Bread Pudding Recipe: An easy old fashioned recipe is the BEST, and this recipe resembles the old-fashioned dessert recipe that we all love! It’s basic, and uses everyday ingredients and an optional brown-buttered vanilla sauce, or this vanilla sauce for bread pudding, to drizzle on top!
If you're looking for more desserts that work well for sharing, you'll find my favorite potluck desserts here.
Looking for quick and easy dessert recipes to add to your Pinterest boards? Then you’ll also LOVE this peach cobbler made with Bisquick, the BEST Banana Bread, and this easy pound cake recipe!
Jump to:
- What is Bread Pudding?
- Where did bread pudding come from?
- Ingredients for Bread Pudding
- What Kind of Bread is Best for Bread Pudding?
- How to Make Stale Bread
- How to Make Bread Pudding from Scratch
- How Long to Bake Bread Pudding
- FAQs and Expert Tips:
- Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding
- What to Serve with Bread Pudding?
- Amazing Bread Pudding Vanilla Sauce
- How to Make Browned Butter Sauce:
- How to Make Vanilla Sauce for Bread Pudding
- Related Recipes:
- Recipe
- Comments
I’m so glad that you’re here for this bread pudding. It may just change your decadent dessert life.
But if this is your first time here, you’re going to find tons of quick and easy recipes around here!
What is Bread Pudding?
Well it’s not the “pudding” you’re probably thinking of. Rather it’s a recipe that uses old, stale bread, combined with a creamy custard that consists of things like sugar, butter, milk, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, and then bake it all. The outside edges may have a slight crisp, while the middle is a soft, custard-like texture.
Where did bread pudding come from?
New Orleans is famous for its bread pudding! However, bread pudding originated in England (UK) and was actually created as “poor man’s pudding” since it used very little ingredients. Since then, other ingredients were added to enhance the flavor.
I found out about it because my grandma used to make this old-fashioned dessert and I fell in love with it from the first moment I had it!
When I wanted to make this for the first time, I found a few good recipes for bread pudding in my old cookbooks, but they all had something that didn’t tickle my fancy. (Such as raisins – although you can add these if you like.)
So… I gathered all of the recipes up and came up with my own plan and I have to admit, using simple ingredients helped make this the BEST bread pudding!
Ingredients for Bread Pudding
This bread pudding is made with easy-to-find ingredients. Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients. See the recipe card below for the measurements.
- Bread: Stale bread is best so it really soaks up the custard mixture, instead of it settling in the bottom and cooking the eggs separately.
- Butter: I’ve used salted and unsalted for this recipe and it turns out great each time.
- Milk: Feel free to try half & half or heavy cream if that’s what you have!
- Sugar: I use white granulated sugar for this but brown sugar for the optional sauce.
- Vanilla extract: If you can use pure vanilla, that’s the best. But I’ve used imitation vanilla in a pinch.
What Kind of Bread is Best for Bread Pudding?
French bread is a great bread for this recipe although I’ve used leftover sandwich bread, hot dog buns, hamburger buns, and more, and it always turns out great! (Or if you have stale donuts, you may want to make this donut bread pudding recipe!) Check out all the different types of bread readers have used over the years, in the comments!
How to Make Stale Bread
If you’re craving bread pudding, but don’t have the leftover bread or the stale bread to use for it, no worries!
Grab some fresh bread and either pop it in the toaster for a bit, or cut in to bread cubes (about 1-inch pieces) and bake it in the oven on 350° for about 5-10 minutes. (Don’t burn it or turn it brown. You’re just removing as much moisture from it as you can.)
I love this recipe, and I really do think it’s the best because it only includes items I usually have on hand, resembles the old-fashioned recipe that we’ve all known to love, and I had it all put together and in the oven in a matter of minutes.
How to Make Bread Pudding from Scratch
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
- Then you’ll start by buttering your 8×8 baking dish (or 9×13 casserole dish if doubling the recipe) and breaking up the bread into about 1-inch cubes.
- Toss the bread into the buttered dish.
- Melt your remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and drizzle melted butter over bread pieces and set aside.
- Next, in a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.
- Next, simply pour the egg mixture over the bread pieces and make sure each piece has been covered or submerged to let that bread soak up that amazing custard mixture!
Oh my… doesn’t that photo of the egg mixture just make you drool!? It does me, every stinking time I look at it.
How Long to Bake Bread Pudding
- Toss that baby in the oven and let it bake the bread mixture uncovered for 40-45 minutes at 350º.
FAQs and Expert Tips:
Just like almost any dessert, or bread that you’re baking, insert a clean knife into the center and see if it comes out clean!
