Easy Bread Pudding Recipe

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This Easy Bread Pudding Recipe is the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth! The sweet and creamy dessert takes stale bread and turns it into a decadent treat soaked in vanilla sauce.

Warm flavors of nutmeg and cinnamon soak into pieces of leftover bread to make this homemade pudding, all covered in a lovely vanilla sauce. The flavor of the pudding is totally addicting. For someone with a sweet tooth, the sauce is definitely necessary too. It adds even more great flavor and moisture to the dish!

Why You’ll Love This Cozy Bread Pudding Recipe

  • Tested and 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.
  • Old fashioned flavor. The final recipe turned out perfect. It tastes just like the one Grandma used to make! Nothing beats an old fashioned dessert done right.
Freshly baked bread pudding in a pan next to two cinnamon sticks.

What You’ll Need

I love the simple, universal ingredient list for this recipe. It’s such a satisfying dessert, and you can make it on a whim with all ingredients accounted for!

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
  • Sugar
  • Butter
  • Vanilla Extract: Plenty of vanilla extract adds incredible flavor so that your pudding doesn’t just taste like milk and eggs.
  • Ground Cinnamon: This warm spice is a must!
  • Ground Nutmeg: The nutmeg is also a must. It adds a subtle flavor that really elevates the bread pudding and gives it something extra.

For the Vanilla Sauce

  • Butter: Half a cup (1 stick).
  • Sugar
  • Heavy Whipping Cream: For that lovely creaminess.
  • Vanilla Extract

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.

A square of bread pudding on a plate with the rest of the pudding in the background.

How to Make Bread Pudding

For such a luxurious dessert, bread pudding is seriously simple to prepare. Just soak your bread and leave the rest to your oven! The sauce that goes on top is made in under 5 minutes, too.

  1. Grease Pan: Grease an 8×8-inch casserole dish and set aside.
  2. Assemble Bread in Pan: Cut the bread into 1-inch chunks and spread them evenly in the bottom of the casserole dish.
  3. Add Milk & Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread, getting all the bread wet from the mixture.
  4. Let Soak: Let the bread sit for 20-25 minutes to soak up the milk and egg mixture.
  5. Bake: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Once preheated, bake for 50-55 minutes and remove from the oven when done.
  6. Make Vanilla Sauce: While the bread pudding cooks, make the vanilla sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on low heat, then add the sugar, cream and vanilla extract. Slowly cook over low heat while stirring until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
  7. Drizzle Over Pudding & Serve: Remove the sauce from the heat and drizzle it over the warm bread pudding.

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.

Homemade bread pudding in a white and blue pan.

Variation Ideas

There are so many yummy things you can mix into your bread pudding. Want some ideas? Here are some of my favorite ways to put a spin on this classic recipe.

  • 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!

Tips for the Best Bread Pudding

If you’ve never made bread pudding before, that’s okay. These tips will help your first batch come out perfect!

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Cook Sauce on Low Heat: You don’t want the burner to be too hot when you’re cooking the vanilla sauce; keep it at low heat the whole time.
  • For a Crispy Top: 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.
A single serving of bread pudding sitting on a plate on top of a blue napkin.

Serving Suggestions

This flexible dessert can be served in any number of delicious ways. These simple ideas will make it feel extra special!

  • Top with Whipped Cream: A dollop of Homemade Whipped Cream adds the perfect finishing touch to bread pudding.
  • Serve with Another Sauce: You don’t have to make the vanilla sauce for this dessert if you don’t want to. It tastes amazing with Salted Caramel Sauce too!
  • Top with Ice Cream: A warm and creamy treat like bread pudding calls for a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream to go with it. Yum!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

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 Easy Pudding Recipes

Want some other classic dessert recipes that won’t disappoint? Start with these!

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One Serving of Bread Pudding on a White Plate
Recipe

Easy Bread Pudding

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
  • Yield: 9
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: British

Description

Satisfy your sweet tooth using basic kitchen ingredients with this Easy Bread Pudding Recipe! This sweet and creamy dessert takes stale bread and turns it into a decadent, comforting treat.


