Last Updated on September 23, 2025
Pumpkin bread pudding is a perfect fall treat and so easy to make. It is full of those pumpkin spice flavors that everyone will love. It’s a comforting classic that’s incredibly easy to make, using simple ingredients you likely already have on hand. This dessert bakes up into a tender, custardy pudding that’s remarkably tasty when served with a generous pour of gooey caramel sauce, a dollop of whipped cream, and a handful of chopped nuts.
This Pumpkin Bread Pudding Hits The Spot
- A Taste of Fall. This recipe captures all the classic flavors of autumn, with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger infused throughout the rich, pumpkin-flavored custard.
- Simple & Straightforward. This dessert is incredibly easy to make. It’s the perfect way to use up day-old bread, turning it into something truly special with minimal effort.
- A Crowd-Pleaser. Whether you’re serving it for a weeknight dessert or a holiday gathering, this bread pudding is a guaranteed hit. The combination of the warm pudding, rich caramel sauce, and crunchy nuts will have everyone asking for seconds.
- Make It Your Own. This recipe is easy to customize. Feel free to use different types of bread, add chocolate chips or raisins, or top it with your favorite ice cream instead of whipped cream.
Ingredients Needed For Pumpkin Bread Pudding
The bread you use is up to you, but it should be sturdy bread. Almost any white bread, whole wheat, or brioche would be good. I happened to use a sourdough bread that MaryJo made.
If your bread has a hard crust, it’s best to cut that off. A tender sandwich bread crust is fine to leave on.
Cut the bread into cubes that are 1/2″ to 3/4″ in size.
Besides the bread, you will need:
- Pumpkin puree
- Eggs
- Milk
- Half and half
- Brown sugar
- Granulated white sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Spiced rum (optional)
- Spices: ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt
Then, for the easy-to-make Caramel Sauce, you’ll need:
- Brown sugar
- Corn syrup
- Butter
- Cream
- Vanilla extract
- Table salt
- Spice rum (optional)
Assembling and Making The Pumpkin Bread Pudding
One 14-ounce can of Pumpkin Puree is used in this recipe. Make sure that you get 100% pumpkin with no added spices, as you would find in Pumpkin Pie Filling.
In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin puree, the two kinds of sugar, beaten eggs, milk, half and half, vanilla extract, and the spices. Add 1/4 cup of Spiced Rum too for additional flavor, if desired. You will end up with a creamy pumpkin sauce.
Spray a 9″ x 13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place the bread cubes into the dish in an even layer.
Pour the pumpkin puree sauce over the bread and stir to fully coat the bread. A rubber spatula works well for this. Then, set the dish aside to allow the bread to absorb the liquid.
At this point, you could also cover and refrigerate the pudding overnight for baking the next day.
When you are ready to bake, stir the bread cubes one last time and place the baking dish into a preheated 350°F oven for 50 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to cool before serving.
How to Make The Caramel Sauce
This is a super-easy caramel sauce recipe. There’s no white sugar to boil until it gets to the correct color, and you won’t have to wonder if the sauce turns out grainy (as it often is). Make a caramel sauce using corn syrup.
The ingredients are 3/4 cup of light brown sugar, 1/2 cup Karo light corn syrup, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon table salt. Add 1/4 cup of spiced rum if desired.
Use a saucepan and add the brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Use medium heat on your stove and stir occasionally until the mixture starts to boil. Let it boil for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and add the cream, vanilla extract, salt, and spiced rum, if using, and stir to combine. Serve it warm over the Pumpkin Bread Pudding.
This foolproof recipe is courtesy of Karo® brand corn syrup.
Serving the Pudding
Eating the bread pudding by itself is good, but a few extra touches take it over the top.
- Topped with Caramel Sauce for sure.
- With Whipped Cream, homemade or store-bought, you can’t go wrong.
- With Vanilla Ice Cream that will melt over the warm pudding.
- Toasted chopped pecans or walnuts provide a textural crunch and saltiness that complements the Pumpkin pudding.
This autumn and Holiday season, try something new that’s both simple and spectacular. This pumpkin bread pudding is the kind of easy dessert you’ll want to share for a holiday meal or just hosting a casual get-together. This time of year, Pumpkin is always in season.
Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs bread cubes, about 1/2" to 3/4" square
- 1 can pumpkin puree, 14 oz.
- 6 lg. eggs, beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups half and half
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup spiced rum, optional
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- non-stick cooking spray
Instructions
- Coat a 9" X 13" baking dish with cooking spray and add the bread cubes in an even layer.
- Mix together the pumpkin puree, sugars, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and spices in a large bowl. Pour the wet ingredients over the bread cubes.
- Stir the bread around with a rubber spatula to coat all the cubes. Set aside for 1 hour for the bread to absorb the liquid. You can also cover it and place it in the refrigerator overnight to bake the next day.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Stir the bread cubes around one final time. Place the baking dish in the oven for 50 minutes until firmly set and slight browning occurs.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving. Serve warm with caramel sauce, ice cream, whipped cream and toasted pecans or walnuts.
Notes
- The bread you use is your choice...sturdy white, or whole wheat. I'd stay away from strong tasting breads like rye or pumpernickel.
- Beat the eggs prior to adding to the bowl.
- Let the bread and liquid sit for at least and hour before baking. If desired, you can make this and refrigerate it overnight. Just be sure that you use a baking dish that can go from the cold refrigerator to the hot oven, like Pyrex.
- Toppings are optional but it tastes so good with the caramel sauce, whipped cream, and toasted pecans.
- Nutrition information is for the pudding only. With caramel sauce and whipped cream, add around 150 calories. (It's for Thanksgiving...we don't count calories on that day).
- Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
MaryJO
I;ve always loved bread pudding, but adding pumpkin puree to the custard mixture is brilliant and adds great flavor and nutrition. Leftover bread pudding makes a delicious breakfast.
Eileen Herbert
Sounds wonderful. I will try this when I get to Florida. I think I could cut back on sugar and use stevia.
sandra axelrod
This sounds so luscious! I always make dessert for Thanksgiving with our son and daughter-in-love and some other family members. Usually I make “Aunt Rita’s Chocolate Cake” and something more traditional. This year it will be your Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce!!! I can’t wait to try your method for the caramel sauce. Thanks for sharing Joe.