Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce: Perfect Fall Recipe

As the weather cools and the days grow shorter, there is nothing quite like a warm dessert fresh from the oven. This Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce is comfort food at its finest. It is rich, custardy, and full of fall flavor. With notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest, every bite feels like a cozy embrace.

This dessert makes a beautiful addition to your Sunday table, holiday gatherings, or simply as a sweet way to end a quiet evening at home. It is simple to make but feels special, the kind of dessert that invites everyone to linger a little longer at the table.

Jump To Recipe

Why I Love This Bread Pudding Recipe

There is something deeply nostalgic about bread pudding. It reminds me of home, of slowing down, and of the warmth that fills the kitchen when something sweet is baking. I love this recipe because it brings together simple ingredients and turns them into something truly comforting.

The pumpkin makes it velvety and rich, the spices make it taste like fall, and the touch of Grand Marnier gives it a brightness that surprises everyone who takes a bite.

It is one of those recipes that feels both humble and elegant at the same time. I love making it on a Sunday afternoon when the house is quiet, the windows are open, and I can smell the spices filling the air. It is a dessert that feels like a prayer of gratitude for the season and the simple gifts we are given.

Instructions

Bread Pudding

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a casserole dish with one tablespoon of butter.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the half and half, cream, eggs, and orange zest.

   

   

   

3. Add the granulated sugar, four tablespoons of brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and Grand Marnier. Whisk vigorously until well combined.

   

   

   

4. Add the pumpkin and whisk until smooth.

5. Fold in the bread, making sure every piece is well coated. Let soak for ten minutes.

   

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

   

7. Melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter and drizzle over the top.

8. Sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons of brown sugar.

   

9. Bake for forty minutes or until golden and set.

   
   

Bourbon Sauce

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the bourbon and cornstarch. Set aside.

2. In a saucepan, combine the half and half, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla.

   

3. Heat over medium high, whisking until bubbles form around the edges.

4. Remove from heat and whisk in the bourbon and cornstarch mixture until smooth.

   

5. Return to low heat and cook, whisking for about three minutes until slightly thickened.

6. Remove from heat and whisk for another minute as it cools slightly.

7. Serve warm over your bread pudding.

Notes

Use day old or slightly stale bread for the best texture, as it soaks up the custard beautifully.

The orange zest adds brightness that balances the rich pumpkin and warm spices. If you prefer not to use bourbon, substitute vanilla extract for a nonalcoholic sauce. Serve warm with a drizzle of sauce and a dollop of whipped cream for an extra indulgent touch.

Traditional Latin Mass Reading - November 10th

Lesson

Ecclesiasticus 31: 8-11

Happy the man found without fault, who turns not aside after gain, nor puts his trust in money nor in treasures! Who is he, that we may praise him? For he has done wonders in his life. He has been tested by gold and come off safe, and this remains his glory forever; he could have sinned but did not, could have done evil but would not, so that his possessions are secure in the Lord, and the assembly of the Saints shall recount his alms.

Gospel

Luke 12: 35-40

At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, Let your loins be girt, and lamps burning in your hands, and you yourselves like to men, who wait for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh, shall find watching. Amen, I say to you, that He will gird Himself, and make them sit down to meat, and passing will minister unto them. And if He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the thief would come, he would surely watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open. Be ye then also ready; for at what hour you think not, the Son of man will come.