I remember my mother making chocolate bread pudding, my father’s favorite, when she had stale bread. That usually happened in the fall and winter months since bread pudding really is a heavy dessert that wouldn’t go well during warmer months. Yet this gluten-free bread pudding I found to be much lighter than what I remember. I haven’t had or made bread pudding in years although it’s come to my attention a lot in recent months watching bakers make a variety of bread puddings on the Food Network. And of course, there was a long stretch when bread just wasn’t a part of my diet since I wasn’t particularly fond of those bricks of rice bread that crumbled if you tried to eat them and weren’t really that tasty. But gluten-free breads have come a long way in the last several years. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family did! Feel free to change up whatever you need to for your family’s tastes. For example, if nuts are in your diet, chopped walnuts or pecans would work instead of the pumpkin seeds. And raisins or currants can be substituted for the dried cranberries. Serves 8-12 depending on serving size.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9×15″ baking pan. In a large bowl whisk to combine:
- 1 cup date sugar (or coconut; syrups would work as well)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or allspice)
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 15ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (because we’re not adding any eggs)
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup pumpkin protein powder
Add:
- 3 cups non-dairy milk (anything except soy)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk until smooth before adding:
- 6 cups diced stale bread (I used an entire 8 ounce loaf, 12 slices)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Stir to combine and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. I let mine sit in the fridge for almost 2 hours before I got around to baking it. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let stand at least ten minutes before serving. Serve warm with your family’s favorite “nice” cream or non-dairy creamer if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers.
![](https://cookingwithoutallergens.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/img_2349-2004172344-e1701389725555.jpg?w=865)