Pumpkin Bread Pudding With Croissants
Served In Ramekin
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, today’s creative focus turns to holiday desserts. For the past few months, I’ve been searching for the perfect ending to this year’s Thanksgiving feast. After wading through dozens of pumpkin recipes, I found a winner in Yvonne’s Pumpkin Bread Pudding Recipe at Stone Gable!
What I love most about this recipe is its unique spin on both a classic dessert and a holiday tradition. Serving a pumpkin flavored bread pudding instead of pumpkin pie is a nice way to honor tradition while surprising your guests with an unexpected twist on a childhood favorite!
I love how scrumptious this dessert tastes! By using croissants instead of bread, the dessert has a lighter consistency than most bread puddings, making it one of the best bread puddings I’ve ever experienced!
And the clincher? This dessert is super easy to make – making it an all-around winner at anyone’s table!
Enjoy our adaptation of this wonderful recipe. I’m counting this gem among my many blessings this year!
Ingredients
10 Cups Cubed Croissants, Toasted (about 7 Large Croissants)
2 Cups – Half and Half
1 15 Ounce Can of Pumpkin
1 to 1 ½ Cups of Firmly Packed Brown Sugar (see Chef Note 2)
1 Cup Raisins or Chopped Dates (Optional – see Chef Note 1)
4 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Nutmeg (see Chef Note 3)
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (Optional – see Chef Note 1)
Garnish: Sweetened Whipped Cream and Pastry Leaves
Chef’s Notes
- We eliminated the optional raisins/chopped dates and pecans/walnuts from our recipe. If you use raisins, I recommend golden raisins.
- The original recipe calls for 1 Cup of firmly packed brown sugar. Since we did not include raisins or chopped dates, which adds natural sweetness to the recipe, we used 1 ½ Cups of firmly packed brown sugar to compensate for the difference.
- We added 1 Teaspoon of Nutmeg to the recipe for additional flavoring.
- To enhance the presentation of this dessert, we baked the recipe in 10 individual ramekins (4 ½ inches wide by 2 ½ inches deep) instead of the traditional 13 x 9 inch baking dish. This altered the cooking time as noted in the instructions.
- We used store brought croissants in our recipe. However, if you are on a gluten-free diet, and would still like to give this recipe a try, click here for instructions on how to make gluten-free croissants!
Instructions
1. Preheat broiler on low, positioning the rack in the top third of the oven.
2. Cut the croissants into big cubes. Broil until toasted, tossing to brown all sides.
Step 2 – Toast The Croissants
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 baking dish with butter – or – per Chef Note 4 – substitute with ramekins.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the following ingredients and stir them well:
- Half and Half
- Pumpkin
- Brown Sugar
- Raisins or Dates (optional)
- Eggs
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Pecans or Walnuts (optional)
Step 5 – Combine & Stir the Ingredients.
6. Pour the mixture over the croissants, tossing gently to coat. Let this stand for 30 minutes.
Step 6a: The Toasted Croissants In The Ramekins,
Before The Mixture Is Added
Step 6b: Can You See The Difference In The Croissants
That Have Been Coated With The Mixture?
Step 6c: This Is What The Croissants Look Like
After Standing For 30 Minutes
7. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The cooking time will be impacted by the serving dish you baked it in, as follows:
- If you use the 13 x 9 baking dish, it takes 35 to 40 minutes to bake.
- If you use the ramekins, it takes about 25 minutes to bake.
Step 7: Fresh Out Of The Oven
8. If you bake the bread pudding in the large baking dish, cut into squares, then garnish and serve. If you bake the bread pudding in the ramekins, place the ramekins on dessert plates (as the ramekins are hot), garnish and serve (see Opening Photo).
Resource List
Click to try more of my Favorite Family Recipes!
If you’re looking for recipes from around the blogosphere – or have a recipe of your own you’d like to share – then join me at the following sites for more culinary inspiration! Note: I will activate the links throughout the week as each party goes live, so check back often for the latest updates!
