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a sideways slice of pumpkin brioche bread pudding shows its layers of chunky brioche bread, custard, and dried cranberries

pumpkin brioche bread pudding recipe

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Hunks of buttery brioche are soaked in a custard mixture, loaded with fall spices and real pumpkin puree! This pumpkin brioche bread pudding is a cozy dose of warmth we need to welcome the darker half of the year.  

  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the bread pudding:

  • 1 loaf brioche bread -- about 1 pound by weight
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled (plus a refrigerated stick for greasing the baking dish)
  • 1 1/2 cups oat milk
  • 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for the baking dish
  • 1 shot (1 1/2 ounces) Grand Marnier
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest -- about the yield from 1 medium orange
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup dried cranberries

Optional topping ideas:

  • Scoops of vanilla ice cream
  • Extra pinch of pumpkin pie spice
  • Drizzle of caramel or dulce de leche
  • Sprinkle of chopped dried cranberries
  • Dusting of powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Tear the brioche loaf into large chunks and pile them into a large mixing bowl. a wooden board with a few large hunks of brioche bread sits next to a bowl containing a pile or smaller torn bread pieces
  2. In another large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until blended, then add the pumpkin puree and cooled melted butter.a mixing bowl containing beaten eggs, melted butter, and pumpkin puree
  3. Whisk the mixture until smooth. It will be fairly thick and bright orange in color. a mixing bowl containing a smooth and creamy orange mixture
  4. Add the oat milk and evaporated milk to the pumpkin mixture. milk ingredients are added to the bowl with the pumpkin mixture
  5. Whisk until smooth. the pumpkin mixture and milks are whisked together, creating a pale yellow colored mixture
  6. Add the sugar, Grand Marnier, vanilla paste, orange zest, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. sugar and other ingredients are added to the pale yellow mixture in the mixing bowl
  7. Continue whisking until well combined. The mixture will be smooth and liquidy, like the batter for French toast.the finished custard mixture features a pale yellow color with swirls of spices and a runny consistency
  8. Pour the custard mixture into the bowl with the torn brioche, tossing gently to coat evenly. Careful not to over stir as it could cause the bread pudding to turn out dense. the liquid mixture is added to the bowl with the torn bread pieces
  9. Stir in the dried cranberries. dried cranberries are added to bread mixture
  10. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, giving the bread time to soak up some of the custard mixture. after soaking, the bread has soaked up some of the custard mixture, creating a thick texture
  11. While you’re waiting for the bread to soak, preheat the oven to 350℉. Coat the bottom and sides of your casserole dish with cold butter, then dust with granulated sugar, shaking out any excess. I used my great aunt’s #36 Le Cruset oval gratin dish, which has a capacity of about 3 quarts, so any similar dish or a 9 x 13 casserole dish would work here too.an enameled baking dish is greased with a light coating of butter and dusted with sugar
  12. Pour the soaked bread mixture into the prepared dish, redistributing the bread chunks as needed to make it even. Sprinkle the top evenly with a shower of more granulated sugar.the soaked brioche bread mixture is poured into the prepared baking dish
  13. Transfer to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until the center of the bread pudding has a just a slight jiggle and registers 160℉ on an instant read thermometer. Remove the bread pudding and let it set for about 15-20 minutes before serving. the baked pumpkin brioche bread pudding has a firm texture and is lightly golden brown on top
  14. Run a knife (plastic or silicone if you have an enameled or nonstick baking dish!) around the edges of the bread pudding to help it release, then portion into slices and serve! Garnish with your favorite toppings. I served mine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and pinch of pumpkin pie spice. rectangular shaped portions of pumpkin brioche bread pudding are scooped from the baking dish and served on fluted plates

Notes

  • When tearing the brioche bread, take care not to compress it too much with your hands. Its airy texture is what makes it so special so we want to preserve its flaky texture as best we can! 
  • My favorite method of buttering a baking dish: peel back the wrapper from a refrigerated butter stick and rub it all over the bottom and up the sides of a baking dish, like a kid coloring with a fat crayon! Then add a few generous spoonfuls of sugar and shake the pan around, letting the sugar stick to the butter coating in a uniform layer. If there’s any excess sugar at the end, just shake it out. 
  • If your pumpkin brioche bread pudding seems to be getting too dark on top before the center is done baking, tent it with aluminum foil to protect it.
  • Since this bread pudding recipe is intentionally moist and gooey, it’s not going to set super firmly, meaning you can’t test it for doneness with a cake tester like other baked goods. The best way to check for doneness here is to take its temperature! USDA recommends cooking egg dishes to a minimum internal temperature of 160℉, so use an instant read thermometer to check before you call it done. Ultimately, the exact amount of time your pumpkin bread pudding will take will depend on the size of your baking dish.
  • Author: kelly@crescentmoonkitchen
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: desserts
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: american

Find it online: https://crescentmoonkitchen.com/pumpkin-brioche-bread-pudding/