Vegan Cherry Pecan Bread Pudding

Thanksgiving is almost here already! I cannot believe how fast 2018 went, but I’m so excited to see what 2019 brings.

Real talk, Thanksgiving is my JAM. I was born on that day after all. I guess it was only fate that I’d become this food-obsessed creature.

Since I’m in full Thanksgiving recipe mode, I’ve been brainstorming ideas left and right. Luckily, I’ve had some inspiration and guidance in this process.

My friends at Graceland Fruit are hosting this amazing Friendsgiving campaign that I am so happy to be a part of! For those of you that have not heard of Graceland Fruit, you’ll be super excited to learn that they are a made in Michigan company! Yay! They’re actually located in Frankfort, MI, which is one of my favorite small towns in Michigan. Graceland has a variety of delicious dried fruits and they even have certifications in non-GMO and Organic products.

OKAY, back to the Graceland Fruit Friendsgiving campaign! This campaign highlights Graceland Fruit’s delicious products on the Thanksgiving table. So, to make things extra interesting, we’re going vegan with this recipe. You’ll see vegan recipes from me every now and then but it’s not something I do consistently. But I have to say…this bread pudding turned out PHENOMENAL. I always know a recipe is a hit when I’m too full to eat the lunch I prepped for the day. Instead, I took a fork to this bread pudding and went to town.

I would love for you to bring this dessert to your Thanksgiving dinner this year. Move out of the way pumpkin pie, this cherry pecan bread pudding is stealing the show.

Make sure to search the hashtag #gffriendsgiving on Instagram and Facebook to see all of the delicious Friendsgiving recipes starring Graceland Fruit!

AND…Graceland Fruit is now being sold at Target stores!! Hooray!!

Vegan Cherry Pecan Bread Pudding

Serves 6

Ingredients:

5-6 cups 1-inch cubes of French or Italian loaf

½ cup Graceland Fruit Dried Montmorency Cherries

¼ cup pecans, roughly chopped

1 cup of almond milk

1 cup of full-fat coconut milk, shake well before opening the can

1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

olive oil, for greasing pan

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and gather all equipment and ingredients needed.

In an 8×4 loaf pan, lightly grease the bottom and sides with olive oil and set aside. Mix together bread cubes, cherries, pecans, and press down into the loaf pan.

Next, combine almond milk, coconut milk, cornstarch in a medium size mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously to make sure cornstarch is fully combined and no lumps remain. When well-combined, whisk in brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon.

Pour the wet mixture over the bread cubes slowly to coat evenly. Once all the wet mixture has been poured over the loaf, press down slightly with a spatula and bake for 30-35 minutes. The bread pudding is done when the wet mixture is bubbling. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving as the mixture will thicken up in the cooling process.

*** This post is affiliated with Graceland Fruit but all of the thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.