My classic bread pudding recipe is easy and oh so cozy. Customize it with dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate, or keep it simple and serve with the buttery sauce. Recipe includes a how-to video!
The BEST Bread Pudding Recipe
I’ve received so many requests for a bread pudding recipe, and I’m thrilled to be sharing my version just in time for Christmas! Made with enriched bread soaked in a sweet custard, this is a timeless and classic dessert. It’s easy, deeply flavored, and incredibly comforting.
Let’s get one thing straight right from the start though: bread pudding shouldn’t be soggy. The top should be golden and firm (mine has a nice slightly crunchy texture from turbinado sugar) and the remainder should be moist, soft, and slightly springy.
Why you’ll love my recipe:
- Customizable: the bread options are endless, and you can always toss in some chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit if you’d like. I also include instructions for turning the sauce into a bourbon sauce (yum!).
- Easy: simply cut your bread, toss it with the custard, and bake! The sauce is optional and you can totally skip it if you’re feeling extra lazy–the pudding still tastes great without it.
- Can be made in advance: the bread can soak in the custard for some time, though I’ve found I can put mine in the oven right away and it still comes out just fine. It’s also a great dish for preparing in advance then serving the next day; just let it sit covered in the refrigerator overnight, then bake (just like french toast casserole!).
- Not soggy! When prepared properly, this bread pudding should not be soggy. Yes, it is technically a custard, so it will have some jiggle when it’s warm, but it should not be wet or soggy. The key is to make sure your bread is nice and stale.
What You Need
Simple but so good, my recipe uses just 11 ingredients! Here are the most important ones you need to make it.
- Bread. Challah, brioche, or French bread are my preference, but you could really use any, even homemade bread or sourdough. Just know that the bread you use will alter the flavor of this bread pudding recipe; brioche and challah are buttery and subtly sweet, while French bread is more neutral and sourdough is, well, sour. Also note that something like plain white bread would be pretty soft, so you need to make sure it’s sufficiently stale so the dish doesn’t become too soggy.
- Eggs. Critical for our custard! Room temperature eggs work best, and we want them well beaten so there are no clumps of cooked egg in our bread pudding.
- Vanilla and cinnamon. This is what I use to flavor my bread pudding recipe, but you could always add a few extras if you’d like. I include a few ideas below!
- Turbinado sugar. A little turbinado sugar on top adds a nice texture, but it isn’t a must. And yes, even when serving this with the sauce, I still add the turbinado sugar (my website doesn’t have sugar in the name for nothing!).
SAM’S TIP: Make sure your bread is nice and stale, that way it can absorb all of the custard without becoming soggy. I include a trick for making fresh bread stale in a hurry in the recipe notes below.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Bread Pudding
- Cut your stale bread into 1″ pieces, then place in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk together the sugars, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl until well combined. Add the eggs and whisk very well until incorporated.
- Pour in the milk and cream and whisk to combine.
- Evenly pour the custard over your cubed bread pieces.
- Gently toss the bread cubes and the custard mixture together with a spatula until the bread is evenly coated.
- Spread the mixture into a 2.5 qt casserole dish, making sure to include any custard liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
- Add the butter pieces overtop and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes at 375F (190C). Your bread pudding is done when the center is lightly jiggly and the surface is evenly browned.
SAM’S TIP: Let the bread pudding cool a bit before serving. I like it best warm (though you can serve it cold) but don’t cut into it right away when it comes out of the oven.
Sauce
- Stir together the butter, sugars, cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the sugar melts, increase the meat to medium.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Once it reaches a rolling boil, remove and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes, then drizzle half over the bread pudding. Reserve the remaining sauce for pouring over individual slices.
SAM’S TIP: If you like bourbon, you can add a splash (2-3 teaspoons) to the glaze alongside the vanilla extract. It makes for quite a strong bourbon flavor though, so only do this if you like that sort of thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Simply cover it tightly and place in the freezer for several months. When you are ready to serve, thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in 325F oven (covered with foil) or in the microwave.
