Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

This easy gluten free Pumpkin Bread Pudding recipe is baked with cinnamon and topped with homemade caramel sauce. A perfect fall dessert!

Bread pudding is one of my all-time favorite desserts. It's rich and decadent without being overly sweet. To celebrate the season I added pumpkin and warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. This Pumpkin Bread Pudding is seriously delicious!

'Tis the season - for all things pumpkin. Pumpkin has become wildly popular during the fall months over the past few years and for good reason - It's delicious. Pumpkin is one of those things that defines an entire season.

There's no mistaking it - When we think about pumpkins, we think about fall. Last Monday was officially the first day of fall so I thought it appropriate to break out a pumpkin recipe.

Being a food blogger during the fall months means that I often have tasty desserts laying around the house. I try to control myself around them by only having a bite or two.

This one? I started with one bite, then, two, and by the time I knew it I had eaten a quarter of the freakin' pan. Yeah, it's THAT good.

Jump to:

• What Kind Of Bread Should Is Best For Bread Pudding?
• How To Make Pumpkin Bread Pudding
• Soak The Bread In The Pumpkin Mixture
• How To Make Homemade Caramel Sauce
• How Long Do I Bake Bread Pudding?
• How To Tell When It's Done Baking
• What To Serve With Pumpkin Bread Pudding
• Can Bread Pudding Be Frozen?
• Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

What Kind Of Bread Should Is Best For Bread Pudding?

The key to any bread pudding? Bread. Any kind of bread will probably do, but I find it best to go for one that is dense and semi-dry.

I am gluten free but that does not stop me from enjoying desserts like this one. I used a couple loaves of gluten free white bread (Canyon Bakehouse and Schar both make a solid basic white bread).

If you are not gluten free something like challah, brioche, or sourdough would be perfect. A softer bread will give you a softer texture once it's cooked, but I like bread pudding that's got some density to it.

1. Cut 1 loaf of bread into cubes (yields 8-10 cups) and set them aside in a bowl. The size of the cubes is up to you - I chopped my bread into roughly one inch cubes.

It's OK if the bread dries out a little bit as you prepare the rest of the ingredients. The bread will just soak up all that pumpkin goodness.

How To Make Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding is a rustic, old-fashioned dessert with roots tracing back to the 11th and 12th centuries. It originated as a way to use up stale bread so it didn't go to waste.

It's kind of like French toast or a dense baked custard in taste and texture.

1. To make it preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Generously spray a 9x13 inch baking dish. This will keep all that bread from sticking to the surface of the dish as it bakes.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the following ingredients: 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), 3 eggs, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, ½ cup white sugar, ½ cup packed brown sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 2 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. nutmeg, and ¼ tsp. salt.
4. Mix all of these ingredients together until you have a smooth consistency.

This mixture looks a little like pumpkin pie filling. It's thick and has a custard-like texture.

Soak The Bread In The Pumpkin Mixture

1. Spread the bread cubes evenly across the bottom of the greased baking pan.
2. Slowly drizzle the pumpkin custard mixture over the bread crumbs and gently stir the bread until it is evenly coated in the mixture.
3. Allow the unbaked pumpkin bread pudding to sit for 15 minutes before baking - This will allow the bread to soak up the custard.

Looking for more fall desserts? Don't miss these!

• Gluten Free Apple Pie
• Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie
• Cast Iron Apple Crisp
• Maple Bourbon Walnut Pie
• Gluten Free Apple Crisp
• Apple Galette
• Old Fashioned Apple Cake
• Gluten Free Apple Muffins

How To Make Homemade Caramel Sauce

We could stop there, but we're not going to. The whole thing is topped with a homemade caramel sauce. If you've never made caramel sauce, don't worry. It's really easy to prepare.

I personally don't care for super sweet desserts, so the bread pudding portion of this one is only mildly sweet.

Much of the sweetness comes from the caramel sauce and you can add as much or as little of it as you like.

1. To prepare the sauce, heat 3 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat.
2. Once the butter has melted, add ½ cup brown sugar and combine the two ingredients, stirring constantly. Do this for a minute or so until the brown sugar deepens in color.
3. Now, slowly add ½ cup heavy whipping cream to the pan and continue to stir constantly.
4. Add a pinch of salt and stir it into the sauce. If you like more of a 'salted caramel sauce' feel free to add a bit more salt.

The key to caramel sauce is not to burn it. Stir for another minute or so until you've reached the consistency you want. Remove from heat and set aside.

How Long Do I Bake Bread Pudding?

1. Place the pan in an oven that has been heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place a large piece of foil loosely over the pan so that the bread doesn't burn as it cooks.
3. Bake for 40 minutes, remove the foil, and then bake for another 5 minutes.

Be forewarned - Your house will start to smell amazing! You want the edges of the bread to get golden and crusty. The inner part of the pumpkin bread pudding will remain soft and have a 'french toast' type texture.

Remove the pan from the oven and set aside to cool.

How To Tell When It's Done Baking

You can tell the bread pudding is done when the custard has 'set' and baked through. It's important not to overcook it as it can become dry.

What To Serve With Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Now it's time to dig in and remember why fall is one of the best times of the year.

Scoop a big portion of the pumpkin bread pudding onto a plate or serving bowl and drizzle with some of the caramel sauce. Feel free to sprinkle a little more cinnamon or nutmeg over the top.

This recipe is a bit customizable as you can add as much or as little of the sauce as you like.

You can also serve bread pudding with ice cream, crème anglaise, or homemade whipped cream.

It's perfect served with anything you would enjoy with a slice of pumpkin pie (like a cup of coffee).

Love desserts? Check out these recipes!

• Buttermilk Rhubarb Cake
• Old Fashioned Blueberry Buckle
• Scandinavian Almond Cake
• Baked Lemon Doughnuts
• Irish Cream Chocolate Doughnuts
• Italian Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Can Bread Pudding Be Frozen?

This pumpkin bread pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days after baking. Simply allow to come to room temperature before refrigerating. It's best not to leave it out as it contains eggs and dairy.

How To Freeze

It actually works great to freeze this dessert.

1. Prepare the bread pudding as directed and allow to come to room temperature.
2. Cut it into serving portions and wrap each portion tightly in sandwich bags.
3. Place the bags in an airtight container and store up to 2 months.

How To Reheat

Transfer the bread pudding portions to the fridge and allow to thaw for 24 hours.

It can be reheated in the microwave or oven.

Make sure to freeze it without the caramel sauce!

The caramel sauce will last up to 5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I would not freeze it and would recommend preparing just before serving if you do decide to freeze the bread pudding.

Love pumpkin? Check out these recipes!

• Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
• Crustless Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffles
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Scones
• Pumpkin Caramel Panna Cotta

Looking For More Pumpkin Desserts? Don't Miss These!

Ultimate Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin Cake Roll

Pumpkin Custard Pie

Caramel Pumpkin Lava Cakes