When I was a kid I used to love watching the cooking shows on PBS on Saturday mornings. While most kids were watching Saturday morning cartoons I was spending my Saturday morning with Jaques Pepin, Julia Child, and Great Chefs of the World. I guess that sort of explains a few things about me now. But my all time favorite was Caprial’s Cafe. She had the ugliest 80’s kitchen and for some reason I loved her and this show. Looking back, I guess that I liked her because she was really personable and made bistro fare that I wanted to eat. In those days, (when all I ate was white foods, you know, pasta, chicken, and rice) there was always something that she made that I found appetizing.
Caprial and her husband John had a restaurant in Portland, Oregon for many years, but now she and her husband run a cooking school. If you ever get the chance, you should take a class. I know that if I ever find myself in Portland, that is on my list of things to do. I got this recipe off of their website many years ago (it is no longer there) and I make it every fall. This bread pudding is how I celebrated the first day of fall.
I love anything pumpkin as you will soon find out. I have a distinct feeling that this little blog will be full of pumpkin recipes in the upcoming weeks. What I really love about this pumpkin bread pudding is that it is really easy to make, but is the texture and the spice that do me in. The toasted pecans and the chewy pieces of crystallized ginger add just enough crunch and texture to make this bread pudding truly special.
1 baquette, diced
1 cup toasted pecans
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 Tablespoon crystallized ginger diced
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Line a 10-inch springform pan with tin foil. Put the bread cubes and the pecan pieces in the pan and toss.
Whisk together the half-and-half, pumpkin and sugar.
Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until combined.
Pour the mixture over the bread.
Mix the custard mixture over the bread and mix well. Let this sit for 20 minutes before you bake it. Give it one more mix before you put it in the oven.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Slice into wedges. Caprial is super fancy, she puts a light layer of sugar on top and will brulee the bread pudding. I am not that fancy, but I think that I need a kitchen torch because of this recipe.
But I do add a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream. Just for good measure.
It is so good. I think that it even would be perfect to serve at a brunch. It has eggs in it right?
Clay will eat it anytime. He was a big fan. “More Momma, p-ease”.
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PinIngredients
- 1 baquette, diced
- 1 cup toasted pecans
- 2 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 Tablespoon crystallized ginger diced
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Instructions
- Line a 10-inch springform pan with tin foil. Put the bread cubes and the pecan pieces in the pan and toss.
- Whisk together the half-and-half, pumpkin and sugar.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until combined.
- Pour the mixture over the bread.
- Mix the custard mixture over the bread and mix well. Let this sit for 20 minutes before you bake it. Give it one more mix before you put it in the oven.
- Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Slice into wedges. Caprial is super fancy, she puts a light layer of sugar on top and will brulee the bread pudding. I am not that fancy, but I think that I need a kitchen torch because of this recipe.
- But I do add a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream. Just for good measure.
September 29th, 2010 at 5:10 am
I love pumpkin bread pudding. There is a little tea room that is close to me that serves this as one of their desserts in the fall and I love it! I will be making this very soon!
September 29th, 2010 at 7:31 pm
Please share how it turns out for you. Hope that you like it as much as I do.
September 29th, 2010 at 7:21 am
mmmm……I love pumpkin and this looks delicious! I am very excited to see your next pumpkin creation… love your blog! 🙂
September 29th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Thank you…. I just may have some more pumpkin posts in the works….
September 29th, 2010 at 7:33 am
This recipes looks AMAZING! Seriously.
September 29th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
thank you Jamie.
September 29th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
I LOVE pumpkin bread pudding! Yours look amazing!
September 29th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Thank you Jennifer. It is pretty amazing. I love making it.
September 29th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
I had bread pudding for the first time last year and have been experimenting with different flavors ever since. My last was Apple Walnut Bread Pudding with Cider-Soaked Raisins and a Homemade Caramel Sauce…so good!
