Sweet Potato Bread Pudding & Maple Marshmallow Fluff

Sweet potato bread pudding is a rich, cinnamon, sweet potato custard poured over cubed challah bread, topped with pecans, and baked until caramelized. Topped with toasted maple marshmallow fluff for a little extra indulgence and a whole lot of wow factor.

Guys, I’m going a little bananas with this sweet indulgence. You may have noticed, but I post very little sugary sweets on this here blog. That’s because I really don’t eat a lot of sweets. Sugar makes me feel a little crazy. BUT…I think feasting is an important part of a balanced, upbeat life. Getting together for a holiday is more than reason enough to indulge. And this sweet potato bread pudding is well worth it. Did I mention toasted maple marshmallow fluff? Total bananas!!! (Don’t worry. There’s still my gluten-free, dairy-free, naturally sweetened, adaptogenic Pumpkin Pie Glow Bars if you’re still looking for ultra healthy alternative).

Sweet Potato Bread Pudding Is Like French Toast For Dessert

If you have never ridden the bread pudding train before, you don’t know about this phenomenon of custard soaked bread that is baked until golden and caramelized. It is like the offspring of french toast and monkey bread. Accept you eat it as dessert instead of breakfast.

This here sweet potato bread pudding is 100% inspired by the sweet potato casserole my mom makes every Thanksgiving. Does your mom/dad/grandparent make this? You know, ultra sweetened, vanilla scented sweet potato mash with tons of fluffy jet-puffed marshmallows baked on top? It’s a side dish I love but didn’t really want to include in the main course of my POP KITCHEN Thanksgiving Dream Menu . So I broke it down and put it back together as the sweet!

The bread pudding is fairly simple. You just cube up some challah bread and toss it together with the sweet potato custard. You make the custard by heating up milk, cinnamon, maple, and sweet potato puree and slowly whisking the hot mixture into egg yolks. The bread absorbs all that sweet custard like a sponge. The bread pudding comes out creamy and caramelized once it’s baked in the oven. Throw some pecans on top for crunch.

What the Fluff?!!

I decided to make marshmallow fluff rather than marshmallows for 3 reasons.

• Fluff acts more as a frosting that just plain marshmallows. I wanted more frosting creaminess.

• Naturally sweetened is always my goal and I was able to make these MOSTLY that way. Some cane sugar was necessary to make the candy syrup.

• Marshmallow fluff is vegetarian friendly as it uses egg whites rather than gelatin.

Making marshmallow fluff takes a little bit of skill. For one, you will beat egg whites to soft peaks. If that’s too much work for you, just throw some marshmallows on top.

Secondly, you need to make a candy syrup with water, cane sugar, and maple syrup which means you need to cook the syrup to 240 F/115 C. If this seems too technical or you don’t own a thermometer that reaches that high, just put some marshmallows on top.

Lastly you will need to drizzle the candy syrup slowly into the beaten egg whites with an electric mixer for a good 8 minutes to produce silky, shiny marshmallow fluff. Don’t have an electric mixer? Just buy some marshmallows! But if you’re ambitious and looking to make something show-stoppingly fancy, whip up some fluff!

To get that toasted marshmallow look, throw the frosted breading pudding under the broiler until caramelized or it catches on fire. Which happened to me so be careful. But I like my marshmallows a little burnt.

Go Bananas with Sweet Potatoes

Are you with me? Are you ready to get a little frisky for Thanksgiving and indulge in some sweet potato bread pudding? I sure hope so. Dig into the recipe below. What is your favorite Thanksgiving indulgence? Let me know in the comments below. Happy feasting!!!

POP KITCHEN DOES THANKSGIVING

It’s a little rude to invite yourself to dinner. I apologize. But if you’re stuck in a rut for what to make for Thanksgiving, especially if you have some people with special diets showing up, let POP KITCHEN be your guide. I will have my full Thanksgiving menu up several weeks before (American) Thanksgiving to give you loads of time to plan. I, Stacy, will be available for all of your last minute Thanksgiving woes and issues. Just send me an email at stacy@popkitchenblog.com with your questions or send me a direct message over on Instagram to get quick feedback on your holiday feast.

Anything in particular you want to see or are curious about? Let me know! I will work something out for you.

SHARE THE #POPKITCHEN LOVE!

When you make this sweet potato bread pudding, at Thanksgiving or not, let me know! I absolutely love seeing your photos of POP KITCHEN recipes up on Instagram. Use the hashtag #popkitchen when you post photos of recipes you’ve made to your Instagram and tag @pop_kitch. I’ll share my favorite photos on POP KITCHEN’s account.

Like the recipe you’re seeing here? Tell your friends about it! Rate the recipe and share your thoughts and questions in the comments below. Your voice helps develop how POP KITCHEN moves forward, and your recommendation helps POP KITCHEN grow. Like POP KITCHEN on Facebook and follow along with all of my recipe inspiration on Pinterest !

