 25 min prep · 55 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 410 cal
• 10g protein
• 48g carbs
• 20g fat
• 3g fiber

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 8 cups day-old brioche or challah, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp fine salt
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter for greasing and dotting
• 2 tbsp maple syrup for finishing

Instructions

1. 1Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish generously and scatter the bread cubes in an even layer so every piece can soak up custard.
2. 2In a large bowl whisk the pumpkin puree with milk, cream, whole eggs, yolks, both sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt until completely smooth and freckled with spice.
3. 3Pour the custard slowly over the bread, pressing the cubes down gently with a spatula so they submerge and begin to absorb the liquid.
4. 4Let the dish sit at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes, occasionally pressing again, until most of the custard is soaked in and the top looks plump rather than dry.
5. 5Preheat the oven to 350°F. Dot the surface with small bits of the remaining butter and cover the dish loosely with foil.
6. 6Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and continue baking 20 to 25 minutes more until the center is set but still softly jiggly, the edges are puffed, and the top is golden brown in spots.
7. 7A knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs; if it looks liquid, give it another 5 minutes.
8. 8Cool on a rack 15 minutes so slices hold together, then drizzle lightly with maple syrup just before serving.
9. 9Serve warm in squares straight from the dish for easy weekend passing, or chill and reheat individual portions the next morning.