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Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Goodbye Pumpkin Pie, Meet your replacement at our Thanksgiving table~Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Pudding!  Make this Bread Pudding in individual ramekins or keep it simple and bake it in a 9 x 13 pan and dish it up when ready to serve.
Prep Time27 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
chill time, 8 hours8 hours
Total Time9 hours 22 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bread pudding, caramel sauce, pecans, Thanksgiving
Servings: 11 servings

Ingredients

BREAD PUDDING:

  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 15-oz. cans pumpkin puree
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • *1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • *1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg may substitute 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice for cinnamon and nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 12-oz. French bread loaf, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 10 cups)

CARAMEL-PECAN SAUCE:

  • 1 cup pecans chopped
  • 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Bread Pudding:

  • Whisk together eggs and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl until well blended. Add bread pieces, stirring to thoroughly coat. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill 8 to 24 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 350°. Spoon bread mixture into 11 (6-oz.) lightly greased ramekins. (Ramekins will be completely full, and mixture will mound slightly.) Place on an aluminum foil-lined jelly-roll pan.
  • Bake at 350° for 50 minutes, shielding with foil after 30 minutes.
  • During last 15 minutes of baking, prepare Caramel-Pecan Sauce.

Caramel-Pecan Sauce

  • Heat pecans in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
  • Cook brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and pecans.
  • Remove bread puddings from oven; drizzle with Caramel-Pecan Sauce. Bake 5 minutes or until sauce is thoroughly heated and begins to bubble.

Notes

For One-Dish Caramel-Pecan-Pumpkin Bread Pudding:
Prepare recipe as directed in Step 1. Spoon chilled bread mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake, covered, at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes. Proceed with recipe as directed.