Homemade Bread Pudding Recipe

This bread pudding recipe is a great pick for those who are looking for a hassle-free weekend breakfast.

It takes very little effort to prepare. All you have to do is mix all the wet ingredients together, add it to the bread, and bake.

But first, here are some interesting facts about this bready sweet treat.

What Is Bread Pudding?

b is often served as a sweet dessert in many countries.

It contains a mixture of egg, milk, heavy cream, butter, and sugar that is used to soak stale bread. Raisins, chopped nuts, and spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg can also be added to make the pudding more flavorful.

You can also make savory bread pudding by using only egg, milk, heavy cream, butter, and salt. Toppings such as ham, cheese, or caramelized onions are a great addition to the pudding— making it delicious and wholesome.

Although bread pudding is a dessert, we’ve decided to turn it into breakfast or brunch. It’s perfect for on the weekends as it requires hardly any effort and can ease your sweet tooth as well.

Is This Bread Pudding Recipe Healthy?

As mentioned, bread pudding contains mainly bread, dairy products, and sugar. This means that it is full of calories, carbohydrates, saturated fats, and added sugars.

That being said, there are ways to make it a bit healthier than it sounds:

• Limit the amount of added sugar: we cut down on sugar as much as we can. The pudding has enough sugar to be sweet and delicious without exceeding your recommended added sugar intake.
• Pay attention to sodium: although the recipe doesn’t have any salt, there is still sodium in the bread. It would be best to keep the sodium level to a minimum and leave out the salt.
• Add fresh fruits: we’re only using apples for today’s recipe, but you can also use other types of fresh fruits. Try adding strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and peach to add more fiber and micronutrients to your bread pudding.
• Add nuts: nuts are a great source of fiber and protein. Both of which can slow down the sudden rise of blood sugar levels when having sweets for breakfast.

Calories in Bread Pudding

There are 456 calories in one serving of our bread pudding. This is just enough calories for breakfast and enough to sneak in a glass of juice as well.

According to our healthy eating guidelines, a female adult can eat up to 600 calories for breakfast. A male adult, on the other hand, can eat up to 700 calories.

With a slice of bread pudding and glass of refreshing juice, you’ll have energy to function properly the whole day.

Best Types of Bread for Bread Pudding

We cannot name “the best type of bread” for a bread pudding because everyone has their own preference. However, we can suggest a few types of bread that are widely available and perfect for today’s recipe:

• French baguette: with its natural crispy crust and its chewy, lightly dense texture, baguette is perfect for bread pudding.
• Whole wheat/sourdough/rye/multigrain bread: these types of bread are dense and packed with fiber and micronutrients. Using them in your bread pudding can be a great way to sneak more fiber into your diet.

You can use any type of bread you want. However, we wouldn’t recommend using regular white bread in a bread pudding recipe.

When soaked and baked, white bread will create a soft, spongy bread pudding and won’t have a thick, crunchy crust.

Bread Pudding Ingredients

Here’s list of all the ingredients for today’s bread pudding recipe:

For the pudding mixture:

• Whole egg
• Plain Greek yogurt
• Whole milk
• Cinnamon powder
• White sugar
• Baguette bread
• Fresh apples
• Raisins
• Walnuts

For the caramel sauce:

• Unsalted butter
• Heavy cream
• Brown sugar

If you want to customize the recipe to your preference, here are some things you can change:

1. Apple and Other Fruits

We’re using fresh gala apples, but you can use whatever fresh fruits you have on hand. From fresh berries, peach, to banana, give them a try.

2. Raisins and Other Dried Fruits

Other than raisins, there are many other types of dried fruits that can go well with bread pudding. Dates, prunes, currants, or apricots can be a great addition to your pudding.

3. Milk and Dairy Products

For those who are lactose intolerant, you can try dairy-free milk, yogurt, and heavy cream. We recommend using nut milk, cashew cream, and a squeeze of lemon to mimic that tangy yogurt taste.

It will not taste the same, but it’s much lighter, extra nutty, and can relieve your stomach problem.

How to Make Bread Pudding

Here is a brief summary of our bread pudding recipe:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2: Mix bread, apples, raisins, and chopped walnuts.

Step 3: Combine egg, Greek yogurt, whole milk, white sugar, and cinnamon powder.

Step 4: Add the milk mixture in the bread and fold to soak the liquid evenly.

Step 5: Put the soaked bread into the baking dish.

Step 6: Mix the remaining white sugar and cinnamon powder. Sprinkle on the top of the bread pudding.

Step 7: Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 8: Make the caramel sauce. Allow the sauce to cool before use.

Step 9: Remove the bread pudding from the oven. Drizzle the sauce over the pudding and serve.

Detailed instructions and full measurements are available below.

How Long to Bake Bread Pudding

Our bread pudding takes 30 minutes to bake in a 350°F oven. However, cooking time may vary slightly depending on different ovens.

You may need to use an oven thermometer to read the temperature correctly. If you don’t have one, a good rule of thumb for baking bread pudding is to cook it slowly.

