Pumpkin Bread Pudding

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

1. We eliminated the optional raisins/chopped dates and pecans/walnuts from our recipe. If you use raisins, I recommend golden raisins.
2. 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.
3. We added 1 Teaspoon of Nutmeg to the recipe for additional flavoring.
4. 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.
5. 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!

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