This bread pudding recipe is a great choice for those looking for a hassle-free weekend breakfast.
This recipe takes the bare minimum of effort to prepare. You only have to mix all the wet ingredients together, add these to the bread, and bake.
But first, here are some interesting facts about this satisfying, sweet treat.
What Is Bread Pudding?
In many countries, bread pudding is served as a sweet dessert and has historically been a good way to use up old bread.
The recipe often contains a mixture of egg, milk, heavy cream, butter, and sugar. Soak stale bread in this mixture, let it absorb the liquid so that it becomes soft and flavorful.
Adding raisins, chopped nuts, and spices, such as cinnamon and nutmeg can give your bread pudding a difference in textures and complex flavor profile.
You can also make savory bread pudding using only egg, milk, heavy cream, butter, and salt. Toppings such as ham, cheese, or caramelized onions are great additions to the pudding, making it delicious, satisfying, and wholesome.
Although bread pudding is most often served as a sweet dessert, we decide to turn it into a breakfast or brunch option here. This adaptation is perfect for the weekend, as it requires hardly any effort to make and can satisfy your sweet tooth as well.
Is This Recipe Healthy?
As mentioned, bread pudding contains mainly bread, dairy products, and sweetener. 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. Our pudding has enough sugar to be sweet and delicious without exceeding your recommended added sugar intake.
- Pay attention to sodium: Although this 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 only use apples in this recipe, but you can use other types of fresh fruits. Try adding strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or peach to add flavor, fiber, and micronutrients to your bread pudding recipe.
- Add nuts: Nuts are a great source of fiber and protein. Both can slow down the otherwise sudden rise of blood sugar levels when having sweets for breakfast.
Calories
There are 456 calories in one serving of our bread pudding recipe. This is just enough calories for breakfast and leaves room 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 a glass of refreshing juice, you’ll have energy to function properly the whole day.
For more low-calorie and healthy sweet treats that are still undeniably delicious, check out our Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe, Sweet Potato Pie Recipe, Carrot Cake Cookies Recipe, and Whole Wheat Blueberry Banana Bread Recipe.
Best Types of Bread for This Recipe
There is no “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 chewy, lightly dense texture, a leftover 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 the lovely thick, crunchy crust that makes this recipe a winner.
Main Ingredients
Here’s a list of all the ingredients for today’s bread pudding recipe.
For the pudding mixture, you will need:
- Whole egg
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Whole milk
- Cinnamon powder
- White sugar
- Baguette (or other types of) bread
- Fresh apples
- Raisins
- Walnuts
For the caramel sauce, you will need:
- Unsalted butter
- Heavy cream
- Brown sugar
If you want to customize the recipe to your preference, below are some additional ingredients you can use:
1. Apple and Other Fruits
We suggest fresh gala apples, but you can use whatever fresh fruits you have on hand. This includes fresh berries, peach, or banana; whatever is in season give them a try!
2. Raisins and Other Dried Fruits
Other than raisins, there are many other types of dried fruits that go well with bread pudding. Dates, prunes, currants, or apricots can be great alternatives to try.
3. Milk and Dairy Products
For those who are lactose intolerant, you can use 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 may relieve your stomach problems.
4. How Long to Bake
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; make sure to bake until it is firm but not dry.
How to Store
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.
Meal Plan
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 up completely.
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.
Can You Freeze It?
Yes, you can. Bread pudding freezes well and can last up to 1 month in the freezer.
Here’s how to freeze bread pudding:
Allow your bread pudding to cool completely before putting it in the freezer. Cut it into serving portions and put it 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 burned.
Freezing each portion in separate containers also allows the pudding to freeze faster. It will be easier for you to take out single portions and thaw for eating later.
We also recommend freezing the caramel sauce separately. Put it in a freezer-safe jar, and it’ll keep well in the freezer for two months.
Both frozen bread pudding and caramel sauce can defrost completely in the fridge overnight.
Bread Pudding Recipe
This bread pudding recipe doesn’t require much effort to make. All you have to do is mix the ingredients and put it in the oven to bake.
- by Luna Regina, 2023-02-02
- cook TIME 30 mins
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 45 mins
- INACTIVE TIME 5 mins
- COURSE Breakfast
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 456 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 6 oz baguette bread (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 4 oz apples (diced)
- 3 oz raisins
- 3.1 oz walnuts (roughly chopped)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 3/4 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 medium egg
- 3 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder (divided)
- 4 tsp white sugar (divided)
- 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, toss together 6 oz baguette bread, 4 oz apples, 3 oz raisins, and 3.1 oz walnuts. Set aside.
In another bowl, add egg, 3 tbsp plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup whole milk, 3 tsp white sugar, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder. Whisk to combine.
Add the milk mixture to the bread and fold with a spatula to soak the liquid evenly.
Put the entire mixture into the baking dish. Pat it down gently with a spatula for a roughly even surface.
In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 tsp white sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder. Sprinkle this cinnamon sugar on the top of the bread pudding.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce: in a small saucepan, melt 3/4 tbsp unsalted butter and 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar over low heat for 5 minutes. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, add 2 tbsp heavy cream, turn off the heat, and stir vigorously with a whisk. Allow the sauce to cool before use.
Once the timer rings, remove the bread pudding from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes. Drizzle the sauce over the pudding and serve.
Optional: garnish with a few thin slices of apples on top of the bread pudding to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary ConsultantLuna Regina
Writer, AuthorLizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD
Nutrition Reviewer- DavageI just made this bread pudding - it's so creamy and full of warm flavors! It reminds me of fall but is delicious all year round!