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
Substitute all of the spices with pumpkin pie spice, if desired.Fluffy white bread works best - I've used baguette, brioche, etc. I have also made a variation of this bread pudding using stale whole wheat Hawaiian rolls.