The Best Bread Pudding Recipe

This Bread Pudding recipe is an easy family dessert favorite. Challah bread cubes are soaked in a sweet custard and baked until brown and crispy. Serve it warm with a scoop of ice cream for the most comforting dessert around!

Bread pudding plated and then toped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup

This Is My Favorite Bread Pudding Recipe!

I like to think of bread pudding as the dessert version of your favorite comforting casserole. Stay with me here. Think about it this way – bread pudding is easy to make, bakes in a pan in your oven, and warms you up on the inside with each bite. For me, bread pudding is pure dessert comfort food.

What’s the best part about making bread pudding? It’s super simple! Honestly, it’s my go-to dessert when I’m feeling a bit lazy. Don’t judge a mama – we all have those days. But, a good bread pudding can taste better than your favorite cake and it’s as simple as ripping up some day old bread and topping it with a sweet milk and egg mixture.

What is Bread Pudding?

Bread pudding is made from day-old but not quite stale bread that has been cubed, soaked, and baked. It became popular in Europe during the Middle Ages as a way to use day-old bread. Bread pudding has remained a popular dessert throughout the years. Recently, bread pudding has received lots of attention as a simple way to reduce your food waste.

The bread pudding of the Middle Ages is not nearly as decadent as what we make, today. Nowadays, you’ll find bread puddings with lots of creative add-ins and flavorful sauces or toppings. I like to compare a good bread pudding to the most yummy bite at the center of your French Toast.

Did you know: It might surprise you, but bread pudding isn’t always a dessert. There are savory variations, too!

Recipe Ingredients

The best part about this recipe is that you likely have all of the ingredients in your pantry already! The only thing you may not have readily available is the turbinado sugar, which is the sugar you see labeled as “raw” sugar in mini packets. If you don’t have turbinado sugar, feel free to use light brown sugar.

Here are all of the ingredients you’ll need for this Bread Pudding:

challah bread
milk
butter
kosher salt
granulated sugar
vanilla extract
eggs
turbinado sugar

Optional add-ins and garnishes:

mini chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped nuts
powdered sugar for dusting

Four images of bread pudding in the process of being made. Cubbing bread, mixing ingredients, soak the bread, baking the bread

How to Make Bread Pudding

Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 2- quart baking dish with nonstick spray. Cut your bread into 1 inch cubes. Place the bread cubes in the prepared pan and set aside.

Heat: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat combine the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and vanilla. Heat, stirring frequently until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Once the butter is melted, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool to lukewarm.

Combine: When the mixture is cooled, whisk in the eggs until they are combined. Pour the mixture evenly on top of the bread cubes, making sure all the top pieces are coated in liquid.

Top: Sprinkle everything evenly with turbinado sugar and chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts.

Bake: Bake your bread pudding for 30 – 40 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top of the bread is lightly toasted.

Cool: Allow the bread pudding to cool and set for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Serve: Your bread pudding can be served warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

Tips for the Best Bread Pudding

Here are a few additional tips to keep your bread pudding moist, spongy, and perfectly yummy.

Using day old bread works great because it acts like a sponge. If you don’t have day old bread, allow the cubes to sit out as long as possible to dry out. I usually cube them and leave them out overnight.
If you notice the bread is toasting too quickly or getting too brown, lightly tent the baking dish with aluminum foil.
If you prefer a thicker bread pudding you can absolutely bake this in a smaller, deeper baking dish. You will need to add 10 or so minutes to your bake time.

What Can You Add Into Bread Pudding?

My favorite (and frankly, the easiest) bread pudding add-ins are chocolate chips, raisins, and chopped nuts. I like to sprinkle these on top before baking. Sometimes I choose just one and other times I combine them.

Here are a few more ideas of things that are delicious in bread pudding:

Fresh fruit. Seasonal berries and bananas make for delicious additions!
Toasted Coconut. This adds a nice crunchy and sweet texture.
White Chocolate Chips. White chocolate chips add a nice flavor.
Flavored Extracts. Almond, rum, or coconut extracts would each be great!
Other Dried Fruits. Currants, craisins, or dried cherries are great options!

How Do You Know When It’s Done Baking?

I bake my bread pudding for 30 minutes. I know that it is done when the center is set and springs back when tapped lightly. It will appear a little wobbly, but this is fine. If it’s not ready in 30 minutes, then check it every 5 minutes until it’s done.

bread pudding baked and plated then topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Do You Have To Use Challah Bread?

Challah is my favorite bread to use in this bread pudding recipe, but you can use a variety of breads for bread pudding. Most importantly the bread needs to taste good on its own before using it in a recipe like this. It’s just like wine in cooking. You don’t use wine that you wouldn’t drink on its own in a recipe, right? Same concept here. If you wouldn’t eat it on it’s own, don’t use it in this bread pudding.

I prefer any bread that is made with butter and eggs for bread pudding since it’s sturdier and it enhances the flavor of the custard that it bakes in, but it’s not a must.

Here are a few breads that I recommend:

Challah – this is the bread I most often use in this recipe.
Brioche – this would be the closest option to using challah, however it is lighter and sweeter.
French Bread – if it’s crusty, though, let it soak in the milk mixture to soften it up before baking.
Thick Sliced Sandwich Bread – this will give you a slightly more savory flavor.
Quick Breads – This includes banana bread, pumpkin bread, you name it! Using quick breads makes for an especially indulgent and delicious dessert!

Storing and Reheating Bread Pudding

This recipe makes a whole pan of bread pudding. So, if you’re making it for your family, you’re likely to have some leftovers. You can enjoy this bread pudding as a snack or indulgent treat over the next few days. It can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Easy Bread Pudding Recipe

Description:

Ingredients:

7 – 8 cups cubed challah bread (1- inch cubes)
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, whisked
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
Optional – 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, raisins, or chopped nuts (or any combination)
Optional – 1 – 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 2- quart baking dish with nonstick spray. Place the bread cubes in the prepared pan and set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat combine the milk, butter, salt, sugar, and vanilla. Heat, stirring frequently until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Once the butter is melted, remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
When mixture is cooled, whisk in the eggs until combined. Pour mixture evenly on top of the bread cubes, making sure all the top pieces are coated in liquid.
Sprinkle evenly with turbinado sugar and chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts.
Bake for 30 – 40 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top of the bread is lightly toasted. If you notice the bread is toasting too quickly or getting too brown, lightly tent with aluminum foil.
Allow to cool and set for at least 20 minutes before serving.