Description
This Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding is a comforting and delicious dessert perfect for fall. It combines cubes of day-old bread with warm spices, pumpkin puree, and toasted pecans, slow-cooked to a custardy finish. Topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, it’s an indulgent treat that requires minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 8 cups day old bread cubes
- ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped
- ½ cup cinnamon chips
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup half and half
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
Optional Toppings
- Vanilla ice cream
- Caramel ice cream topping
Instructions
- Prepare Bread and Slow Cooker: Cut day-old bread into cubes until you have 8 cups. Grease a 3.5 to 6-quart slow cooker and place the bread cubes inside, along with the cinnamon chips and chopped toasted pecans.
- Make Custard Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, canned pumpkin, half and half, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves until well combined.
- Combine and Cook: Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes in the slow cooker. Gently stir to ensure the bread is coated with the custard mixture. Cover with the lid.
- Slow Cook: Cook on low heat for 3 to 4 hours, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating the pudding is set and cooked through.
- Serve: Serve the bread pudding warm, topping with vanilla ice cream and drizzling caramel ice cream topping if desired for an extra luxurious dessert.
Notes
- Use day-old bread to ensure it absorbs the custard mixture properly without becoming too mushy.
- To toast pecans, spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 5-7 minutes until fragrant.
- The slow cooker size can vary; a 3.5- to 6-quart size works well for this recipe.
- Cooking time may vary slightly depending on your slow cooker model—start checking at 3 hours.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute half and half with coconut milk and butter with dairy-free margarine.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated gently in the microwave or oven.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin bread pudding, slow cooker dessert, pecan bread pudding, fall dessert, cinnamon bread pudding
