The Sunday Recipe: Pumpkin and Maple Bread Pudding

December 19, 2021 at 6:00 am (Recipes)

This has become a family tradition. It’s adapted from Flavor Mosaic at https://flavormosaic.com/pumpkin-praline-bread-pudding/. I changed the type of bread, spice blend, substituted maple syrup for sugar, used unsalted butter, and halved the sauce. (Also using maple syrup in the sauce.) Our local grocery sells 1 ½ pound sourdough loafs so we always get to enjoy sourdough toast that weekend as well.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 pound of sourdough bread
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup half & half
• 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1and 1/3 cups maple syrup
• 4 large Eggs
• 2 tablespoons extra light tasting olive oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/16 teaspoon (or a large pinch) of ground cloves

Sauce

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces pecan halves, toasted THEN chopped

Instructions 

1. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish with the one tablespoon of unsalted butter.
2. Dice the bread into approximately 1 inch cubes.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.
4. Add the maple syrup, heavy cream, half& half, and pumpkin, stirring between each addition.
5. Now add the melted butter in a thin stream, whisking all the while.
6. Stir in the vanilla and spices.
7. Slowly pour the batter over the bread pieces in the baking dish.
8. Press bread down with a spoon to cover all the bread pieces.
9. Refrigerate at least one hour but preferably several hours, even overnight.
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for about 1 hour.
11. While the bread pudding is baking, toast the pecans gently and chop.
12. Then make the praline sauce.
13. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stir together the butter, heavy cream, and maple syrup; bring to a low boil.
14. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
15. Sprinkle pecans over bread pudding then drizzle with sauce.
16. Serve warm or cold.
17. Whipping cream is a nice addition.