Well, it’s stale bread. Not super hard, and crispy… but bread that just wouldn’t be your favorite to use to make your favorite sandwich.
The reason you want day-old or stale bread is because you’ll want the bread to soak up the batter/custard of the bread pudding mixture.
Yep! It’s actually a great idea to make some of this ahead of time in case you need a last-minute dessert idea or to take a care package to a friend in need!
Just bake it as normal, and once cooled, place in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to thaw it, place it in the refrigerator to thaw it out.
You can enjoy bread pudding cold or warm, but if you prefer it warm after freezing/thawing, gently warm it to reheat.
Absolutely! I love make-ahead meals about as much as anyone, especially when entertaining! So if you want to make this ahead of time, feel free to!
You can either mix it all together and refrigerate it overnight before baking, or bake it, let it cool, and then refrigerate.
For best results, if you have left-over bread pudding, cool it until becomes room temperature and store in an airtight container (or cover the dish with plastic wrap) for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator.
Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding
That golden-brown bread pudding will remind you of grandma’s old-fashioned recipe as soon as you pull it out of the oven.
Serve it warm alone, with ice cream, or top it with the super-easy bread pudding sauce that I tell you about below…
What to Serve with Bread Pudding?
If you’re looking for a little something extra to serve with your new, easy bread pudding recipe, you might consider:
- raisins – as shown above
- chocolate sauce
- caramel ice cream topping
- ice cream
- whipped cream
- candied nuts
- dried fruit
- powdered sugar
- or this crazy-easy and delicious bread pudding sauce I whipped up for you…
Amazing Bread Pudding Vanilla Sauce
For years I shared this recipe without a sauce or a drizzle. But there have been tons of you who have made this recipe and left so many amazing reviews and comments below saying you’ve made a bourbon bread pudding, caramel sauce, or vanilla sauce, and I must say… you’ve inspired me.
So when I remade this recipe to take new photos for the blog, I decided to whip up a quick buttery vanilla sauce to see how it would taste, and have also provided a creamy vanilla sauce recipe that you can top it with.
The bread pudding is great as a stand-alone, but I’m a fan of this addition now, in a BIG way!
How to Make Browned Butter Sauce:
You’ll need the following, everyday ingredients to make this drizzle, that is more nutty, and a little less sweet than the custardy vanilla sauce option below:
- butter (I used salted but unsalted butter works just fine!)
- brown sugar
- milk or heavy cream (or even water)
- vanilla
It’s super easy. Grab a small saucepan, and melt (on high) 3 Tablespoons of salted butter.
Once melted, turned it down to medium heat and wait a bit to let the butter brown. (Browned butter is my JAM!)
Then, reduce heat to a simmer, and add in brown sugar, milk or cream, and then whisk for 1-2 minutes.
Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Pour on top of the cooked bread pudding.
How to Make Vanilla Sauce for Bread Pudding
Get the creamy vanilla sauce recipe if you prefer a sauce that is more “custard” like, rich, and also called “crème anglaise,” instead of the browned butter sauce that I’ve made above.
Bourbon Bread Pudding
If you love the taste of bourbon in your bread pudding, you can easily add bourbon to the vanilla sauce recipe above by adding in a tablespoon of bourbon (less or more, depending on your taste) when you add in the sugar and vanilla.
Related Recipes:
We have a major sweet tooth and are HUGE fans of bread pudding recipes so make sure you check out our chocolate bread pudding recipe, donut bread pudding, sweet potato casserole bread pudding, and banana bread pudding to see which one is your favorite! Or, you may even love trying this croissant bread pudding!
So tell me… did you make this bread pudding? Did you like it? Let me know below in the comments with the others, and give this a rating to let others know how much you love it!
Recipe
The BEST Bread Pudding Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Saucepan Only if making sauce
- 1 Whisk Only if making sauce
Ingredients
- 6 slices stale bread (Or about 4-5 cups of broken bread pieces or cubes. Some ideas to use are: french bread, buns, rolls, donuts, challah, toast or another type of bread.)
- 3 tablespoons of butter 1 Tablespoon + 2 Tablespoons
- 4 beaten eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- raisins optional
Optional Creamy Vanilla Sauce
- vanilla sauce get my vanilla sauce recipe
Optional Brown Sugar Butter Drizzle
- 3 tablespoons butter salted (but unsalted is ok too!)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream – optional *see notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and use 1 Tablespoon of butter to coat the inside of your 8 inch square baking dish.
- Break your bread (I made larger pieces, rather than crumbling it up) in to the buttered baking dish.
- Melt your remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and drizzle over bread pieces.
