Name: Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 85 min
Total time: 150 min
Ingredients: 1 (20-ounce) loaf Cinnamon Swirl Bread (with or without raisins (including the heels, cut into approximately 1-inch pieces)); 1 (15-ounce) can Pure Pumpkin Purée ((not pumpkin pie filling)); 1 cup Packed Light Brown Sugar; 5 large Eggs; 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon; 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice; ½ teaspoon Salt; 2 cups Whole Milk; 1 cup Half-and-Half; 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter ((melted and cooled slightly, plus more for greasing the dish)); 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract; ¼ cup Granulated Sugar; 2 teaspoons Cornstarch; Pinch Salt; 1 cup Half-and-Half; 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter; 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract; Chopped Pecans

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This Pumpkin Bread Pudding is made with cinnamon swirl bread soaked in a rich, spiced pumpkin custard. It bakes up golden on top and soft and custardy inside. Serve it warm with a generous drizzle of homemade vanilla sauce for a delicious fall dessert that deserves a spot on the Thanksgiving table!

Plated pumpkin bread pudding with vanilla sauce and pecans beside the baking dish and sauce pitcher

I love being able to taste the spices in a pumpkin dessert, so this recipe has pumpkin pie spice and extra cinnamon. The bread adds another layer of cinnamon flavor, and the pudding stays moist while holding together nicely when served.

And that warm vanilla sauce! It’s smooth, buttery, and so good with the pumpkin and spices. I like to pass extra sauce at the table.

Forkful of moist pumpkin bread pudding coated with vanilla sauce

Let’s have a moment for another recipe that uses the whole 15-ounce can of pure pumpkin purée! 🎉

This bread pudding bakes in a 9×13-inch dish and makes 12 servings, so there’s plenty to share at Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, or a fall potluck.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread Pudding
How to Make Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Serving Tips
Storage and Reheating
More Pumpkin Desserts
Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce Recipe

Ingredients for Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Cinnamon swirl bread gives this dessert a flavorful start. I used a 20-ounce loaf of Franz cinnamon swirl bread without raisins, but a loaf with raisins works here, too. If you use another brand, check the loaf weight.

For exact amounts, see the recipe card below.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Pure Pumpkin Purée, Brown Sugar, Eggs, Whole Milk, Half-and-Half, Unsalted Butter, Vanilla Extract, Ground Cinnamon, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Salt

Use pure pumpkin purée rather than pumpkin pie filling. Brown sugar complements the pumpkin, while the milk, half-and-half, eggs, and butter make a rich custard.

For the Vanilla Sauce

You don’t HAVE to make the vanilla sauce, but it’s so worth it! It takes about 15 minutes, so you can make it while the pumpkin bread pudding rests.

Half-and-half, sugar, butter, vanilla, cornstarch, and salt for homemade vanilla sauce

Half-and-Half, Granulated Sugar, Cornstarch, Unsalted Butter, Vanilla Extract, Salt

A little cornstarch gives the sauce just enough body to coat the pudding while still pouring easily.

How to Make Pumpkin Bread Pudding

There are a few simple stages: prepare the bread, mix the pumpkin custard, and let the bread soak before baking. Here are the steps in photos, with the full directions in the recipe card below.

Prepare the Cinnamon Bread

Buttering a baking dish, cutting cinnamon swirl bread into cubes, and spreading the cubes on a baking sheet

Butter your baking dish, then cube the bread and dry it in a low oven. There’s a lot of custard, so drying the bread first helps it soak up most of the liquid and keeps the pudding from getting soggy.

Mix the Pumpkin Custard

Whisking dairy and melted butter into the spiced pumpkin custard for bread pudding

Whisk together the canned pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, spices, and salt. Mix in the milk and half-and-half, followed by the melted butter and vanilla, until smooth.

Let the Bread Soak

Pouring pumpkin custard over cinnamon bread cubes and gently combining them in a bowl

Pour the custard over the cooled bread and gently fold it together.
Give the bread time to absorb the custard, folding once during the soak so every piece gets coated.

Bake, Then Start the Sauce

Pumpkin bread pudding ready to bake and sugar, cornstarch, and half-and-half being combined for vanilla sauce

Spread the soaked bread and any remaining custard evenly in the baking dish. Bake until the center is set. Check for overbrowning at 45 minutes and loosely tent with foil if needed.

Let the baked pudding rest for 20 minutes. During that time, make the sauce by combining the sugar, cornstarch, and salt, then whisking in the half-and-half. The sauce takes about 15 minutes.

Finish the Vanilla Sauce

Vanilla sauce simmering gently before butter and vanilla extract are stirred in

Heat the sauce to a gentle simmer, with small bubbles breaking the surface. Stir as it thickens, then take it off the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla.

Baked pumpkin bread pudding in a white rectangular baking dish with vanilla sauce alongside

Serving Tips

Serve warm with the vanilla sauce poured over the top.

I added chopped pecans for a little crunch. They’re optional, and you can also fold some into the bread pudding before baking if you like nuts throughout.

Vanilla sauce being poured over a square of pumpkin bread pudding topped with pecans

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate leftover bread pudding and sauce in separate covered containers within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days.

Reheat pudding portions in the microwave, loosely covered, until heated through to 165°F. Warm the sauce gently on the stove, stirring in a little milk if needed to thin it.