Thanksgiving Favorites
Thanksgiving Recipes
Holiday Treat Hook-Up
Cooking Thursday
Crafty Friday
Pennywise Platter Thursday
The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
Tip Day Thursday
Whole Food For The Holidays – Bread Dishes
Family Friendly Fridays
Fat Camp Fridays
Feature Yourself Friday
Finer Things Friday
Foodie Fridays
Friday Favorites
Friday Potluck
Fresh, Pure and Clean Friday
It’s A Hodgepodge Friday
Vegetarian Foodie Fridays
The Weekend Wrap-Up
Saturday Nite Special
Saturday’s Party
Saturday Sampling
Cookbook Sundays
Its So Very Creative
Recipe Swap Sundays
Tailgating Time
Craft-O-Maniac Monday-Tuesday Link Party
Homemaker Monday
Made By You Monday
Market Yourself Monday
Midnight Mania Meatless Mondays
Meatless Mondays
Motivate Me Monday
Mouthwatering Monday
Mouthwatering Mondays
Hearth And Soul Hop
Take A Look Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday Parade Of Foods
Tasty Tuesdays
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
Toot Your Horn Tuesday
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Tuesdays At The Table
Tutorial Tuesdays
Tuesday Twister
Creative Share Blog Hop
What’s Cooking Wednesdays
Crock Pot Wednesday
Strut Yourself Link Party
PP!! Wow! That looks and sounds delish! Thank you for sharing and I'll have to check out some recipes for a b'day dinner tomorrow. Glad to find you!
Juls~ {xoxo}
Hi New follower from BMBF, love meeting new blogging friends, have a great weekend. 🙂
http://www.blissfulbabble.com
Hi! I’m a new follower please come follow me!
http://MommysSweetThings.blogspot.com
Happy Friday!
– April
New follower here =) Hop over and follow me back if you'd like.
http://www.the-lucky-seven.com
Have a great weekend!
Mandy
This recipe sounds and looks great! I just love pumpkin and I love bread pudding! Thanks for all the photos with the instructions.
This looks delicious! Have a great weekend!
Mama Hen
looks delicious!
IT all looks yummy!! Nice blog!
This looks absolutely wonderful!!! Thanks so much for linking it up! And now, let me share one with YOU! This is an all-time favorite in my house!
http://mrs4444cooks.blogspot.com/2008/11/berry-mallow-bake.html
Stopping from Boost my blog Friday!…This recipe sounds and looks DELICIOUS!!! I have to try it….
Hope you follow back!
http://pinkyslearningworld.blogspot.com
hi, this looks so delicious…yum! thanks for sharing your recipe! happy weekend! 🙂
Your recipe looks dangerously delicious!! *drools*
Thanks for joining my blog hop, btw!!
new blog follower!
Oh my! Visiting via Peaches Saturday blog hop and am salivating….what a fab recipe. I love your blog it is fab….mine is nowhere near as professional….Hmmm think I must try harder. Just added myself as follower Will be back to copy your recipes.x 🙂
Wow…new follower here.Found you via Peaches Saturday Blog Hop. I am drooling in my chair, not through senility although that might be the case but because of you recipe. Yum. I suspect I might be putting weight on soon. xx
This looks like such an amazing version of bread pudding. Bread pudding is awesome anyway, but I love the fact it's made with croissants and pumpkin and dates (LOVE dates). I think making individual desserts is a great idea too! Much nicer presentation. Thank you so much for linking this up to Cookbook Sundays!! :o)
Ramona, just me again – I just had to thank you for your VERY sweet comment. It meant a lot….
Wow, this is great, thanks for linking to Fat Camp Fridays!
Oh my YUMM!! This recipe looks delicious.
But I also want to compliment you on your blog – I love it and will be back often.
Following you from the blog hop – I hope to see you over at mine soon x x
Cass
http://www.frugalfamily.co.uk
Holy Moly! That looks tooooo Yummy!
Thanks for stopping by my blog hop…http://pinkdandychatter.com
I am already a follower =)
Hiya hun
Can you email me on kaylee0103@hotmail.com as you won one of the blog hop prizes over at one stop craft challenge.
Hugs shelley xx
This looks wonderful!
Following you from Follow Friday.
http://kwomblescountering.blogspot.com
This sounds awesome! We were just discussing a dessert for Thanksgiving that isn't the same old thing. I think we found it! Thank you for linking to tailgating time.
