I’ll start by saying that this vegan pumpkin bread pudding is probably the only pumpkin or pumpkin pie-spiced recipe I will be sharing in the foreseeable future. I guess I’m just not really feeling the pumpkin this year. I don’t dislike it, of course, but I don’t feel motivated to buy another can of it right now. Especially when we have so many CSA goodies at the moment! More of that in the next post. So I hope this blog will be a safe space for pumpkin haters this autumn, haha. Or however long the pumpkin mania usually lasts? I’m not really sure…
This bread pudding recipe is based off of my classic version, which I actually have yet to share here. I will get around to it eventually! I do have a chocolate chip eggnog version posted, which in my opinion is one of the most underrated recipes on this blog. Anyway, I swapped out some of the milk for pumpkin puree, reduced the amount of alcohol, and tweaked the spices to be more pumpkin pie spice-y. The result is a decadent-tasting, but not heavy, pumpkin bread pudding that hits the spot with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream. Also, if I made this again, I would totally add chocolate chips too.
Man, several years ago, I would have thought you were crazy if you told me I’d be making vegan bread pudding, or vegan eggnog. A while back I wrote about my slightly embarrassing high school boyfriend and our failed attempt to make bananas foster. His mom, who in that story wouldn’t allow us teenagers alone with a few tablespoons of rum, makes (made?) amazing bread pudding. It got to the point where I was raving about it so much that she would make it for me on a weekly basis. I think back fondly on my teenage metabolism… also, I am now questioning why she always had so much stale bread.
Anyway, when I figured out how to make vegan bread pudding and it was just as good as the infamous High School Boyfriend’s Mom’s bread pudding, that was one of those moments when I realized that I was definitely gonna be able to do this vegan thing. I have to confess that plain vanilla is my favorite flavor – what can I say, I’m boring. But for the pumpkin lovers, this version hits the spot. =]
Taking this picture was way too much work.
Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed leftover bread (see notes)
- 1 and 1/4 cups plain, unsweetened almond milk divided
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (soft or melted state)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup raw cashews soaked overnight
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not the pie filling, just plain pumpkin)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp rum (or whiskey or other dark liquor of choice; or replace with 1 tbsp extra almond milk)
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp sea salt (use less if your bread is salty)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If your cubed bread is not stale, spread it out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake the bread, checking on it every 5 minutes, just until the moisture has gone away and the bread is firm and crisp. Leave the oven on.
- Lightly grease a loaf pan and set aside.
- In a blender or food processor, combine 1 cup of the almond milk, coconut oil, sugar, maple syrup, cashews, and pumpkin puree. Blend until completely smooth, which may take a couple of minutes in a food processor. Pour the mixture into a bowl, through a mesh sieve if it has any grittiness to it.
- Whisk together the cornstarch with with the reserved almond milk until there are no lumps, and stir it into the mixture in the bowl. Stir in the liquor or additional milk, vanilla and almond extracts, spices, and salt. Taste the mixture and add more spices if desired.
- Place about half of the bread pieces in the greased loaf pan. Toss the other half of the bread in the bowl with the pumpkin pudding mixture; let sit for a minute. This is so that the top half of the bread pudding absorbs enough moisture.
- Pour the mixture with the additional bread pieces over the pieces in the bowl.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the pudding has set, and it feels springy when you press gently on the top.
- Let cool 5 minutes before eating. Serve (if desired) with ice cream or additional maple syrup. Store for up to 5 days in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.
Notes
Nutrition
So there you have it! Vegan pumpkin bread pudding. Happy October/autumn!
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Miquela says
Perhaps I defeated the purpose of this recipe by not making it vegan ( I had a dearth of eggs and was simply looking for a recipe that didn’t feature them), but I wanted to weigh in on how excellent it is and answer the question about how it turns out with the cashews. Even without them, the pudding is creamy and oh-so-tasty. Perfectly spiced and delicious warm or cold. Word of advice: Double the recipe; you’ll regret it if you don’t. 😉
Vanessa Jones says
My son is allergic to all nuts. Would soy milk or coconut milk be a good replacement for the almond milk? Would bourbon extract be a good replacement for the almond extract? Also, is there something I could use in place of the cashews? Thank you!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Vanessa, coconut milk should work fine in place of the almond. Soy milk might not behave well in this recipe. but I’m not quite sure about how to replace the cashews – they add both richness and thickening to the recipe, so maybe replace them with some coconut oil and also reduce the liquid a little bit, but I’m really not sure how the recipe would come out.
Vickie says
Can the pudding be constructed the night before then popped in the oven in the morning? Have an AM ladies bible study coming up and would love to prep the night before.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Vickie,
Sorry to have responded so late – I was on a weeklong trip to Seattle. I think this might actually be very nice made as you described, but there’s also a possibility it would get a bit too soggy. Perhaps reducing the liquid a little bit would be a good idea. I have never tried making that way so fingers crossed that the experiment goes well!
rika@vm says
WHOA, I’m drooling at this pudding of yours right now…it’s my bedtime and I just had pumpkin rolls and I can’t look at this now….I loooooooove bread puddings…I just came back from a long trip (I was away for a month) and stopped at Trader Joes and my jaws just dropped, pumpkin based products everywhere…
Amy @ Parsley In My Teeth says
I agree – there certainly is a lot of “pumpkin pressure” this time of year. And now you’ve done your seasonal duty by posting this great recipe — looks amazing!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you! Pumpkin pressure is such a good way of putting it! 🙂
Melanie says
Oh wow, that sounds so sooo good! I’ll have to try it!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks – let me know if you do 😀
Meredith @ Unexpectedly Magnificent says
This looks amazing! I love bread pudding but haven’t had it in forever. This is the perfect fall dessert recipe! 🙂
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you, Meredith 🙂
Baby June says
I am drooling over those pictures. I love bread pudding, but pumpkin flavor, AND vegan? Yess 🙂 Pinning this right now!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks so much! I’m glad that this recipe could provide that trifecta for you, haha.
Miss Polkadot says
Wow. I feel the need to start by saying that I neither am too fond of bread pudding – previous attempts, don’t give me the stank eye – nor too fond on pumpkin desserts. Simply for the fact I grew up completely void of them over here. But this … I’d go for it right away. Now if only I wasn’t a) living on my own and b) too lazy to prepare pumpkin puree from scratch. Too bad this clicking-your-heels thing doesn’t work …
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks! I’ve been getting the sense that the whole pumpkin addiction is definitely an American thing! So, that makes sense. Ah, yeah, I must say I’m also too lazy to make it from scratch… you could always use butternut squash, which is a bit easier to handle, if you’re really in the mood. =]