Bread Pudding Recipe

I love digging into a warm slice of bread pudding in the winter. There’s just something about those warm flavors of nutmeg and cinnamon that hits the spot! Bread pudding also happens to be my favorite way to use leftover bread. All you have to do is cut your bread into bite sized pieces, soak them in custard, then bake up a decadent bread pudding. A simple vanilla sauce takes the flavors over the top! Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or you could also swap the vanilla sauce for salted caramel sauce!

This Bread Pudding Recipe is Tested & Perfected

I tested this bread pudding quite a bit to make sure it was the best! I played around with the amount of milk and eggs, in particular. I found that it was far better without too much milk or eggs. Too much milk that didn’t soak into the bread ended up leaving a watery layer in the final pudding that looked kind of separated. Too many eggs and it tasted more like breakfast and very eggy.

The final recipe turned out perfect. It tastes just like the one Grandma used to make! Nothing beats an old fashioned dessert done right.

What You’ll Need

I love the simple, universal ingredient list for this recipe. It’s the kind of treat you can make on a whim because you probably already have everything you need in your kitchen.

For the Bread Pudding

• Day-Old Bread: You’ll need 6 cups of cubed, stale bread. You can use any kind you have on hand –  french, challah, brioche, regular sliced, etc.
• Milk: I prefer whole milk, but you could use 2% as well. Milk is such a big part of this recipe, it’s best to go with high fat to get the best result.
• Eggs: Large sized eggs, preferably at room temp so they are easier to mix with everything.
• Sugar: I like to use white sugar but you could also use light brown sugar.
• Butter: You can use unsalted or salted butter.
• Flavorings: Pure vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.

For the Vanilla Sauce

• Butter: Half a cup (1 stick).
• Sugar: Here again I use white sugar, but light brown sugar also works.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: For that lovely creaminess. Half-and-half will also work.
• Vanilla Extract

Recipe Notes

What Kind of Bread to Use

I tested this recipe with several different breads. I found that fresh bakery breads that had gotten stale were much fluffier in the end than a regular sliced loaf of bread. I much preferred the fluffy texture, so that would be my recommended bread. However, bread pudding is great for using up stale bread, and just about any bread will work! Feel free to use whatever kind is available.

What if I Only Have Fresh Bread? If your bread isn’t stale, spread it evenly on a baking sheet and put it in a 200°F oven for 15 minutes. You want to be sure that it’s stale so it really soaks up the milk and egg mixture.

Let the Bread Fully Soak: You need to have the right balance of bread to liquid, and the bread should be stale. If the bread doesn’t soak up all the liquid, you end up with that strange separated layer. When you first add the liquid to the pan, your bread will be afloat. After sitting and soaking, it should be very moist but no longer floating.

How to Tell When Your Pudding is Done Cooking

When bread pudding is done baking, it should be jiggly, but set. The center should rise fully, so if it hasn’t yet, it probably needs a little more bake time. Everyone’s oven is different, so keep an eye on the pudding and adjust accordingly. If you want your bread pudding to be crisp on top, just bake it for an extra 2-4 minutes with the oven turned up to 400°F and the pan moved up to the top rack.

Variation Ideas

• Add Dried Fruit: Raisins, craisins or golden raisins make a great addition. You could even add other dried fruits like like pineapple or cherries.
• Chocolate Bread Pudding: I always find a way to sneak chocolate into my desserts! And this one is no exception. Try adding chocolate chips to your pudding and topping it with Homemade Chocolate Sauce.
• Add Nuts: To give this creamy bread pudding a satisfying crunch, add in some toasted walnuts or pecans.
• Boozy Bread Pudding: Adding a few tablespoons of rum or bourbon to your pudding is a great way to amp up the flavor!

How to Store and Reheat Extras

I recommend eating a serving of this bread pudding while it’s fresh, but the leftovers are also delicious.

• Store in the fridge: Refrigerated bread pudding will keep for up to 5 days. I would not recommend freezing bread pudding.
• To reheat: Place individual portions in the microwave for 45 seconds, repeating and adjusting the time accordingly until the pudding is warmed through. The sauce can be reheated alongside the pudding and then drizzled on top.

More Pudding Recipes

• Sticky Toffee Pudding
• Old Fashioned Rice Pudding
• Homemade Banana Pudding