Recipe

Sweet Potato Bread Pudding & Maple Marshmallow Fluff

Ingredients

• 1½ cups sweet potato puree (2 medium sweet potatoes, wrapped in foil and roasted for 45 min-1 hour at 375F/190C. Once cooled puree in a blender or food processor.)
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 4 cups whole milk
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 5 egg yolks (save 3 egg whites for the mallow fluff!)
• 14 cups challah bread diced into 1½ inch/4 cm cubes (about 1 large loaf of challah)
• ¾ cup pecan pieces (optional)
• 9x13 baking sheet
• Butter for greasing the pan
• ⅓ cup water
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¾ cup maple syrup
• 3 egg whites at room temperature (I left my egg whites on top of the oven for 20 minutes while the bread pudding baked)
• ½ tsp cream of tartar (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• Electric beaters or a mixing bowl with wire wisk

Instructions

1. SWEET POTATO BREAD PUDDING: Set your oven to 350 F. Pour yourself a glass of wine or a matcha latte. Play some music you like. Frank Ocean? Breathe. Drink some water. Now you’re ready.
2. First, melt the butter in a small pan until golden and caramelized, about 5 minutes. This is brown butter and adds nutty depth of flavor to the sweet potato bread pudding.
3. In a large sauce pan combine the sweet potato puree, brown butter, whole milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and sea salt. Heat the milk mixture over medium-high heat until it is just starting to show signs of bubbles. Do not let it boil!
4. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the egg yolks. Using a ladleful at a time, slowly drizzle the milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking to combine. Once half of the milk mixture has been combined with the egg yolks, slowly drizzle the egg and milk mixture (techincally, it’s called a liaison in case you like nerdy things like that) and vigorously whisk it back into the sauce pan with the milk mixture. Once the liaison has been fully combined, put the heat back on the custard and whisk continuously until just starting to come up to a boil and thickens a bit. Remove from the heat.
5. Back in your large mixing bowl you just used, place the diced challah bread and pour the hot custard over top. Mix to evenly combine. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes to absorb well while you prepare your 9x13 pan.
6. Grease a 9x13” pan with some butter or non-stick cooking spray. Once the sweet potato bread pudding mixture has sat, press it into the pan so that it is evenly pressed into all corners of the pan. Place it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the pecan pieces even over top of the bread pudding and bake an additional 15 minutes. Take the sweet potato bread pudding out of the oven and allow to cool slightly while you finish preparing the marshmallow fluff.
7. MARSHMALLOW FLUFF: Make the fluff while the sweet potato bread pudding is baking. In a medium size sauce pan add the water, sugar, and maple syrup and stir to combine. This is the last time you will stir this mixture otherwise the sugar will crystalize. Over high heat, bring the sugar mixture to a boil and allow to simmer. Keep a thermometer in the liquid and cook until the sugar mixture has reached 240F/115C (a candy thermometer works best but a traditional thermometer works too). This takes about 15 minutes.
8. When the sugar mixture has reached around 235F/112C begin whipping your egg whites. Using a stand mixer or electric beaters whip the egg whites on high in a LARGE bowl. They will begin to get nice and foamy. Once they begin to turn white and make peaks that flop over a bit when you pull the turned off beaters out of the egg whites, they are ready. Sprinkle them with the cream of tartar.
9. Once the sugar is at 240F/115C carefully remove the the pan from the stove using an oven mitt. Please be careful! Hot sugar burns badly. Holding the hot sugar syrup in your dominant hand begin beating the egg whites again on medium high. Slowly begin drizzling the hot sugar mixture into the egg whites while you continue beating. Once all the sugar is combined, set a timer for 8 minutes and continue to beat. The marshmallow fluff will begin to greatly increase in volume, get more stiff, and become increasingly more shiny. After 8 minutes turn off the mixer, add the vanilla and salt, and beat 1 more minute. The fluff is done!
10. PREPARE MARSHMALLOW FLUFF FOR TOASTING: You can either spread the marshmallow fluff on like a thick frosting or pipe it on like I did. To pipe it on, fill a plastic bag or piping bag with the marshmallow fluff. Press all of the fluff down into one corner and twist the top of the bag to keep the fluff from coming out the top. Cut a large piece of the corner off the plastic bag and begin piping by placing the tip of the bag on top of the sweet potato bread pudding, squeezing firmly and then quickly pulling up.
11. To toast the marshmallow fluff set your broiler to high. Place the oven rack on the top rung. Place the frosted bread pudding under the broiler until it begins to caramelize. To avoid burning keep a careful eye and pull out once it starts to smoke. If the marshmallow fluff catches fire, which is ok, stay calm and carefully blow out the flame. You can also use a creme brulee torch to do this too! Serve immediately.
12. If you want, you can make the bread pudding and marshmallow fluff ahead. Keep the bread pudding in the fridge and keep the marshmallow fluff in an air tight container at room temperature. Right before serving warm up the sweet potato bread pudding in the microwave, pipe on the marshmallow fluff, and then proceed to toast the fluff under the broiler.