Today I’m doing a mash up of two of my favorite foods…pumpkin pie and bread pudding. I enjoy pumpkin pie so much but I am trying to hold off on making one because maybe I enjoy it a little too much. And bread pudding is a favorite breakfast item around here. It’s such a great comfort food. So the blending of the 2 becomes the best Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding you’ve ever had.
Lest you think that I just sit around eating pie and breakfast pastries, I just want it known that I haven’t had any pie in about 4 weeks. And no bread pudding for over a year. I do enjoy sweet desserts and pastries but I try not to eat them very much. And when I do make something special, I like to share it with friends and family so that there is less to overeat.
So have you ever had breakfast pie? It’s simply having leftover pie for breakfast. If there is any leftover that is. So now with this pumpkin pie bread pudding you can have your pie and eat it too.
Pumpkin is a great addition to your autumn meals. We grow some in our garden each year but I mainly use them for my fall decorations. So I like to buy a few during the early season and make my own pumpkin puree. It’s so easy to do now-a-days. I used to cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Then I would roast it in the oven on low for several hours. Finally, after it cooled I would puree it. But making puree is so much quicker now with an Instant Pot. Follow the directions below to make your own pumpkin puree. Then just bag it in freezer bags and freeze and you will have enough for pumpkin pies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spice lattes…..Did I tell you that I love pumpkin?
How to make your own pumpkin puree in an Instant Pot…
Prepare the pumpkin
Wash the outside of your pumpkin to remove dirt and chemicals. Carefully cut your pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and set them aside. Now cut your pumpkin into 4-5 inch chunks.
Place in Instant Pot
Place the pumpkin in your instant pot on top of the rack. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom. Seal the IP and cook on Manual for 8 minutes. Quick release after cooking and carefully remove the pieces. Place in a colander inside a large bowl. This will allow moisture to drain off as the pumpkin cools. Let the pumpkin cool to the point where you can easily handle it.
Puree the pumpkin
Once the pieces are cool, use a large spoon to scrape the pumpkin off the skin. Place the pumpkin in your food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. You may need to prepare several batches if you use a large pumpkin. I used a 15 pound pumpkin and ended up with about 14 cups of puree.
If you are going to make your own pumpkin puree for pies and other treats I recommend that you buy your pumpkins in October. They are plentiful and the closer you get to Halloween the lower the price will be. After October the price of pumpkins will usually jump up and you might be paying a premium price if you can even find the large ones. So snag a few now to make enough pumpkin puree for all of your Thanksgiving pies and holiday treats.
So on to the recipe. Many pumpkin bread pudding recipes use pumpkin bread as the base. But I like to use a heartier bread that will hold up to the egg mixture. So I typically use a dense french bread. But if you are fresh out then you can use any mild flavored bread. You could also use pumpkin bread if you have some extra for a double dose of pumpkin.
Like eating pumpkin pie for breakfast with a blending of pumpkin flavors and bread pudding. Double the recipe if you're serving a crowd.
- 1/2 loaf french bread
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 11/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice, See Note
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp butter
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Cut up the french bread into 1 inch cubes. Place in an 8-10 inch casserole dish that has been sprayed with oil.
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Mix the sugar and the eggs. Add in the pumpkin puree and blend. Slowly stir in the milk and add pumpkin pie spice. Pour egg mixture over bread, pushing the bread into the egg. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Let the bread pudding sit for 15 minutes to absorb the egg mixture.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until the egg is set and the top is golden. Can be eaten warm or cooled. Drizzle with the cinnamon sauce or top with whipped cream or even ice cream.
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Note: To make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice, mix 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cloves.
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Mix the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon together in a saucepan. Slowly whisk in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer while stirring frequently, until thickened.
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Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and butter. Drizzle over Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding when serving.
This Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding is a great weekend breakfast dish when you have more time to bake. Or you can bake it the night before and refrigerate it for a quick breakfast idea. Serve it warm with the cinnamon sauce or with whipped cream. For dessert you could even top it with ice cream. There are so many ways to enjoy this bread pudding.