Happy Monday!! Why am I so excited about a Monday you may ask? Well, that’s because today is one of the best days of the year! It’s the Virtual Pumpkin Party! An annual event where almost 100 bloggers post everything PUMPKIN all day long. Even if you’re tired of your PSL (because at this point they’ve been out for like 6 weeks already…) I can guarantee you will find some pumpkin inspiration amidst all these goodies.

Sara puts together the event and then links to ALL of the recipes, which is a great resource! In years past there has been everything from Loaded Pumpkin Nachos to Pumpkin Chocolate Pudding to Crispy Baked Pumpkin Wings…literally everything! I am really into the savory pumpkin recipes these days and loved my Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasties I made for last year’s event, however I went back to sweet side with this Pumpkin Bread Pudding.

This was my first time making bread pudding and I have to admit, I had no idea how easy it is! Why don’t people make this more often?! What’s even better is that the recipe can be assembled the night before, left to sit in the fridge over night letting all the pumpkin and syrup and spices soak into the bread, and baked in the morning. I’ve already decided this is going to be breakfast on Thanksgiving.

The outer pieces of bread have a nice crusty crunch, but the inner pieces are gooey and taste almost like a pumpkin pie. I used brioche bread (buns, specifically because I couldn’t find any bread) but any sweet bread like challah or even croissants would work too. Pecans are added for some Southern flair and more fall flavor and raisins because I am one of the few people who genuinely like raisins in their desserts. These add ins are totally customizable to your taste buds! Which is another great perk of bread pudding.

Last but not least, the Maple Cream Sauce. You could definitely eat this without the sauce and it would still be delicious, but if you can add a sticky sweet syrupy sauce onto anything…why wouldn’t you? It is basically a sweeter, creamier, more flavorful syrup and it is a dangerous thing to have around. I could see this going perfectly on pancakes, ice cream, straight into your mouth…the possibilities are truly endless here.

I hope you make this bread pudding for an upcoming holiday gathering or just to celebrate fall! Make sure to check out #virtualpumpkinparty on Instagram to see all the pumpkin creations or click over HERE to see this years submissions.

Enjoy!

~Stephanie

Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Maple Cream Sauce (recipe adapted from Taste of the South and The Spruce Eats)

• 7-8 cups Brioche bread, cubed
• 1 cup golden raisins
• ½ cup pecan pieces + more for topping (optional)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 ½ cup heavy cream
• ¾ cup real maple syrup
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp allspice

Maple Cream Sauce

• ½ cup real maple syrup
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp butter

1. Toss bread cubes, raisins and pecan pieces together in large mixing bowl. Transfer to a 10in cast iron skillet or a greased 9×9 baking dish. Exact amount of bread needed will depend on your dish choice. Start with 7 cups and add more if needed.
2. In a second bowl, whisk together pumpkin, cream, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla and spices.
3. Pour over bread mixture and gently (so as to not overflow your dish) stir to fully coat. Sprinkle top with additional pecans as desired. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour, up to overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
6. While bread pudding bakes, make the maple cream sauce.
7. Add the maple syrup, heavy cream and butter to a small saucepan. Stir to combine then bring to boil.
8. Reduce heat and continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into a heat safe jar for easy pouring or simply use a ladle to drizzle syrup directly over entire bread pudding skillet once baked or over individual pieces once served. Or both, you can’t go wrong with this syrup.