If there’s one recipe that embodies cozy, homemade comfort, it’s this classic bread pudding. Made with rich brioche or challah, a smooth spiced custard, and just the right touch of sweetness, this is the ultimate dessert for family gatherings or a simple treat on a chilly evening.
This recipe is so good, you’ll find yourself “accidentally” leaving out extra bread just so you can make it again!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Perfectly soft and creamy with a golden crust: Every bite combines melt-in-your-mouth custard-soaked bread with a lightly crisp, caramelized top. It’s pure indulgence!
- Customizable to your taste: Add your favorite mix-ins like plump raisins, crunchy walnuts, or even a drizzle of caramel sauce for a personal touch.
- Easy to make with simple ingredients: No fancy equipment or hard-to-find items – just pantry staples and a little love come together to create this timeless dessert.
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Brioche or challah bread: These breads are rich and slightly sweet, which gives the pudding its luxurious texture. If you don’t have brioche or challah, French bread is fine. Avoid anything too soft, like sandwich bread, as it can get mushy. Avoid breads that are very firm or crusty, as they don’t soak up the custard well and tend to yield a dry bread pudding.
- Whole milk and heavy cream: I use this combination for the perfect balance of creaminess. If you’re out of heavy cream, you can substitute half-and-half or use all whole milk, though the texture will be slightly lighter.
- Spices (cinnamon and nutmeg): These add a warm, cozy flavor that makes this dessert irresistible. If you’re out of nutmeg, just use a little extra cinnamon or a pinch of allspice as a substitute.
- Optional mix-ins (nuts and dried fruit): My kids love dried cranberries, but raisins or even chocolate chips work beautifully too. If you’re not a fan of nuts, feel free to skip them entirely – they’re just a bonus!
- Unsalted butter for the topping: The melted butter adds a subtle richness to the crispy top. If you only have salted butter, you can use it, but reduce the added salt in the custard slightly to keep things balanced.
How to make bread pudding
Let’s make this Classic Bread Pudding together! I promise it’s easier than you think, and by the end, your kitchen will smell like pure heaven. Here’s how to do it:
1. Start with the bread: First, preheat your oven to 275°F. You’ll want to cut your brioche or challah into 1 to 1.5-inch cubes.
Spread the cubes out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Pop them into the oven for 20-30 minutes to dry them out. (Give them a little stir halfway through to make sure they dry evenly.)
This step is key to getting the perfect texture – if the bread is too soft, it’ll turn mushy. Once they’re dried but not browned, pull them out and let them cool.
2. Make the custard: While the bread is drying, grab your biggest mixing bowl. Whisk together the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. It’s a magical mixture that smells like the holidays.
Make sure everything is well combined because this is what’s going to soak into the bread and give it that rich, creamy flavor.
3. Soak the bread: Now, add the cooled bread cubes to the custard. Use a gentle hand to stir everything together – you want each piece of bread to soak up that custard goodness.
If you’re adding mix-ins like nuts or dried fruit, this is the time to toss them in. Let the bread soak for 10-15 minutes, pressing it down gently occasionally to make sure every piece gets a chance to absorb the custard.
4. Prep your baking dish: Turn the oven temperature up to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray, then pour in the bread and custard mixture. Spread it out evenly so there are no dry spots.
5. Optional topping (but so worth it!): If you’re feeling fancy, melt some butter and drizzle it over the top of the bread mixture. Then sprinkle a bit of granulated sugar evenly across the top. This gives it that lovely, golden, slightly crisp crust that everyone fights over.
6. Bake to perfection: Place the dish on the middle rack of your hot oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the top is set and lightly golden. If it starts browning too quickly, just loosely cover it with foil to finish baking.
7. Cool and serve: Once your bread pudding is out of the oven, let it cool on a wire rack for 15-30 minutes. I know, it’s so tempting to dig in right away, but letting it cool helps the flavors settle. Serve it warm and watch it disappear – this is one dessert everyone will ask for seconds of!
Cooking alongside kids? My little ones love helping with steps like whisking the custard or sprinkling sugar on top. It’s messy but so much fun! Let me know how yours turns out – this is a family favorite for us, and I hope it becomes one for you too.
Top tips for recipe success
- Dry out fresh bread for the best results: This recipe works best with bread that’s dried out in the oven – it ensures all the cubes have a uniform texture and soak up the custard evenly. I always start with fresh brioche or challah because it’s hard to have enough stale bread on hand for a recipe like this! Even if you’re using stale bread, I still recommend drying it in the oven for 5 minutes to make sure it’s perfectly prepped for the pudding.
- Let the bread soak in the custard: This step is key! I like to press the bread down gently a few times while it soaks to make sure every piece gets its fair share of the custard. Trust me, the extra time is worth it for that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Grease your baking dish well: I always butter my dish generously because it adds flavor and makes cleanup so much easier. Plus, no one wants to lose those crispy edges to the pan!