Ingredients

For the Bread Pudding

  • 6 cups cubed stale bread (french, challah, brioche, regular sliced)
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup (207g) sugar
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

For the Vanilla Sauce

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Grease an 8×8-inch casserole dish and set aside.
  2. Cut bread into 1-inch chunks and spread evenly in the bottom of the casserole dish.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread, getting all the bread wet from the mixture.
  4. Let the bread sit for 20-25 minutes to soak up the milk and egg mixture.
  5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Bake for 50-55 minutes. It should be jiggly, but set. The center should rise fully, so if it hasn’t yet, it might need a little more bake time. Remove from oven when done.
  6. While the bread pudding cooks, make the vanilla sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on low heat, then add the sugar, cream and vanilla extract.
  7. Slowly cook over low heat while stirring until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.
  8. Remove the sauce from the heat and serve warm over the bread pudding.

Notes

To make this in a 9×13 pan, use one and a half recipes worth.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 646
  • Sugar: 52.3 g
  • Sodium: 577.9 mg
  • Fat: 20.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 100 g
  • Protein: 13.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 104.5 mg

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203 Comments
  1. Theresa

    I have never liked bread pudding but I tried to make it myself for the first time using this recipe. I am SO glad I did! It is fantastic and the glaze is very delicious. I added the optional rum to the bread and glaze and it was also great.






    1. Lindsay

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’ve had that experience several times where I didn’t think I liked some thing and then I made it myself and it was so much better. 🙂

  2. Nancy H

    Great recipe! I had a stack of pancakes leftover from a big family breakfast. Used this easy and super delicious recipe to use up the pancakes. Yum! Best part, all of the ingredients are in your kitchen already. Will make again.






    1. Lindsay

      You could certainly try it. It’s hard for me to give advice since I haven’t personally tried it. I will say that fresh fruit tends to have a lot of moisture in it so it may add more moisture to the bread pudding and it may need to bake longer.

  3. Lisa S

    I need to find a receipt of this to make a double batch. I thought it once had a scale for 2 in the past and I cant seem to find it. Cant you direct me??






    1. Lindsay

      It did, but I had several people complain that it wasn’t doubling thing accurately. It would double some measurements but not others. So we removed it. Sorry!

  4. CathyM

    Very tasty and easy, but super sweet. I cut the sugar by a quarter cup, but will only use a half cup next time.






  5. Michele Elliott

    Hi, I am making this recipe now and have a couple of questions…. how long did it take to get the sauce to coat the back of the spoon when cooking. It seems very thin and I’ve had it on low heat for about 30 minutes. Also, is it ok to stir the soaking bread (before it goes in the oven)? A lot of the egg mixture sunk to the bottom of the dish and the top isn’t all wet. Thank you Lindsay…I love your recipes! I started years ago with your banana cream pie (the only one I make) and I bought your book. “Simply Beautiful.” Gorgeous book with clear recipes and big beautiful pictures! I’ve learned so much! Coming to mind is how to tell the consistency of frosting when it’s ready for cake or cupcakes…. so many great tips. Plus I love your personality comes through with scriptures. Thank you for all your contributions<3<3

  6. NS Tami

    This recipe was just what I was looking for! I didn’t do the vanilla sauce and I can’t have refined sugar, so I used a combo of honey and coconut sugar (about 3/4 cup total). Absolutely delicious! Next time I think I’ll sprinkle pecans on half for myself too. Thank you!






  7. Mavis Campbell

    I have made this recipe twice, and it’s easy and delicious!
    I used leftover hamburger buns and followed the recipe with the exceptions of 1/2 cup heavy cream instead of all whole milk and the addition of 1/2 cup raisins.
    I made the sauce in the microwave; very fast and easy with no worry of burning or undissolved sugar…
    The best part is that I was introduced to a dessert that everyone loves, and I usually have all the ingredients in my cupboard.
    Thanks so much for sharing!






  8. Paul R

    Delicious recipe, I made the mini version due to only having 2 cups of bread cubes. Just used 1/3 of everything and baked for about a 1/2 hour. Also went with a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of vanilla sauce. Will definitely make again, ty






    1. Lindsay

      Are you making the substitution because of a dairy issue or because you don’t have any? If you don’t have it on hand, milk should be fine.

    2. 1Sweetpea

      Try equal parts cream cheese and milk. I used 1/2 package to 1/4-1/3 c milk, and pre mixed all ingredients together. Excellent & nice consistency with very little effort.

  9. mary ellis

    Yummy! Great way to use up leftover hot dog or sub buns (there always seems to be some left over). The extra couple minutes on top rack at 400 degrees makes a big difference- best bread pudding ever






Lindsay
About Lindsay

I’m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29