I love bread pudding made with croissants – the pumpkin take on that is great. I would definitely want the dates and nuts in there though 🙂
Sue
I don't like bread pudding but this looks good!
Thanks so much for linking up to the Free for All party!
Hannah @ http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/
With so much left over bread lately in my kitchen Bread pudding is a great option. With pumpkin on it must be better. I tried once a similar recipe from a Martha Stewart magazine. Somehow I lost it and yours come know just perfect.
Mely
Looks so yummy! I may have to give it a whirl-anything you can make with croissants seems doable! Thanks so much for linking up to Holiday Hookup!
This little dessert would warm my heart and feed my soul.
I can just imagine the heat from the ramekin permeating my body as the heavenly scent of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger waft through my mind. Ahhh….
Thanks for linking to Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays!
♥ Rebecca Jean
Midnight Maniac
This looks like one delicious recipe. THanks for sharing it with us at My Meatless Mondays.
I love bread pudding and I love pumpkin, so this is win-win for me!
Just as a sidenote though, I had to google your blog to find this recipe because you forgot to add a link into the Hearth & Soul blog hop, you only put a title and picture (no link to click).
Hi Paper P!!!! What a lovely recipe for the holidays! I am very interested in this one because my mother said she didnt want any pumpkin pie at thanksgiving and was going to make pumpkin bread pudding! I had no clue what it was, so now I do! Thanks for sharing on the hearth and soul hop! All the best, alex@amoderatelife
Oh Wow…I think the croissants totally send this over the edge for me…fantastic! They sound so wonderful, thank you for sharing w/ the hearth and soul hop this week 😀
That is awesome! I would love for you to come link up at our Strut Your Stuff Party!
http://danajeanward.blogspot.com/2010/11/strut-your-stuff-link-party-and.html
This looks awesome! Thanks for stopping by.
Following you back! 🙂
That looks so great! Thanks so much for linking it up to Saturday's Party!
-Krystal @ recipesofacheapskate.blogspot.com
oh my goodness this looks absolutely divine! i can't think of a better way to use up croissants and pumpkin. i cannot wait to try this. thank you for sharing it with tuesday night supper club
This looks SUPER delicious
I want:)
xoxo
bB
Wow! This looks amazing! Two of my favorites combined. 🙂
Following you through the Fun Friday Follow 🙂 Your blog has lots of great information I am so trying this recipe this weekend. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Hey there! I'm so glad you stopped over to my Fresh Clean and Pure Friday and Seasonal Saturday get together and shared your fabulous bread pudding recipe! I loved it SO much, that I featured it today as one of the most inspirational from last week's posts! I love your blog and am now following! Please do stop by again with another great post to share! Roz over at la bella vita!
Cool blog! Found you on Surfin Saturday and now follow you.
http://www.mybabysgreenblog.com
You are the FEATURED BLOOGER this week at http://www.thediyclub.com this week.
Cheri
THis has got to be one of the best bread pudding recipes I've ever seen. Oh wow where do I start, everything about it just sounds scrumptious! I'm so glad you shared this and submitted it for the YBR this month. Looking forward to reading more of your delish recipes.
Thank you for sharing this recipe with me. I love the pumpkin flavors added to this bread pudding and that it is a simple recipe!
Yummy! Thanks for sharing.
http://carabossesbedchamber.blogspot.com/2011/08/alphabet-thursday.html
I love Fall!!! I collect pumpkin pretties so you can bet I love pumpkin. Halloween and Thanksgiving are just around the bend so it’s definatly time to start planning. Croissants are wonderful eaten alone so I bet they are extra special in this dish. Love your post.
aprons & Old lace
This sounds delicious! I wish it was cool enough to enjoy it here right now!
I bookmarked this link into my recipe folder! I will definitely try this one…pumpkin is a favorite around my house.
Thanks for a perfectly delicious link to Alphabe-Thursday’s letter “P”.
A+
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I have never tried this. It sounds delicious.
I have stumbled this post. http://grandmabonniescloset.blogspot.com/2011/11/simple-cake-decorating-tip-smoothing.html
That looks so yummy! I am stumbling this post. Vicky from Mess For Less