- Don’t overbake: Bread pudding is all about that soft, creamy center. I usually start checking around the 40-minute mark. If the top is browning too fast, a quick foil tent does the trick.
- Customize to your liking: I love how versatile this recipe is. Sometimes I’ll toss in cranberries and pecans for the kids or sprinkle in chocolate chips for a little dessert twist. You can totally make it your own!
- Serve it warm: There’s something magical about bread pudding fresh from the oven. When I reheat leftovers, I’ll pop them in the microwave or oven for a few minutes, and it’s like it’s freshly baked all over again.
Helpful recipe hints
Recipe variations
- Classic Raisin Bread Pudding: Stir in ½ cup of raisins for a traditional touch. Soak the raisins in warm water or a splash of rum beforehand to plump them up and enhance their flavor.
- Decadent Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding: Replace dried fruit with ½ cup of chocolate chips. For an even richer twist, drizzle melted chocolate over the top just before serving.
- Citrus and Cranberry Bread Pudding: Add ½ cup of dried cranberries and the zest of one orange to the custard. The bright citrus flavor pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the pudding.
- Banana Bread Pudding: Fold in sliced bananas and sprinkle brown sugar on top before baking for a caramelized banana flavor that’s simply irresistible.
Storage and make-ahead tips
Make ahead: You can assemble the bread pudding up to 24 hours in advance. Skip the 10-15 minutes of soaking the bread in the bowl – it will soak enough when made ahead! Cover it tightly and store it in the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
Storing leftovers: Once baked, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or cover the dish with foil and warm it in the oven at 300°F.
Serving ideas
Bread pudding is such a versatile dessert, and I love pairing it with simple, comforting dishes to create a complete meal my whole family enjoys. Here are a few of my favorite ideas, inspired by some of the recipes from Savory Nothings:
- After a hearty family dinner: I often serve bread pudding as the dessert after something warm and filling, like my whole roasted chicken. The creamy, sweet pudding is the perfect way to round out a cozy meal we all share around the table.
- As part of a brunch spread: Bread pudding is a natural fit for a weekend brunch! I love pairing it with air fried bacon and fruit salad. The savory bacon balances the sweetness of the pudding, the fruit adds a fresh touch and the kids can’t get enough of it!
- Holiday centerpiece dessert: For special occasions like Christmas or Easter, I’ll pair this bread pudding with vanilla custard. It’s a great show-stopper and is perfect served as part of a dessert spread with strawberry topping, winter fruit salad, homemade chocolate sauce and anything else your heart desires!
These combinations have been a hit in my house, and I hope they’ll inspire you to create your own perfect meal around this comforting dessert.
More nostalgic desserts
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Classic Bread Pudding
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 (16-oz) loaf brioche or challah bread
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional
- ½ cup dried cranberries or raisins optional
Optional topping
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare bread: Preheat oven to 275°F. Cut bread into 1-inch to 1.5- inch cubes and spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake bread cubes for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely dried but not browned. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Mix custard: In a very large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until fully combined.
- Combine bread and custard: Add dried bread cubes to custard mixture. Gently stir to coat. If using chopped nuts or dried fruit, stir in gently. Allow the bread to soak for 10-15 minutes, occasionally pressing down to ensure all pieces absorb the custard.
- Prepare baking dish: Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Grease a ~9×13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray. Transfer bread and custard mixture to prepared dish, spreading it evenly.
- Add optional topping: If using topping, drizzle melted butter evenly over bread mixture. Sprinkle sugar evenly over top of bread pudding.
- Bake: Place baking dish on middle rack of hot oven. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until top is set and lightly golden. If top begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the remaining baking time.
- Cool and Serve: Remove bread pudding from oven and place on a wire rack. Allow to cool for 15–30 minutes before serving warm.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Bread: Use fresh brioche or challah dried in the oven for even texture. Stale bread works but dry it for 5 minutes in the oven.
- Milk and Cream: Whole milk and heavy cream ensure creaminess; substitute half-and-half if needed.
- Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth; swap nutmeg for allspice if necessary.
- Make it your own: Add mix-ins like apples, cranberries, or caramel for extra flair.
Recipe tips
- Dry bread: Dry bread ensures it absorbs custard evenly without becoming mushy.
- Soak thoroughly: Let bread soak in custard for 10-15 minutes, pressing down for even absorption.
- Grease well: Butter or spray the dish to prevent sticking and enhance flavor.
- Don’t overbake: Bake until the top is golden and set; cover with foil if browning too quickly.
Storage tips
- Make ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours in advance, refrigerate, and bring to room temperature before baking. No need to soak the bread in the bowl, it will soak long enough in the fridge.
- Store leftovers: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat in the microwave or oven.
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