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You are here: Crunchy Creamy Sweet / Recipes / Dessert

Bread Pudding Recipe

Published: Sep 25, 2021 · Modified: Oct 5, 2022 by Anna 20 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

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This Bread Pudding is a simple dessert for the holidays or weekend brunch. Made with pantry staples and stale bread, this dish is delicious served with custard sauce, powdered sugar, or dessert syrup!

Bread pudding in casserole dish.
Jump to:
  • Why You'll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients:
  • What is bread pudding?
  • How to make Bread Pudding?
  • How to serve bread pudding?
  • What bread is best for bread pudding?
  • Variations:
  • Recipe FAQs:
  • More dessert recipes:
  • Bread Pudding Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Who would have thought you can turn stale bread into one delicious dessert? The English did, centuries ago! Cooks always had a bowl on the table for bread scraps that will be turned into pudding. Now, this easy dessert is popular during Christmas, Easter, or any other holiday. You can make it for a special occasion or simply for weekend brunch.

Ingredients:

Ingredients for bread pudding on a marble board.
  • bread: brioche, French or Italian; best if it's stale or dried overnight;
  • eggs: you will need 4 large eggs for this recipe;
  • whole milk or half and half: to make a rich custard; this is a dessert after all!
  • sugar: to sweeten the dish;
  • butter: adds rich flavor and promotes browning;
  • vanilla extract and cinnamon: both add flavor to the dish.

What is bread pudding?

By definition, it is a dessert made with stale bread baked in a custard mixture of eggs, milk, sugar, spices, and dried fruit. It has been popular in England for centuries and now almost every cuisine has its own version.

How to make Bread Pudding?

  • Start by slicing your bread thick. Cut into cubes and let it sit overnight on the counter.
  • Butter a 2-quart baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Place bread in the dish. Mix all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and pour over the bread.
Cubed bread in dish and wet ingredients in a bowl.

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  • Press it down with a spoon so every piece of bread gets soaked in the egg mixture.
  • Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Let the bread pudding cool for 15 minutes or so, then cut into servings.
  • Dust with powdered sugar before serving or serve with syrup or sauce.
Bread pudding before and after baking.

How to serve bread pudding?

Bread pudding can be served with custard sauce, dusted with powdered sugar, drizzled with maple syrup, caramel, or other dessert syrup. You can serve it warm or cold.

What bread is best for bread pudding?

For this dish, you need thick bread that will soak up the egg mixture without falling apart. Drying it out or letting it go stale ensure this even more. I use brioche bread, French or Italian bread. I don't trim the edges off, just simply slice it into thick cubes. I do not recommend sandwich bread or sourdough.

Close up shot of bread pudding slice on plate.

Variations:

  • savory: add chopped ham and grated cheese to egg mixture, reduce the sugar amount; use Italian or French bread instead of sweet brioche;
  • chocolate: add cocoa powder to egg mixture and chopped chocolate or chocolate chips to bread before baking;
  • with berries: add frozen blueberries or raspberries just before baking;
  • dried fruit and nuts: add cranberries, raisins, almond slices, pecan or walnut pieces.

Recipe FAQs:

Can I make bread pudding ahead of time?

You can assemble the pudding and refrigerate it overnight. The next day, while the oven preheats, let the dish with bread pudding sit at room temperature to warm up. Do not put a cold dish in a hot oven!

Can I freeze it?

Since bread pudding is made with eggs and milk mixture, it does not freeze well. The texture will change since it will have too much moisture from thawing.

How to store and reheat leftovers?

Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge since this dish contains dairy and eggs. Place it in containers with lids or cover with plastic wrap to ensure it stays fresh and doesn't dry out.
You can reheat bread pudding in the microwave or toaster oven.

Overhead shot of bread pudding in blue dish.

More dessert recipes:

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    Easy Crumb Cake
  • Apple cake with crumb topping on plate.
    The Best Apple Crumb Cake
  • Slice of cheesecake on a plate.
    Perfect Cheesecake
  • Chocolate babka in a pan.
    Chocolate Babka

If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!

Bread pudding in a baking dish.

Bread Pudding Recipe

Author: Anna
This Bread Pudding is a simple dessert for the holidays or weekend brunch. Made with pantry staples and stale bread, this dish is delicious served with custard sauce, powdered sugar, or dessert syrup!
5 from 13 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 55 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 396 kcal
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
 
 

  • 14 oz stale bread about 5 cups cubed
  • 3 cups whole milk or half and half see note
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • butter for greasing the dish

Instructions
 

  • Butter a 2-quart baking dish. A 13" x 9" casserold dish will work too.
    butter
  • Place cubed bread in the dish. See note below on drying bread if yours is fresh.
    14 oz stale bread
  • In a large bowl, mix eggs, half and half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and eggs are mix well.
    3 cups whole milk or half and half, 4 large eggs, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Pour over the bread. Press bread down with a spoon so every piece is soaked in the egg mixture.
  • Let the dish sit while the oven preheats to 350° Fahrenhite.
  • Bake pudding for 55 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes or so.
  • Serve warm, dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with dessert sauce, like custard sauce or caramel.

