This quick and easy Bread Pudding with warm vanilla sauce is the ultimate comfort food. It’s just as good as you remember Grandma’s creamy custard bread pudding. Although grandma loved to make it with raisins, I prefer it without. Make with or without raisins to suit your taste.
My family and friends love this dish. It is always a huge hit for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. If it turns out to be a winner for you, try croissant bread pudding.
What is Bread Pudding?
Bread Pudding is a bread-based dessert made with milk or cream, eggs, sugar, and warm spices. It bakes up into a warm custard with a fluffy texture. Top it with vanilla cream sauce, caramel sauce, rum sauce, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Bread: I like to use day-old bread. Challah or brioche bread are my favorites, but you can use French bread, sandwich bread, or croissants.
- Butter: salted or unsalted
- Eggs: large ones are best; if using smaller eggs, add more to compensate for the difference in size. Check out this egg-size conversion chart.
- Milk: preferably whole milk for a rich custard
- Spices: warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg
- Vanilla extract: Use the pure stuff for the best flavor
- Heavy cream: You can substitute whipping cream
Preparation Tips
- Day-old or slightly stale bread is ideal for soaking up lots of the custard, but remember that you don’t want it so stale that it won’t absorb anything.
- The milk and eggs should be at room temperature so that when you add the butter, it stays melted and does not solidify.
- Bread pudding can be prepared 1-2 days in advance and reheated, but withhold the sauce until the day of. Store the casserole tightly covered in the fridge. Remove the casserole 45 minutes before reheating to bring it to room temperature. Cover with foil and reheat at 275 degrees until warm or about 30 minutes.
Flavor Variations
- Add dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, cherries, or blueberries. I do not recommend fresh fruit because of the moisture content.
- Try adding chopped nuts like pecans, almonds, or walnuts.
- Mix in dried pineapple and shredded coconut for a Hawaiian vibe.
- Add dried cranberries and orange extract for a holiday pudding.
- Replace the whole milk with eggnog for a delicious Christmas bread pudding.
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Bread Pudding Recipe
A delicious and easy old-fashioned bread pudding made with simple ingredients and drizzled with a five-ingredient luscious vanilla sauce.
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Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 1036kcal
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 8-9 cups Day old Challah or Brioche Bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 tablespoons butter melted and slightly cooled
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 2½ cups milk room temperature preferably whole milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup golden raisins optional
Vanilla Sauce
- ½ cup butter salted or unsalted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 9×13-inch casserole dish with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
- Add the bread cubes to the prepared casserole dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, milk, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, cover, and let it sit for about 30 minutes to absorb the custard.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the custard is set and the bread pudding is lightly browned. Let the bread pudding cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cream. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. It will bubble a lot, so it needs constant stirring. Remove from the heat, and let it cool for 10 minutes before stirring in the vanilla. Be careful it may still bubble up.
- Serve the bread pudding with the warm vanilla sauce poured over the top. Pour on individual slices if you think you might have leftovers.
Video
Notes
- Store bread pudding tightly covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To freeze baked bread pudding, withhold the sauce till the day of serving. Cover the baking dish with 2 layers of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Store the casserole tightly covered in the fridge. Remove the casserole 45 minutes before reheating to bring it to room temperature. Cover with foil and reheat at 275 degrees until warm or about 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 1036kcal | Carbohydrates: 115g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 388mg | Sodium: 872mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 2062IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 2mg
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Lynne
A Couple of questions. If I added dried fruit or nuts, how much would I add? Also, to make the holiday pudding, how much cranberries and orange extract should I add? Thanks!
Beth Pierce
I would add 1/2 cup of dried fruit and 1/2 cup chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts. I think I would use 1/2-3/4 cup dried cranberries and 1/2-1 teaspoon orange extract, maybe split the difference. Sorry about the delayed response. I really need to hire my daughter to work for me.
April
Hi Beth, I’m thinking of using this recipe to make a chocolate bread pudding. Can I just add some cocoa powder to the milk and maybe sprinkle some chocolate chips on top? How much should I use?
Beth Pierce
Hey, April. I am thinking about a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder. Please let us know how it turns out.
Yolanda H
This is a yummy bread pudding recipe. A new family favorite. Thanks for the great recipe.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Yolanda!
Maria
My mom loves to make this bread pudding recipe. It is so good! A must make for all fans!
Clarice
We tried this yesterday with some caramel sauce, and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe. We used whole milk this time and the custard was indeed rich. Guess there are no more “stale” bread moving forward in our home.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Clarice! I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
Jenny
It’s definitely the season to be making bread and butter pudding again. Can’t wait!
Victoria Prasad
I think I might be the only person on the planet who hasn’t tried bread pudding!!
It looks so good though. I think I may fancy the version with raisins!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Victoria! Enjoy!
Melanie E
I love the variations of breads suggested to use for this. It sounds like a delicious dessert perfect to serve with vanilla ice cream.
Michelle B
This brings back so many cozy memories! Bread pudding really is the ultimate comfort dessert!! I’m with you on skipping the raisins, and that warm vanilla sauce was absolutely dreamy.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much, Michelle! I am so glad that you liked it.
Jennifer P
Bread pudding is where its at! It’s one of my favorite desserts. Naturally, I am going to save this recipe. I think I’ll make them this weekend! Thank you!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jennifer! Enjoy!