Cubed bread is combined with an egg mixture that bakes into a creamy custard and gives the bread a spongy texture similar to French toast. The warm notes of cinnamon and homemade vanilla sauce make this classic bread pudding recipe sweet and comforting. This easy bread pudding recipe can be made ahead of time, is elegant enough for special occasions, and is stable enough that it is perfect for potlucks too! For more easy dessert recipes the whole family will love, try my panna cotta, rice pudding recipe, or flourless chocolate cake recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Stale Bread – any stale white bread works for this recipe, and you can combine more than one type of bread if you don’t have enough of one kind. I like to use brioche or challah because they have great texture and are slightly sweet. You can also use French bread or Italian bread. Cut or tear the bread into 2-inch cubes. Whole Milk – milk adds needed moisture to the custard component as well as helps the baked bread to have a creamy texture. More milk is used in the vanilla sauce along with heavy cream for a topping that drizzles on perfectly and seeps into every nook and cranny of the pudding. Cinnamon – I love how this simple spice adds so much flavor to the bread. You can change things up by using nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice if desired. Eggs – three large eggs are essential to the custard that will be poured over the bread cubes. When baked, the eggs help give the pudding a texture and flavor similar to baked French toast casserole. Heavy Cream – also known as heavy whipping cream, the cream is cooked with milk, sugar, and butter to make the base of the vanilla sauce. I recommend using heavy cream only and not skimping on this ingredient. Vanilla – extract or vanilla paste flavors the vanilla sauce and gives it a warm and inviting flavor. Use pure vanilla extract for superior vanilla flavor.
How to Make Bread Pudding
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt and place over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the butter is fully melted. Set aside and allow to cool slightly for about 10 minutes.
- While the milk is cooling, lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish, and place the bread cubes in the baking dish.
- Once the milk mixture is just warm to the touch, whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Pour the custard over the bread, making sure to soak any dry pieces on top that got missed in the pour. At this point, I like to let mine sit for 20 to 30 minutes so the bread can soak up the liquid. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown on top and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- While the pudding is baking, combine the milk, cream, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the melted butter and sugar are fully combined and the mixture is steaming.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in ¼ cup water, or use bourbon or rum for a boozy kick. Once the milk mixture is steaming, stir in the cornstarch. Stir constantly until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt if desired.
- Pour some of the sauce over the warm bread pudding and serve with extra sauce.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
Use stale bread. Dry, stale bread will soak up the custard the best. If you don’t have stale bread, let it sit out overnight before making this recipe. Or you can cube fresh bread and bake it on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 250°F to dry it out. Allow time for the bread to soak in the custard mixture before baking. The bread pudding will have a better fluffy and creamy texture if you allow the bread to soak in the custard for 20-30 minutes before popping it in the oven to bake. Scale the recipe as needed. This recipe makes one 8×8-inch baking dish, but it’s so easy to scale this recipe to feed a larger crowd. Cook a double batch in a 9×13-inch pan and add 5-10 minutes of baking time, or until the pudding is baked through. Make two and freeze one. Make a double batch of this recipe and bake one in a disposable foil pan to freeze and enjoy during the busy holiday season or when you need a breakfast treat or dessert for unexpected guests. After baking and cooling, wrap the foil pan tightly in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Mix in options. I love adding in a handful of toasted pecans, toasted coconut, raisins, or chocolate chips. Almost any fruit or nut will be delicious in this recipe! Brandy sauce variation. Add a tablespoon to ¼ cup of brandy to the sauce after it has thickened for a vanilla brandy sauce. Or try adding rum or bourbon to the custard sauce.
If you’ve tried this bread pudding recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