Notes

  • If you have a fresh loaf of bread, slice it thick, then cube it into about 1" pieces. Spread them on a large baking dish and let sit on the counter overnight or bake in 200 degrees F for 10 minutes, or until dry.
  • I highly recommend using half and half for this recipe. It adds richness since it's part cream. You can also use a combination of whole milk and half and half. I do not recommend skim milk.
  • I use brioche bread, French or Italian bread. I don’t trim the edges off, just simply cut slice it into thick cubes. I do not recommend sandwich bread or sourdough.
  • Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 535mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 358IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 249mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!

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Comments

    5 from 13 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Jola says

    October 09, 2024 at 7:54 am

    5 stars
    People sometimes throw away so much bread, and here is a recipe for such gold

    Reply
  2. Laura says

    October 12, 2023 at 9:14 pm

    5 stars
    This is the first time I have ever made bread pudding and I am 72!! This was absolutely delicious! I used half and half.

    Reply
  3. Rachel says

    June 09, 2022 at 6:27 pm

    5 stars
    Didn’t use a measuring spoon for the cinnamon or vanilla just threw it in there. I was able to use up some old hamburger and hotdog buns, so delish! I also used milk, not the half and half

    Reply
    • Anna says

      June 12, 2022 at 5:16 pm

      Thank you for making my recipe, Rachel! Love that you used buns!

      Reply
      • Matt Smith says

        July 20, 2022 at 6:53 pm

        I tried this recipe but I used old Krispy Kreme donuts or all kinds and my yoga friend (who was on a diet) chased me down when I told her what it was made of...

      • Debbie says

        August 01, 2022 at 12:09 pm

        5 stars
        @Matt Hahaa....Sounds delish, Brilliant idea!

  4. Rose says

    March 13, 2022 at 9:33 am

    I had leftover strawberry bread I needed to find a use for and I couldn’t find “the” recipe I needed, so this one was easy for me to adjust! My first first try came out to wet for me, so to this recipe I added almost 2 more cups of bread! After baking for about 30 minutes, I added 1/2 cup white chocolate chips so they didn’t completely disappear and I gave it a gentle mix to avoid getting the soggy center. For my taste, it was pretty good and I have no doubt it would have disappeared served to my family! Next time, maybe add only 1-1/2 cups of bread and increase the white chocolate chips to a cup! 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

    Reply
  5. Beverly King says

    February 27, 2022 at 4:49 pm

    Loved this recipe, although I made several substitutions. I used 4 JUMBO eggs, several of which had 2 yolks. And I used evaporated milk in place of the half and half. I really love Cinnamon so I increased it by 1/2 tsp. It had a very creamy consistency and the extra cinnamon worked out well I thought. I also mixed some confectioners sugar and enough milk to make a glaze like cinnamon rolls have. After these "tweaks" the entire thing was OFF THE CHAIN and completely gone in 30 minutes.

    Reply
  6. Michelle says

    January 28, 2022 at 12:08 pm

    Mich from Maryland…Was Great for our Snowy day ,the kids just eat it up!&Very easy to make. Forever Greatful I found this recipe.

    Reply
    • Anna says

      February 06, 2022 at 12:07 am

      Thank you so much, Michelle! I am so glad it was a hit!

      Reply
  7. Alisa says

    January 20, 2022 at 11:45 am

    5 stars
    This is perfect for using up the stale bread in the fridge! I had a cinnamon raisin waiting to be used! So good!

    Reply
    • Anna says

      February 06, 2022 at 12:15 am

      Perfect! I just love how we can turn stale bread into this delicious dish! Thank you, Alisa!

      Reply
  8. Mary Tatem says

    December 17, 2021 at 4:14 pm

    5 stars
    We had some Hawaiian sliced bread (similar in flavor to Kings Hawaiian rolls...which I am not crazy about) so I used it for this recipe (following the rest of the recipe, exactly) and it was GREAT. I may by that bread again just to use in this recipe

    Reply
  9. Claire Hoetker says

    December 06, 2021 at 2:37 am

    Hello!!
    Quick question, is it recommended to leave the pudding covered or uncovered in the oven? I was thinking first half uncovered and second covered if needed. Excited to make this!

    Reply
  10. Juanita Quinones says

    October 21, 2021 at 2:30 pm

    5 stars
    I try a lot of bread pudding recipe, but this one is the best bread pudding ever.

    Reply
    • Anna says

      October 21, 2021 at 10:30 pm

      Thank you so much, Juanita! I am so glad you love it!

      Reply
  11. Loraine Charles says

    September 27, 2021 at 2:04 pm

    I am certainly going to try this recipe. I love bread pudding and always tried it on my own. But this recipe looks great! I look forward to tasting it.

    Reply
  12. Tatum Burke says

    September 27, 2021 at 6:31 am

    5 stars
    My absolute favorite dessert! It was so easy to make and delicious.

    Reply
  13. Allyssa says

    September 27, 2021 at 6:06 am

    5 stars
    This is really tasty and super easy to make! Fam loves it, will surely have this again! Highly recommended! Thank you so much for sharing this amazing bread pudding recipe! Well done!

    Reply
  14. Beth says

    September 26, 2021 at 5:09 pm

    That looks so scrumptious. I can't wait to try this. I wish I had seen it before I went grocery shopping. I am going to pick up the half n half on Wednesday.

    Reply
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Hi! I'm Anna!

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