Bread Pudding is one of my favorite desserts, coming in second only to ice cream, but when served a la mode, it’s the best of both worlds. This bread pudding recipe features a vanilla sauce that’s equal parts butter, sugar, brown sugar and heavy cream (I mean, c’mon!). I ended up with extra sauce and I’ve been putting it on everything. Yes, it is that good. I may or may not have eaten it with a spoon... Hey! There’s no shame here.
What began centuries ago as a way to utilize stale bread has now become a classic dessert—but who decides what a classic is anyway? (Sorry, I didn’t mean to get political there…). I read somewhere that bread pudding can be savory, but isn’t that just stuffing? I guess you can think of this recipe as a sweet stuffing. (Still too political?) Regardless of political beliefs, it’s a warm, delicious comfort food that’s full of carbs, sugar and fat, so what’s not to love?
Speaking of love, Chloe gave this Vanilla Bread Pudding Recipe a sniff and a lick! So this recipe gets a 10/10 from the most particular cat critic on the West coast.
Personally, I was very hesitant to try this recipe, every attempt I’ve had at making bread pudding before this one became sweet scrambled eggs—yikes. But my mom really wanted me to try it. She’s not that big on baking, but she is big on eating baked goods (runs in the family). Plus, she loves to save recipes on Pinterest, but she usually guilts me into making them for her. The first night I made this recipe it was an instant keeper; I’ve never had bread pudding as good as this one. My family agrees (they aren’t biased, honest!)
Notes
Choosing a Bread:
Most bread pudding recipes call for either Challah bread or Brioche bread. I used the Brioche bread (mostly because I couldn’t find Challah bread. I also had a hard time finding Brioche bread. I had to use some Brioche style hot dog rolls) and it worked perfectly! I do recommend cubing your bread and letting it sit out overnight so it can become stale. This way it firms up and preserves the shape of the Brioche bread, saving it from looking indistinguishable from mashed potatoes. This type of bread is so soft and delicate that the hot milk poured over it, and the generous amount of stirring, makes hardening the bread a critical step in the bread pudding process.
Choosing a Milk:
Literally any type of milk will work in this recipe. Full fat, reduced fat, low fat, 2%, non-fat—whatever! It all works! In fact, the first time I made this I didn’t have any milk and I used heavy cream instead and, although it was a little bit thicker, that worked just fine too. You could even use almond or coconut milk if you’re allergic to dairy.
Choosing a Topping:
The original recipe I adapted this recipe from called for raisins (but raisins are gross!—Wow, I really didn't think I would get this political), and I chose to omit them. You could add nuts, chocolate chips, fruit, dried fruit (about a ¼ cup), whatever you want. This bread pudding recipe is vanilla flavored so it can easily be paired with other flavors.
Making Ahead:
You can put the bread pudding together that morning, or even the day before. Just wrap with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge, then pull it out when it’s time to bake. The longer you let the bread absorb the milk and egg mixture the better.
Vanilla Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Pudding Ingredients:
6 cups cubed Brioche bread
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp vanilla
Directions for Pudding:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine milk and butter in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted.
3. Grab a large bowl and pour the milk mixture over the cubed bread. Then, gently fold the ingredients together to evenly soak the bread in the milk mixture. Let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Stir in all remaining pudding ingredients.
5. Pour into a greased 9"x13" cake pan and bake for 40-50 minutes.
Directions for Sauce:
1. While the pudding bakes, combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and comes to a full boil.
2. Turn off the heat and add the vanilla.
3. To serve, spoon over warm pudding after its been served in individual dessert dishes.
4. Optionally, serve with vanilla ice cream.
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