There are many flavor variations you could do here! If you want to add raisins (or other dried fruit), chopped apples, cranberries, chocolate chips, or nuts, feel free to stir them in as you combine the bread and the custard. I’d love to hear what you end up trying!
You can leave it out for a few hours, but any longer than that and it needs to go back in the fridge. This is because this is a custard-based dessert, similar to pumpkin pie or pecan pie.
How do you like your bread pudding–plain, or jazzed up with all the add-ins? I’d love to hear how your family enjoys this dessert!
Enjoy!
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Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 16 oz stale Challah bread use day-old, slightly stale bread for best results (about 10 cups cubed bread)
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups (354 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (236 ml) heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons (28 g) salted or unsalted butter cold, cut into pea sized pieces
- 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar for topping (optional)
For the sauce (optional, but tasty!)
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
- 2.5 qt casserole dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
- Cut bread into 1” cubes and set aside.16 oz stale Challah bread
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars, melted butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt and whisk until well combined.½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 4 Tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon table salt
- Add eggs and whisk well.5 large eggs
- Add milk and heavy cream and whisk until mixture is well combined.1 ½ cups (354 ml) whole milk, 1 cup (236 ml) heavy cream
- Place bread pieces in a large mixing bowl and pour egg mixture evenly over bread. Gently toss with a spatula until bread is thoroughly coated with the custard.
- Pour contents evenly into 2.5qt casserole dish (make sure you add all the liquid from the bowl!).
- Dot the top of the bread with the butter pieces. If desired, sprinkle the entire surface evenly with turbinado sugar.2 Tablespoons (28 g) salted or unsalted butter, 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar
- Transfer to center rack of 375F (190C) oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. The surface will be browned and the center will still be slightly jiggly when finished baking. Prepare sauce (if using) while the pudding cools.
For the sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine butter, sugars, heavy cream, and salt. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring often, until sugar is melted.4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Increase heat to medium and bring mixture to a boil, stirring often.
- When mixture reaches a full rolling boil, remove from heat, add vanilla extract, and stir well. Allow mixture to cool for about 10 minutes or so, it will thicken as it cools.½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Drizzle approximately half the sauce over the surface of the pudding, reserving the rest for serving on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
Bread
Challah bread or brioche are the best bread choices for this recipe. French bread could also be used. Slightly stale bread (it shouldn’t be too soft!) is best to use as it keeps the dish from becoming too soggy. I’ll unwrap my bread and let it sit on the counter for a day or two before using. If your bread is too fresh, you can speed up the process by cutting it and scattering the pieces evenly over a baking sheet and baking at 300F for 10 minutes.Raisins
I do not prefer to use raisins in my recipe, but they can often be found in bread pudding. Feel free to stir in a cup when combining the bread and custard.Bourbon (or rum) sauce
Turn the sauce into a bourbon or rum sauce by adding 2-3 teaspoons of either into the sauce with the vanilla extract.Make ahead instructions
This dish does well when prepared in advance! Follow steps 1-7. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, dot with butter, sprinkle with turbinado sugar (if using) and proceed with the recipe as written.Storing
After baking, allow to cool then cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You may also cover tightly and freeze for up to several months (thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the microwave or covered with aluminum foil in 325F (165C) oven until warmed through.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Cara
This was fantastic. I used half of a Costco rustic Italian loaf (really appreciated the ingredients giving a weight for the bread instead of number of slices!). I cut the sugar to only 1/2 c total and used skim milk since that’s what I had on hand, and it came out perfectly. I used an 8×8 glass casserole dish. This recipe is going in our recipe box!
Sam Merritt
I’m so glad it was such a hit, Cara! 🙂
Linda Musnoff
This is great first time I tried it, doubled it for a large crowd. I added bourbon and pecans.
Sam Merritt
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Linda! 🙂