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This easy, decadent classic Bread Pudding recipe comes together with sweet brioche bread baked in a cinnamon custard. This pudding bakes up soft and tender with a delicious crisp topping. Drizzle with some homemade vanilla syrup for the ultimate dessert!
This classic Bread Pudding recipe is so delicious and packed with cinnamon flavor just like our rice pudding, churros, and easy cinnamon sugar tortillas.
The decadent custard is filled with chunks of bread and plump raisins, drizzled with a homemade vanilla sauce. It’s a special and beautiful holiday dessert that typically appears in our home around Christmas time.
Easy to put together, this recipe uses stale bread which is great for repurposing leftovers. Plus it can be made a day ahead helping to reduce stress and letting you enjoy special holiday time!
Ingredients & Substitutes:
- Stale Bread: Using dry bread allows you to use up leftovers and ensures we don’t end up with a soggy pudding.
- Raisins: The raisins add flavor and become juicy in the pudding. Substitute with dried blueberries, cranberries, or chocolate chips.
- Sugars: You can use white granulated or organic cane sugar.
- Light Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar is a great substitution that will give a deeper molasses flavor.
- Milk: Use the milk you prefer. Remember that the higher the fat percentage, the creamier the pudding. You can also use a combination of milk and cream.
- Eggs: this creates the custard, giving us a rich and decadent dessert. I do not recommend using a substitute.
- Vanilla: Use vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
- Spices: A combination of cinnamon and nutmeg are my favorite. Feel free to add a small amount of cloves and ginger if desired.
- Butter: Substitute with salted butter and adjust the salt in the recipe as needed.
What Kind of Bread is Best?
Sweet brioche and challah are ideal for bread pudding due to their richness and sturdiness. Another option is leftover French bread.
How to make A Classic Bread Pudding:
Preheat the oven to 250℉. Cube the bread into 1/2 inch squares and spread into a single layer onto a large baking sheet. Bake at 250 degrees F for 10-15 minutes to dry out.
Combine the white sugar, light brown sugar, eggs, and milk in a small bowl and whisk together. Add in the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Pour melted butter into the bottom of a 2 1/2 qt baking dish, making sure to coat the sides and base of the dish. Add the bread to the dish and stir in the raisins.
Next, pour the egg mixture over the top. Allow this to sit for 15-20 minutes to let the bread soak up the mixture.
Increase the oven temperature to 350℉. Bake the bread pudding at 350℉ for 55-60 mins. To test doneness, shake the dish lightly; the pudding should only have a slight jiggle left in the center.
Vanilla Sauce for Bread Pudding:
In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Add this sugar mixture to the boiling water. Whisk together until the sugar dissolves completely in the water.
Reduce heat to low and cook for 4-6 minutes while the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
Remove the sauce from the heat, and whisk in the cream or whole milk.
Last, add in vanilla and butter, stirring while the butter melts. Allow the sauce to cool for several minutes before serving over the bread pudding.
Serving:
Bread pudding can be served warm or at room temperature. Serve with vanilla sauce, ice cream, chocolate or caramel drizzle, or homemade whipped cream.
Variations:
- Rum, Whiskey, or Bourbon: These are common ingredients to add to a bread pudding. Add 2-4 tbsp of alcohol directly to the egg mixture. Or you can pour 1-2 tbsp of alcohol into the vanilla syrup when adding the butter and vanilla.
- Optional Add-ins: Instead of raisins, or in addition to, add pineapple, berries, chocolate chips, or toasted nuts.
Make Ahead Instructions:
Prepare the bread pudding recipe according to directions. After pouring the egg mixture over the bread, cover it and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bake when ready.
Store:
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator. To reheat leftovers, preheat the oven to 350℉, cover the bread pudding with foil, and bake for 5-10 minutes until warm.
Store the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Freeze:
To freeze bread pudding after baking, allow it to cool fully. Then wrap it well with foil and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat it in the oven for best results.
Bread Pudding FAQs
If you only have fresh bread you can cube it and bake it at a low temperature of 250 degrees F until it’s dried out.
If the bread pudding has a mushy texture, it is most likely underbaked, the pudding should have a sturdy custard texture to it.
The bread pudding can appear to be puffy in the center after baking since it’s holding in all the steam of the milk cooking, as it cools the steam dissipates and the center will appear to have fallen in.
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Classic Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250℉.
- Cut the bread to 1/2 inch cubes, and spread into a single layer onto a large baking sheet. Bake at 250 for 10-15 minutes to dry out.
- In a small bowl combine the sugars, add in the eggs and milk, whisk together. Add in the vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- Pour melted butter into the bottom of a 2 1/2 qt baking dish, make sure to coat the sides and bottom of the dish.
- Add the bread into the dish, stir in the raisins, then pour the egg mixture over the top. Allow this to sit 15-20 minutes to let the bread soak up the mixture.
- Increase oven temperature to 350℉
- Bake at 350℉ for 55-60 mins. Pudding should only have a slight jiggle in the center when the dish is shaken.
Vanilla Syrup
- In a small saucepan bring water to a boil.
- In a small bowl combine the sugar and cornstarch.
- Add the sugar mixture to the boiling water. Whisk together until the sugar dissolves completely in the water.
- Reduce heat to low and continue to cook 4-6 minutes while the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the sauce from heat, whisk in the cream or whole milk.
- Stir in vanilla and butter, stirring while the butter melts. Allow the sauce to cool for several minutes before serving over the bread pudding.
- Store the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Video
Equipment
Notes
Store the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. Freezing: To freeze bread pudding after baking, allow it to cool fully. Then wrap it well with foil and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat it in the oven for best results. Ingredient notes and substitutions:
- Stale Bread: Using dry bread allows you to use up leftovers and ensures we don’t end up with a soggy pudding. (if your bread is stale you do not need to bake before assembling the pudding.)
- Raisins: The raisins add flavor and become juicy in the pudding. Substitute with dried blueberries, cranberries, or chocolate chips.
- Sugars: You can use white granulated or organic cane sugar.
- Light Brown Sugar: Dark brown sugar is a great substitution that will give a deeper molasses flavor.
- Milk: Use the milk you prefer. Remember that the higher the fat percentage, the creamier the pudding. You can also use a combination of milk and cream.
- Eggs: this creates the custard, giving us a rich and decadent dessert. I do not recommend using a substitute.
- Vanilla: Use vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
- Spices: A combination of cinnamon and nutmeg are my favorite. Feel free to add a small amount of cloves and ginger if desired.
- Butter: Substitute with salted butter and adjust the salt in the recipe as needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by KJandCompany.co
Recipe first published November 2020. Updated November 2023.
By far the absolute worst bread pudding I’ve ever had/made!
Do you have any constructive feedback?
This was delicious! My husband said it was the best bread pudding he’s ever had.