Classic old fashioned bread pudding topped in a butter vanilla caramel sauce. A delicious dessert that’s made with simple ingredients from your pantry!
During the holidays, I’m all about easy dessert recipes with little work involved. This homemade bread pudding is a go-to of mine, as well as no-bake banana cream pie, chocolate lasagna and my raspberry jello pretzel salad.
If you’re looking for a simple holiday dessert idea, this easy bread pudding recipe is it. It’s made with ingredients you can find in your pantry and is especially perfect if you have leftover bread laying around.
Never tried bread pudding? It’s similar to overnight french toast and is made with stale bread cubes coated in a mixture of eggs, milk and heavy cream. It’s then topped off with a sweet butter vanilla caramel sauce, which in my opinion, is the best part.
If you really want to go over the top, you could even add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Seriously so delicious and a dessert that everyone will go crazy over!
Bread 101
This recipe is a great way to turn leftover bread into a delicious dessert with little work. There are plenty of different types you can use, like:
- French bread
- Challah
- Italian bread
- Brioche
- White bread
You can even use leftover hot dog buns! Sometimes I’ll even do a variety of different types.
TIP: Leave the bread out overnight to stale (so that it doesn’t get soggy!). If you don’t have time to allow it to stale overnight, simply toast it in the oven for about 5 minutes.
How to make bread pudding
Whisk together the egg and milk mixture
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
Combine mixture with bread cubes
Toss the mixture and bread cubes together in a buttered 9×9″ pan. Let soak for 5 to 10 minutes.
Bake in oven
Bake in oven at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, or until center is set and no longer runny. If it starts to brown too fast, tent the dish with foil.
Bread pudding sauce
The best part of this dish is the butter vanilla caramel sauce. It’s so delicious and a must make! If I’m in a pinch, I’ll sometimes use store bough caramel sauce. Or buttermilk syrup would also taste delicious!
Ingredients:
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Heavy cream
- Pure vanilla extract
Instructions: In a sauce pan over medium-heat, add butter, sugars and cream. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring consistently. Once the mixture comes to a full boil, cook for 1 more minute then remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and then drizzle sauce over the dessert.
How do you know when it’s done?
I like the edges to be crispy and the center to be soft (but not soggy). You’ll know it’s done when the edges are golden and the center is no longer runny.
If you prefer a softer center, you can remove it a little early from the oven, or add an extra 1/2 cup milk.
Variations
If you want to spruce up the recipe a bit, try adding in one of the following:
- Raisins: Add in about 1/2 cup before baking.
- Nuts: Pecans are my favorite. Add in about 1/2 cup. You could include both raisins and nuts if preferred.
- Chocolate chips: If you love all things chocolate, you can mix in about 1/4 to 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
- Powdered sugar: Before serving, sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar. You might want to go lighter on the caramel sauce if adding powdered sugar, so that it’s not too sweet!
More delicious desserts:
- Caramel Apple Monkey Bread
- Dessert Cinnamon Crescent Rolls
- Easy Apple Crisp Dessert
- The Best Banana Pudding
- Brown Bag Apple Pie
Bread Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
Bread Pudding:
- 6 cups cubed french bread , left out overnight to stale
- 3 large eggs , beaten
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Butter Caramel Sauce:
- 1/4 cup butter , I used salted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the bread pudding:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a 9x9" pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Combine with bread cubes and let sit 5-10 minutes. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until center is set and no longer runny. Tent with foil if it starts to brown to fast.
To make the butter caramel sauce:
- Combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar and heavy cream in a sauce pan over medium-heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Once it comes to a full boil, cook 1 minute and then remove from heat. Then stir in the vanilla. Drizzle over bread pudding.
This needs to happen at my house very soon!!
I would like to start the day with this! Looks so inviting!
Oh man that looks so delicious! I have never had bread pudding before; this looks seriously amazing!
I love bread pudding, it’s so good, the perfect comfort dessert!
This is my mother in law’s absolute favorite! We always make it for her for her birthday.