Pumpkin Massa Sovada Bread Pudding 🎃🇵🇹 | Easy Fall Dessert Recipe
A soft, rich, custardy pumpkin bread pudding made with traditional Portuguese massa sovada, warm fall spices and a beautiful golden top. Perfect for Thanksgiving or a cozy fall dessert!
Equipment
- loaf pan
Ingredients
For the Bread Pudding
- 1 loaf massa sovada approximately 450–500 g, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup 240 ml milk of choice
- 1 cup 240 ml heavy cream
- ¾ cup 180 g pumpkin purée
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- ¼ cup 50 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon 28 g salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 large pinch of salt
Optional Toppings
- 1 –2 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 –2 tablespoon brown sugar
- A light sprinkle of cinnamon
For Serving (Optional)
- Vanilla ice cream
- Whipped cream
- Maple syrup or caramel sauce
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare Your Massa Sovada 🍞
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Lightly grease your baking dish, I love using my loaf pan for this.
- Cut your massa sovada into approximately 1-inch cubes.
- If your bread is very fresh, you can spread the cubes onto a baking sheet and dry them in the oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes before assembling. This helps the bread absorb the custard without becoming overly soggy.
- If your bread is already a day or two old, you can skip this step!
- Step 2: Make the Pumpkin Custard 🎃
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, pumpkin purée, eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
- Whisk until everything is smooth and well combined.
- You want a beautiful, creamy pumpkin custard with all those delicious fall spices mixed throughout.
- Step 3: Soak the Massa Sovada
- Place your cubed massa sovada into the prepared baking dish.
- Pour the pumpkin custard evenly over the bread, making sure every piece gets coated.
- Using a spoon or spatula, gently press the bread down into the custard.
- Let everything sit for approximately 20–30 minutes so the bread can absorb all that delicious pumpkin flavour.
- Don’t skip this step! It’s what helps give your bread pudding that soft, custardy centre. ♥️
- Step 4: Add the Topping ✨
- If you’re using the optional topping, drizzle the melted butter over the bread and sprinkle with brown sugar and a little cinnamon.
- This gives the pudding a lovely golden finish with slightly caramelized edges.
- Step 5: Bake Until Golden
- Place your baking dish into the preheated oven and bake uncovered for approximately 40–50 minutes.
- The top should be golden brown, and the centre should be set without any liquid custard remaining.
- If the top starts browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Step 6: Cool Slightly and Serve 🍨
- Remove the bread pudding from the oven and let it rest for approximately 10–15 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy it warm on its own, or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or a little drizzle of maple syrup.
- Trust me, warm pumpkin bread pudding with cold vanilla ice cream? SO GOOD! 🤤