Next I am thinking of a Chocolate Covered Banana version, and maybe a Crunchy Blueberry Granola experiment. Great pictures, as always!
September 29th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
The Apple Walnut ones sounds delicious!
September 29th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
I’m SO excited to try this recipe. It’s exactly the type of pumpkin dessert I’ve been looking for! Thanks for sharing it!
September 29th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
it is one of my faves. hope that you like it just as much.
September 29th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
Very, very nice. Much more my style than the candy corn parfait! Of course were I still an adorable rug-rat like the one in the photo, I’d probably being singing a different tune. GREG
September 29th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
Honestly, me too! But every now and again you need to break out the instant pudding for the kids.
September 29th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
“pumpkin” is the largest (and still growing) section of my recipes, this looks like it will be an amazing addition! looks delicious. thank you for sharing the recipe with the world, your picture are beautiful
September 29th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
I love pumpkin, you will be seeing lots more.
November 9th, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Hi Bree,
Your recipes look amazing!! I can’t wait to try some. I have a question….why do you call for lining the springform pan on this recipe? I see in the pictures you put it on the outside of the pan.
Thanks,
Nichole
November 18th, 2012 at 5:05 pm
In case it leaks, and to keep water out of the pan. It is a safety measure.
September 29th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Oh that looks incredible. That cinnamon whipped cream is the perfect touch.
September 30th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
The whipped cream does send it over the top. So spicy and rich. Yum.
September 30th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
I have to say how happy it made me to read the opening lines of this post! Now I am assured that I wasn’t the only strange child on Saturday mornings – I actually wrote a post on my own blog several months ago referring to the fact that I always chose Burt Wolf, Martin Yan, Julia Child, etc. on PBS over cartoons and kids’ shows. 🙂 Thanks to those shows (and watching/ helping my mother and grandmother in the kitchen growing up), I seem to have all of this strange inherent knowledge in the kitchen, and know how to do things without really knowing where the skills actually came from. Fantastic!
This recipe looks wonderful as well… and, as soon as our guests from the States arrive next week, I’ll be raiding their spare suitcase in search of pumpkin and pecans so I can make it for myself. This will be my 2nd Fall (my fave season!) living in tropical Southeast Asia, and I will do anything I can to get a taste of home! 🙂
October 1st, 2010 at 10:15 pm
You were not the only strange child, I still love cooking shows on PBS. I agree that my early exposure to good food and watching on TV has gotten me to this point. A good cook and an even better eater.
October 3rd, 2010 at 9:12 pm
We had friends over tonight and I made this tonight for our dessert! It was a HIT! Everyone loved it, which made me happy because really I just made it for me-my all time favorite dessert is bread pudding and this is the best recipe I’ve found yet-the pumpkin (I’m also a huge pumpkin fan) just makes it perfect! I topped it with a butterscotch sauce and served it warm with vanilla ice cream! YUMMMY! There is one piece left over and I cant wait until tomorrow! 🙂 It may just be my breakfast!
October 5th, 2010 at 12:02 am
The butterscotch sauce sounds so decadent… I cannot even imagine how good that must have been.
October 5th, 2010 at 6:36 am
Holy cow! This could be the best recipe I’ve ever seen! Why did I have to discover this right after my mom told me it looks like I’ve gained weight? Maybe I can treat myself this weekend if I’m good between now and then. Thanks for sharing! Spotted your link at eighteen25’s link party and could not resist the idea of pumpkin and bread pudding combined!
October 7th, 2010 at 9:40 am
Wow, thank you! Everything in moderation, right?
October 5th, 2010 at 11:58 am
I’ve been putting off anything pumpkin for as long as possible but this might have pushed me over the edge into Autumn! Beautiful blog 🙂
October 7th, 2010 at 9:36 am
Thank you Sasa, I don’t know how you avoided pumpkin this long!
October 19th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
Love you blog, though this may be my first comment!
I’m going to make this for book club this week…I needed a bread pudding recipe, and this one looks perfect. One question: where in the grocery store should I be able to find the crystallized ginger? I’m assuming it should be by the spices, but I’ve never seen it. Thanks.
October 20th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Look either in the health food aisle, or in the Asian foods aisle. Your regular grocery store should carry it.
October 23rd, 2010 at 10:46 am
Oh yummy! I just made some myself but used a different recipe. I love the addition of crystallized ginger!
https://damegoodeats.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-bread-pudding.html
October 25th, 2010 at 12:01 am
Thank you Tarrah, I need to go check your out right now.
October 30th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Yum! The photos are so beautiful!
With all these giant pumpkins sold at grocery stores this time of the year, you can make tons of yummy pumpkin bread puddings 🙂
October 31st, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Thank you!
November 24th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
hey Bree –
I just thought I would let you know I am making this for the THIRD time since you posted the recipe. First was for Canadian Thanksgiving, second for when one set of inlaws visited two weeks ago and then tonight for our “official” unofficial Thanksgiving. Each and every time it has received raves and requests for the recipe.
Thanks again for letting me in on the secret pleasures of bread pudding! I may never eat Pumpkin Pie again!
Happy Thanksgiving, many blessings to your family.
d
November 24th, 2010 at 10:45 pm
Wow Dana! I am flattered and thrilled that you like it so much!
January 25th, 2011 at 6:03 am
Oh wow I can’t wait to try this. How much bred does the baguette yield? I am thinking to make some french to go with the roast tonight and using the second one from the recipe for the pudding.
I love Caprial found her on PBS and have 2 of her cookbooks. One is currently MIA Try her blueberry cheesecake with Lemon Curd. YUm and the lemon curd is great all on its own. I will put her class on my list. Her restuarant was, but I never made it to Portland to try it.
January 25th, 2011 at 9:35 pm
I would guess about 6 cups? I used the size of my pan to dictate.
February 2nd, 2011 at 3:47 am
Julia Childs taught you well! I love everything pumpkin related. Now, I will have to try your recipe for pumpkin bread pudding. I am salivating just looking at the pictures!
February 5th, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Thank you Richard!
March 1st, 2011 at 9:56 pm
You must try this recipe guys i know you all gonna like it…i already tried it and its so heavenly delicious..
March 1st, 2011 at 10:02 pm
thanks!
March 16th, 2011 at 9:41 pm
I made this tonite for a potluck birthday breakfast on Saturday! I had to alter the recipe though because I was grating the ginger and it went right into the trash! :/ laaaame. So instead I put in grated orange peel! I also used a variety of unsalted nuts which were macadamia, brazil, almont, pecan and walnut! soooo tasty! I also had to adjust the temp in the oven towards the end because my oven lets heat escape. boohoohoo. But it’s super tasty! Got my bread from grand central. Twas a good choice 😀 Oh! And I added raisins. yay!
March 17th, 2011 at 8:22 pm
Glad that your version was good.
October 9th, 2011 at 11:06 pm
Absolutely love this …going to try this week. How lovely you live in Kansas. We should meet up :}
October 10th, 2011 at 12:10 am
Where are you in Kansas?
October 27th, 2011 at 5:26 pm
This sounds amazing Can I make it a day ahead and bake just before serving? Thanks.
October 29th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
Yes, you can.
July 5th, 2013 at 12:58 pm
The pumpkins have started to roll out of the garden and this is tops on the list of recipies to try. Thank you!
July 5th, 2013 at 4:54 pm
I love this recipe, and make it every fall. Hope you like it!
November 17th, 2014 at 9:39 pm
made this over the weekend! really easy to do and it turned out really tasty! i liked that it didn’t taste too sweet at all. i kind of missed having some kind of sauce over the pudding, but still thought it was very delicious and would definitely make it again 🙂
November 17th, 2014 at 11:19 pm
You could easily make a quick hard sauce or caramel to go on it. I personally just like whipped cream, but I would never say no to caramel.