Bread Pudding (2024)

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

1. Cut your stale bread into 1″ pieces, then place in a large mixing bowl.
2. 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.
3. Pour in the milk and cream and whisk to combine.
4. Evenly pour the custard over your cubed bread pieces.

5. Gently toss the bread cubes and the custard mixture together with a spatula until the bread is evenly coated.
6. Spread the mixture into a 2.5 qt casserole dish, making sure to include any custard liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
7. Add the butter pieces overtop and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
8. 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

1. Stir together the butter, sugars, cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the sugar melts, increase the meat to medium.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often. Once it reaches a rolling boil, remove and stir in the vanilla extract.
3. 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

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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