- In a bowl, mix remaining ingredients (don't forget to beat your eggs first) until mixed well.4 beaten eggs, 2 cups milk, ¾ cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pour this mixture over the bread, making sure to evenly coat each piece.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top of the bread pudding springs back after lightly touching it with a fork.
Optional Buttery Brown Sugar Sauce
- Grab a small saucepan, and melt (on high) 3 Tablespoons of salted butter.Once melted, turned it down to medium heat and wait a bit to let the butter brown.
- Turn down to a simmer. Then, add in a tablespoon of brown sugar and the 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk/cream.Whisk to combine and simmer/whisk for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.Serve over entire bread pudding in dish before serving or over individual servings.
Notes
- Which sauce to make? This bread pudding is great even without an optional sauce. However, if you want a sauce, I recommend picking one of the two. The browned butter sauce is more of an “accent” drizzle, and less rich/sweet than the vanilla sauce. I’ve recently added heavy cream as optional ingredient to help smooth the sauce out. If you prefer the older method, simply leave the cream out. The vanilla sauce is rich, more creamy, and more of a major topper for the bread pudding. Both are optional and not necessary for a delicious bread pudding.
- How do you know when bread pudding is done? Just like almost any dessert, or bread that you're baking, insert a clean knife into the center and see if it comes out clean!
- Can you freeze bread pudding? Yes! Bake it as normal, and once cooled, place in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to thaw it, place it in the refrigerator to thaw it out.
- Can I prepare bread pudding the night before? Yes! You can either mix it all together and refrigerate it overnight before baking, or bake it, let it cool, and then refrigerate.
- How to store leftovers For best results, store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days, in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Lizette Borges says
Why did you switch from cream to milk? Is there one that’s better than the other? I’d like a nice fluffy bread pudding, but I’m going to try this recipe.
Jessica says
That’s a great question Lizette. I actually have used both, and it has worked just fine both ways. I use milk only because it’s usually on hand more than heavy cream… cheaper… and it worked just fine. But definitely a fan of ANYTHING with heavy cream. Lol! So it wouldn’t hurt. You could also experiment with using half milk, half cream if you like! I hope you enjoy it!
Laura says
Wow… I need to start using ur recipe for bread puddin… I love bread puddin!
Jessica says
Oh good!!! So glad you came by and found the recipe! Enjoy!
Janet says
Used a different recipe a few days ago & it was delicious 😋 but wasn’t totally satisfied. Needed to make something quick on Saturday and found this.
I love bread pudding more moist than most and this is perfect! I added 1 diced apple and next will add raisins, too.
I made the other recipe in muffin cups. Will do it with your recipe, too, baking until quite firm but not burned. 😃
Jessica says
Hi Janet! I’m so glad that you liked this!! Love how you added apple and raisins too! Thank you so much for sharing!
Lakshmi says
This bread pudding came out really well! Was amazed how easy and quick this is to put together. Added golden raisins anad sliced almonds for extra crunch. Served it with classic vanilla ice cream for a pre-Christmas party last night and it was definitely a hit! Will definitely be making this again. Thanks for a great recipe!
Jessica says
Mmmmm!!!! That sounds amazing, and I’m so glad that you liked it! Thank you for letting me know!
Deb says
When I was an undergraduate in college, there was a restaurant near my college that served bread pudding.
It was delish! They served a warm lemon custard on top.
It tasted similar to lemon curd but I’m sure it was all from scratch.
They also put raisins in the pudding.
Has anyone had this type of bread pudding or have any recipes for the sauce?
Thanks in advance.
Jessica says
Mmmm! I haven’t, but that sounds amazing! A lemon custard on top sounds glorious! I may have to give that an attempt the next time I make it! 🙂
Heather says
I picked up a free loaf of day old bread from the bakery which is twice as good since its hand made AND it was free! 🙂 I also had a few left over cannolis from Thanksgiving and the wrapper had gotten soft instead of crispy so at the last minute I decided to toss those in. I just kinda pulled them apart. I made your bread pudding as your recipe stated but I subsituted one cup of buttermilk and one cup of whole milk. I upped the number of eggs to 6, and I added pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. OMG WICKED GOOD!
Jessica says
Oh my goodness! That sounds absolutely heavenly!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
Kristy says
Never made bread pudding before… but really craving it! Does this HAVE to be made with stale bread? I don’t want to wait to make it! 🙂
Jessica says
Haha!!! I totally understand that! Nope, the bread doesn’t have to be stale! Go for it!
Angie O'Mara says
Have made this recipe twice now, and all I can say is I’m in love!!! So easy to make, and it’s absolutely delicious….added a few chocolate chips the second time for my chocoholics, lol. YUMMY!!!
Jessica says
Oh good!!! I’m so happy that you like it Angie!! Thank you so much for dropping a note to let me know. And mmmm, chocolate chips sound delightful!
Melissa says
I tried this today. Great flavor, but next time I’ll be doing smaller pieces and making sure the bread soaks up all the good stuff prior to cooking. It’s almost custard with bread chunks lol
But still yummy.
Jessica says
Hi Melissa! Oh you’re kidding!? Well I’m glad that you still liked the taste of it, but yes!! Give it another try, it may turn out better! 🙂 Thank you for letting us know you made it! XOXO
Susan says
Just made this. Very good. I added 2 cups of frozen blueberries and sprinkled sugar in the raw on top. Baked until knife came out clean. About 10 more minutes. Perfect. Thank you for sharing.
Jessica says
Yay! I’m so glad that you liked it! I just made it again myself too! Blueberries in it would be amazing!!! 🙂 Thank you for commenting!
Jennifer Rausch says
It’s in the oven as I write! Think it will be great! Has all the winning ingredients!
Jessica says
Oh good!!! I hope you love it! 🙂 Thank you for coming by!
Fran says
Hi, Jessica
I made this yesterday and it was fantastic! I used 10 slices of leftover Maple French toast swirl bread instead. I increased the ingredients slightly and baked it in an 11×7 rectangular baking dish. It had more of a custard consistency, which was great. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Jessica says
Mmmm!!! Fran that sounds amazing! It’s so funny that you said that about changing the size of the baking dish! I had someone else ask if they could make it thicker. I’ll be sure to let them know that you did (by adding ingredients too!) Thank you so much!
Cindy says
Hi Jessica,
In your picture this Bread Pudding looks fairly flat…my question is…Does this Bread Pudding come out as flat as it looks in the picture ? ? Or does the picture just make it look flat ? ? I want my Bread Pudding to be about 3 inches in thickness ! Will this recipe do that ? ?
Thank You !
Jessica says
Hi Cindy! It did come out flat for me, when I used the baking dish that I used. But if you use a smaller dish, it could be thicker! You may just have to adjust the oven temp and time! I hope that helps!!
Cindy says
Thank You, Jessica ! I saw the post just after mine and it just about said the same thing as You ! Thanks, Fran ! !
Adam says
How many servings does the recipe make?
Jessica says
Hi Adam! This made about 8-10 servings for us! I hope that helps!
Jeanne says
Do you have a sauce to put on it?
Jessica says
Hi Jeanne! I actually don’t make a sauce to put on it, but others have and loved using a sauce!
Joyce Laine says
Its called a hard sauce and very easy. Heat confectionary sugar butter vanilla and small amt if milk. Stir til well blended. I eyeball the amts til it has gravey consistency. Its an old recipe in Betty Crocker cook book. The old book. Don’t know if they have it in newer one! Its simple and good. Just pour over pudding.
Jessica says
This sounds fantastic Joyce! Thank you for sharing with us!
Debra says
Was so good the first time so I’m making it again!! Love this easy and delicious bread pudding!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Jessica says
Ah! I’m so happy that you like it! It really is my favorite. Thank you so much for taking the time to come here and leave a comment too! XO
Karyn says
Made this for a friend going through chemo. It was delicious and easy on her system.
Jessica says
AW, I’m so glad that you/she liked it. Thank you so much for sharing that you did. XO
Jillian says
I made the bread pudding for breakfast because in my country we have it with coffee or tea. This was quite simple and I was happy that u did not have to leave it overnight. I did used a peice of hard dough bread and whole wheat bread also I add nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice need to used it up. I also add the raisin and made some cranberry juice and it was killing me to throw it out so I decided to add it to the bread pudding my kids love it even the picky eater thank you.
Jessica says
Hi Jillian! Wow! That all sounds so amazing!!! I love how you use up so much of what you have on hand. I need to do that more often, and think more outside of the box! Love it! Thank you for sharing.
Kim says
Made it!!! Everyone loved it. So quick and easy…this is now my go to recipe
Jessica says
Yay!!! I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for dropping a note to let us know. XOXO
KB says
Haven’t made this recipe yet but I absolutely love bread pudding and usually just combine a couple of recipes to suit my taste. I’m ready to grab bread and try this now! I always make a warm vanilla sauce to serve with it, (sugar,whipping cream,butter and vanilla). Thanks so much for this simple recipe.
Jessica says
Mmm! A warm vanilla sauce sounds amazing!! Thank you for coming by! I hope you like it!