This quick and easy Bread Pudding with warm vanilla sauce is comfort food at its best. 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. If you love it as much as we do, try croissant bread pudding, French toast casserole, ham and cheese quiche.
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
- 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
- Sugars: both granulated and brown
- Spices: warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg
- Vanilla extract: use the pure stuff for the best flavor
- Heavy cream: or whipping cream
How to Make Bread Pudding
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Cut a day-old loaf of challah bread or brioche into bite-size pieces. Lay them in a casserole dish greased with butter. Whisk together the melted butter, eggs, milk, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Pour the custard 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, stir together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and heavy 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.
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.
Storage
- 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.
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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Best Bread Pudding
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
- 2 ½ cups milk room temperature preferably whole milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 ½ 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
- 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.
Nutrition
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Tammy
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve made bread pudding and it’s such a wonderful seasonal treat! Definitely going to make this over the holidays..looks delish!
Karen
This was so so good!!! I love bread puddings and this one was the best I have had in quite some time. Thanks for the great recipe.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure, Karen!
Lily
I am honestly not sure if I’ve ever had bread pudding! It looks delicious though so I will give this recipe a try. Thanks for sharing this.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lily! Enjoy!
Lisa
Bread pudding is so cozy and perfect for this weather. The warm vanilla sauce is the best accompaniment too.
Renee
This is the perfect dessert for this time of the year when it’s a bit cold. We enjoyed this with a fresh hot pot of coffee for breakfast. Can you say heaven?
Hari
This bread pudding was so creammy and delicious. I think I am going to serve this for brunch on Christmas because everyone loved it so much. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Jamie M
This post brings back the warm nostalgia of grandma’s creamy custard bread pudding, offering a quick and easy recipe that promises comfort food at its best. The personal touch of mentioning grandma’s preference for raisins adds a delightful familial element to the narrative. The flexibility of making it with or without raisins is a thoughtful consideration, catering to individual tastes and making the recipe adaptable to various preferences. This post not only provides a delicious-sounding recipe but also fosters a connection to cherished family traditions, making it an inviting read for anyone seeking a taste of nostalgic comfort.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Jamie. Food can be incredibly nostalgic.
Maria
This BREAD PUDDING was so delicious. My sister and I just could not keep our hands off of it. Next time I am going to try it with a fresh lemon sauce.
Janice
Ohh this bread pudding is the perfect, warm desert for the cold winter nights! Thank you for sharing this recipe. We loved it and we sill make it again.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Janice! So glad that you liked it! We love it too!
Stephanie
This is one of the best bread puddings I’ve made! The vanilla sauce is good even on its own. Will try your suggestion at Christmas and try it with eggnog and dried cranberries.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stephanie! I am so glad that you liked the bread pudding with vanilla sauce.
Yolanda
This is the ultimate in comfort food pudding. It is so delicious and I love the vanilla sauce that goes over the top.
Sammie
I love bread pudding my husband usually makes it and sometimes adds Baileys to it. This has got me wanting this now
Tisha
This bread pudding recipe was delicious and easy to make. I topped it with a little fresh whipped cream and enjoyed it with a hot cup of coffee.
Allyson Reed
This is the most amazing dessert! Thank you for sharing this recipe
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Allyson! So glad that you liked it!
Sandra
This is really good! I really enjoyed making and eating this!
Erin
This bread pudding was impossible to resist! This recipe is a must try.