Leftover Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding

Sometimes, when I bake a pumpkin pie, I don’t have any leftover because it gets eaten up so quickly. Other times – notably around Thanksgiving, as people are sometimes too full for dessert – I find myself with a few leftover slices. This Leftover Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding is a reason to leave pie leftover on purpose because it is absolutely delicious.

The bread pudding starts with ingredients that you’re likely to find in any bread pudding recipe: bread, milk, eggs and sugar. To that basic bread pudding, I added two whole slices of chopped up pumpkin pie, as well as a generous dose of pumpkin pie spice. The pie bakes beautifully into the custard, leaving you with a custardy bread pudding that is loaded with fall flavor.

Two slices of pumpkin pie is about 1/4 of a whole pie. You can add a little more, so don’t worry if your slices are uneven going in. You’ll need to fold everything together carefully so that you get pockets of pumpkin pie in every bite. Those delicious pockets of pie are what really make this bread pudding a standout dessert.

The pudding can be served warm or cold. I generally heat up any extra in the microwave before serving, if it has been chilled. I topped each slice with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. The caramel adds a bit of extra decadence to this unique dish. This recipe makes a 9-inch square pan of bread pudding and is enough to make at least 8 or 9 servings – which is a fantastic way to stretch leftover pumpkin pie to feed a crowd – but it can be doubled if you need to serve an even larger group or simply want to have more leftover for later. You will need

Leftover Pumpkin Pie Bread Pudding
5-6 cups cubed bread (preferably challah or brioche), about 1/2 large loaf
2 large slices of pumpkin pie (about 1/4 of a pie)
2 1/4 cups milk (pref. whole or lowfat)
4 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×9-inch baking pan.
Place the bread cubes into a large bowl. Cut pumpkin pie into approx 1-inch chunks and add to bread cubes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, spices, vanilla extract and salt until ingredients are well combined and mixture is frothy. Pour over bread and pie mixture. Use the back of a spoon or spatula to gently press the bread down into the custard, gently folding the mixture to distribute the chunks of pie, as well as to make sure that each piece of bread gets a chance to soak up the milk mixture. Allow bread to stand for 10-15 minutes.
Pour bread cube mixture into prepared baking dish.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the pudding is set and a sharp knife inserted into the center of the pudding comes out clean.
Let the pudding cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. It can be served warm or cold.

Serves 9.