Pumpkin Coconut Bread Pudding

I have a confession. Even though I sometimes write out a shopping list, I often don't, and when I do, I frequently leave it at home. That means that I end up buying more of some things than I need. 

Every fall, I find myself picking up one more can of pumpkin when I'm at the store.
What to do with the extra pumpkin after the pies are all made? Of course, I could save it for next year, but where's the fun in that? 

Instead, I made a delicious bread pudding that uses just a few ingredients and bakes up warm, slightly sweet, and really flavorful. I served it warm with a topping of cool, sweet Coco Whip. 

I had never used sweetened condensed coconut milk before this. It was really nice. It was thick and creamy and sweet with a hint of coconut flavor. 

Note: Use whichever bread you like that fits your dietary needs. Dinner rolls work really nicely for a bread pudding, in my opinion.

Pumpkin Coconut Bread Pudding (vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, free of top 8 allergens)
Makes 6 large or 8 smaller servings



Ingredients:

• 8 cups bread cubes (Use the bread of your choice, cut into roughly 1-inch cubes.)
• 1 15-ounce canned pumpkin
• 1 can sweetened condensed coconut milk
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly toast coconut flakes in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, but not burned.
Tear or cut bread into chunks, 1-2 inches.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin, sweetened condensed coconut milk and salt.
Add bread chunks to pumpkin mixture and stir to coat.
Spread in a 9 x 13 inch pan, and top with coconut flakes.
Bake for one hour.

Happy Cooking!

Kim

My new book,  Ancient Grains: A Guide to Cooking with Power-Packed Millet, Oats, Spelt, Farro, Sorghum & Teff (Superfoods for Life), is available now! You can also find tasty recipes in  Super Seeds and Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Delicious Allergen- & Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes.