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.
Enri Lemoine says
This is, honestly, the best bread pudding I’ve ever had. Period. I made and the kiddos want me to make it again. Thanks for the recipe and the video tutorial.
EA Stewart says
I’m such a fan of bread pudding but haven’t made it before. Your recipe looks easy and delicious-especially with the addition of the vanilla sauce. My family will be so happy to eat this!
Amy Liu Dong says
This is absolutely yummy. The texture and color are just so perfect making it so enticing and tempting.
Jessica says
This was my first time preparing bread pudding and it was fabulous, not to mention soooo easy! I added some bourbon as suggested and topped it with some vanilla ice cream. Soooo tasty!
Jessica says
Hi Jessica! So glad that you liked this bread pudding too. Adding bourbon sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Erin says
This was so tasty! I love that it can be made ahead and I’m so doing that next time. Thanks for the recipe!
Jessica says
Thanks for taking the time to make a recipe video here. I’m a visual learner, so seeing the recipe in action makes me feel more confident that I can make it the right way!
Jessica says
Oh good! I’m so glad that the video was helpful to make this bread pudding! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know and for leaving a 5-star review. 🙂
Tracy says
Yup, this is exactly what bread pudding should be like! So so good. The whole family loved it!
Jessica says
Yay!! I’m so glad that you liked this bread pudding too. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Erin says
This recipe sounds so yummy! I’m wondering if you or anyone else has made it with almond milk and, if so, are other modifications necessary.
jaybee says
Tried this tonight, used a half teaspoon of almond extract and half teaspoon of rum instead of vanilla (didn’t have any vanilla), it was great. Subtle taste and really good.
Jessica says
I’m so glad that you liked this bread pudding! Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know, too! If you don’t mind, I’d LOVE it if you’d be able to give it a star-rating too, to help others know it’s a good recipe! 🙂 Thank you again!
Patricia Inman says
This is my go to recipe
I have made other’s, doesn’t compare. Love it
Definitely rated a 5
Jessica says
Excellent!! I think this is the best bread pudding too! Thank you for sharing!
Jalon Faherty says
Oh my gosh! This was phenomenal! I’m a self-titled bread pudding connoisseur, so I’ve had hundreds of recipes, and this is the best! I used challah bread, and instead of making the brown butter sauce, I made toffee 😂! That’s ok bc I still drizzled the butter, and it still had all the flavor! I’m making this recipe, from now on!
Jessica says
Ahhh!! Jalon, that makes me SOO happy! Thank you so much for sharing this! If you get a chance, I would be SO grateful if you’d leave a star-rated review too! It helps others know that it’s a good recipe too! Thank you again!! You’re so sweet to leave such a nice note!
Fay says
Hi can I add raisin to this recipe
Jessica says
Hi Fay! Absolutely! Many have added raisins and have loved it!
Lea says
If I am making this the day before I am serving, should I add the sauce mixture then refrigerate or refrigerate then tomorrow pour the sauce mixture over it and reheat?
Jessica says
Hi Lea! When you say “sauce mixture” do you mean the egg mixture or the vanilla sauce?
LaDonna says
This is a great recipe. Wonderful classic bread pudding with a delicious sauce! I doubled the recipe & had a full 9×13 dessert. Thank you!
Jessica says
Hi LaDonna! So glad that you liked this bread pudding too! Thank you for sharing that you doubled it and make it in a 9×13! Did you bake it for the same amount of time?
Enedina Flores says
Love it!! I add raisins and pecans!
Pam says
Easy and delicious! I will be making this again.
Shikita Williams says
Omg!!! This was so easy and sooo delicious! Definitely my go to recipe from now on. I added a little bourbon in the custard and the butter sauce as well. I also used brown sugar and white sugar after reading one of the reviews. I used 1 loaf of a vanilla brioche bread from Walmart.
Karla J says
This was delicious and super easy. I followed the recipe exactly and it’s was perfect. Definitely thought the sauce was a nice addition.
Rhonda says
I’m about to give this a try, can you tell me about how manu cups of bread to use, as I have big Italian style loaves
Jessica says
Hi Rhonda! I’d say it’s approximately 4-5 cups and that’s loosely placing the bread in a 1-cup measure. Not pressing it in to fit, so there’s open space. I hope that helps!
Rhonda says
This is fantastic, we get free loaves of day old Italian bread from a local market, I made this after finding out how many people never heard of bread pudding, this is my 3rd batch in less then a month! They love it, This time I’m trying an orange extract instead of vanilla sounds like it should still be delicious. Thank you
Jessica says
Hi Rhonda! Oh this is so fun to hear! I love that you’re able to share this bread pudding with them, and I hope it becomes their new favorite too! Orange extract sounds delicious too!! Please let me know if you think about it, after you try that!
Lorinda says
Orange zest would be awesome, right off the outside so only sweet taste added!
Jessica says
That’s a great suggestion, thank you!
Kim says
Love this recipe – so simple and delicious. That brown butter sauce was WOWWWW! I felt like I really accomplished what you described with that candied brown butter. Kudos to the great instructions. Thank you!
I put a little brown sugar in place of the white sugar in the custard.
Jessica says
Thank you so much Kim! Right???? It’s that little crunch in the brown sugar sauce that I love so much!
Ravven says
I’ve been told you can add rum instead of bourbon. Does anyone else know about this? I’m gonna be trying to make bread pudding for the first time. I also know people who add other fruit with the raisins. What other fruit would work best??
Jessica says
Hi Ravven! So glad you’re going to try this recipe! Yes I’ve heard of “rum raisin bread pudding” too! Definitely feel free to experiment with your favorite fruits! Maybe blueberries? Strawberries? I made a banana bread pudding and it was delicious! You can see it here: Banana Bread Pudding