Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

My very first Thanksgiving as a married woman in my own home looked a little something like this.  Do you see that ugly thing staring us down in the background?

Yup, that's a carcass on my table!  Ok, I don't mean to be rude or refer to the beautiful turkey as a carcass, but after 3 years of veganism, that is exactly what it looks like to me.  To all those planning your big Thanksgiving meal this week, enjoy your turkey...but please, do me a favor and check out some of my awesome Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas!

I was very, very happy that year.  I had my parents visiting; Forbes' mom came down and my dear friend Angie joined us for dinner.  I may have only had hand-me-down furniture and lawn chairs to sit on, no art on the walls yet, or any color on my table, but the day was beautiful and I was surrounded by loved ones.

The dessert table wasn't terrible either!  My mom and I baked all the pies together, and she taught me how to roast a turkey.  Just in time for me to never eat turkey again.  Sorry mom.  They even bought me a huge roasting pan.  I'm not really sure what to do with that now.  Perhaps I will sell it on Craigslist, or save it to bathe my future infants in.  For now, it is just taking up valuable space where my juicer and Vitamix belong. 

Since that Thanksgiving, I have yet to host another.  We typically retreat to Winston-Salem where my in-laws live and I always bring the dessert.  This year is no different, especially since I have a huge event on Thanksgiving morning.  So I am looking to some simple dessert recipes to bring along and this one does just the trick.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
serves 6-8

I am obsessed with bread pudding, but have yet to experience a decent one that is vegan.  Until this one that is.  This bread pudding is quick and simple, but tastes divine.  Using coconut milk and pumpkin gives it a creamy, almost "eggy" quality that you find in traditional bread puddings.  This recipe would be perfect for your holiday table!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup canned coconut milk, mixed well before measuring
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 loaf day-old whole wheat bread, cubed
• 3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips
• powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.  Lightly grease casserole dish.  
2. Whisk together coconut milk, pumpkin, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.  
3. Fold in bread crumbs into pumpkin mixture and stir in chocolate chips until all bread is well coated.
4. Turn bread into casserole dish and sprinkle additional 2 tablespoons brown sugar on top.  
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until top is lightly brown.  Garnish with powdered sugar and serve warm.

I served my bread pudding with a steaming cup of Pumpkin Pie Spice tea I found on sale.  Score!

I used a frother to create foam with almond milk to top my tea.  It was such a wonderful treat, and I didn't have to pay $4 for a latte!

I enjoyed this bread pudding so much.  I couldn't stop eating it.  It brought me back to my early days of waitressing at just 16 or 17 years old.  The Country Kettle (my place of employment) served an amazing bread pudding and I would eat it every.single.night!  I believe I ate these leftovers for breakfast and lunch every day until it was gone!  So wonderful!

Question of the Day:  What are your thoughts on colored tights?

Yay or Nay?