Set your oven to 350°F and bake until the pudding is golden brown and has a crunchy crust on top.. The baking process usually takes 30 minutes to 45 minutes.

Sauce for Bread Pudding

Did you know that there’s more than one sauce that can pair perfectly with bread pudding? Here are a few honorable mentions:

1. Caramel Sauce

You can never go wrong with a classic homemade caramel sauce. It’s rich, sweet, decadent— simply perfect for a slice of warm bread pudding.

If you’ve never made caramel sauce at home, no worries. We will guide you through the making process.

2. Whiskey/Rum/Bourbon Sauce

Adding alcohol to the classic caramel sauce can change the bread pudding flavor and make it more funky. You can choose either whiskey, dark rum, or bourbon and it’ll fit your caramel sauce nicely.

Keep in mind that 0.5 to 1 fl oz of alcohol is enough for a 4-serving caramel sauce recipe.

Cook your caramel sauce as instructed, once finished, add the alcohol and stir vigorously to incorporate.

3. Vanilla Sauce

This sweet, off-white sauce is like a cousin to the classic caramel sauce. They both contain sugar, heavy cream, and unsalted butter.

The only differences between the two sauces are vanilla and type of sugar.

For caramel sauce, you’d want to use brown sugar to get that dark, rich tawny color. However, we want to give the vanilla sauce a milky color, so granulated white sugar is the best option.

Cook your sugar in butter until just dissolved. Don’t cook it any further otherwise you’ll caramelize the sugar and change its color.

If you’re using vanilla seeds, add them into the sauce along with heavy cream and stir it in. For those who use vanilla extract or essence, add it into the sauce after you’ve mixed in the heavy cream.

4. Lemon Sauce

Unlike the aforementioned sauces, lemon sauce is not a caramel-based sauce. It’s fresh, tangy, sweet, and will pair nicely with bread pudding.

Ingredients for a lemon sauce are granulated sugar, cornstarch, water, unsalted butter, grated lemon zest and its juice.

All these sauces contain lots of added sugar and saturated fat from heavy cream and butter. It is best that you eat them in moderation to avoid over-consumption of added sugar and saturated fat.

What Else Goes Well with Bread Pudding?

If you’re looking for ideas to kick this bread pudding up a notch, we have a few suggestions:

1. Chocolate

This decadent cacao product goes well with almost any sweet treat, and bread pudding is no exception.

Dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips are the best fits. All you need to do is mix them in with the bread pudding and put it into the oven.

The chocolate will melt into knucks and crannies of the pudding— giving you an incredible gastronomical experience in every bite.

2. Pecans

If you’re not a big fan of walnuts, try pecans instead. They’re rich like walnuts, but are slightly more buttery.

Pecans also don’t have that light bitterness that walnuts sometimes leave on your taste bud.

3. Ice Cream

Warm bread pudding and ice cream is an indulgent food combination. When the ice cream melts and seeps into the pudding, it creates a whole new flavor profile for the pudding.

You can pick your favorite ice cream flavor, or just go with the classic vanilla ice cream. But no matter what type of ice cream you pick, be sure to calculate and monitor your calorie intake.

Meal Plan with Bread Pudding Recipe

Bread pudding is a dessert so it is usually served after the main course at dinner. You may not need to pair it with any side dish.

However, we figure bread pudding could make a perfect breakfast for times when you wake up with a sweet tooth.

That being said, the pudding wouldn’t make a nutritious meal on its own. And it isn’t enough to fill you.

You’ll need a drink to wash it down and provide you with more nutrients. Therefore, we suggest serving this bread pudding with a glass of icy pomegranate blueberry juice.

This refreshing, sweet, and sour beverage goes well with almost anything. It’s also packed with micronutrients, especially vitamin C.

Vitamin C plays an important role in boosting the immune system. This antioxidant may help prevent various health conditions, including cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Also, a refreshing juice is a great way to start your day on a strong and healthy note.

Our morning meal plan of bread pudding and pomegranate blueberry juice is both healthy and delicious. We’ve given you the details below:

How to Store Bread Pudding

There are two ways to store bread pudding.

You can just put the whole baking dish in the fridge. Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.

If your fridge doesn’t have enough space, divide the pudding into one-serving portions and put them into airtight containers. That way you can easily stack the containers on top of each other in the fridge to save room.

The second method is convenient for those who want to grab a quick bite on-the-go. Also, this makes it easier for you to reheat the bread pudding later as well.

Can You Freeze Bread Pudding?

Yes, you can. Bread pudding freezes well and can last up to 1 month in the freezer.

Here’s how you freeze it:

Allow your bread pudding to cool completely before putting it in the freezer. Cut it into serving portions and put in freezer-safe containers— either an airtight container or a ziploc bag is fine.

Using an airtight container to store your food will prevent the food from getting freezer burn.

Freezing each portion in separate containers also allows the pudding to freeze faster. It will be easier for you to take one out and thaw later too.

We also recommend freezing the caramel sauce separately. Put it in a freezer-safe jar and it’ll stay good in the freezer for 2 months.

Both frozen bread pudding and caramel sauce can defrost completely in the fridge overnight.