Pumpkin Pie Spiced Bread Pudding with Caramel Pecan Sauce

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Most people look forward to the traditional holiday beverages such as eggnog, hot chocolate, etc. but for me it's always the holiday coffee creamers!

I am one of those people who require a hefty dose of caffeine in order to begin my day. It's getting to the point where I've moved beyond drinking coffee to be cool, it's actually a necessity now (waking up at 5am on a regular basis will do that to a human). So to make getting up a little easier, it's always nice to switch it up with my coffee flavors.

I had never really considered using coffee creamer in any other fashion other than to accompany my daily cup o' joe but with so many unique flavors available, I was inspired to incorporate them into my holiday baking. My personal favorite is International Delight's Pumpkin Pie spice flavor, it's a little sweet with a creamy swirl of cinnamon and spices. I headed over to my local Walmart and picked up some festive holiday flavors including some single creamers which I always love keeping on hand at work.

I wanted to create something warm, comforting, and indulgent while also keeping in mind making it easy to throw together and serve a big group (because if your family is like mine, you can never have too many desserts on hand). Bread pudding is the ideal fix it and forget it dessert, you can easily make it a day in advance and stick it in the fridge until you are ready to bake and serve.

I wanted to add additional flavors to the pudding - so International Delight's Pumpkin Pie Spice was the perfect addition. Since the creamer provided some sweetness, I cut back the sugar and added additional spices to create the flavor profile I wanted. The result? A custard-like texture with hints of cinnamon and pumpkin (which of course makes your house smell ammmazing).

Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding

serves 6

1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup half and half
3/4 cup International Delight Pumpkin Pie spice creamer
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
10 cups 1/2-inch cubed French Bread (I used a wheat bread)

Caramel Pecan Sauce

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup International Delight Pumpkin Pie spice creamer
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans

For bread pudding:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk half and half, milk, creamer, pumpkin, sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla extract in large bowl to blend. Fold in bread cubes. Transfer mixture to 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake pumpkin bread pudding until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare caramel sauce:
In small pan, melt butter with brown sugar, stirring. Stir in heavy cream, creamer, and vanilla. Bring to boil, then simmer until thickened, 5 minutes. Let cool; stir in chopped pecans. Spoon over warm bead pudding

This has become my new favorite fall/winter recipe - not only is it easy to make but it captures everything I love about the holidays. What do you do to get into the holiday spirit? Check out International Delight’s page for their Spirit of the Season UGC contest. You can share what makes your holidays delightful for a chance to win their contest!