Bread Pudding

A classic dessert (and brunch star), bread pudding is nothing short of magic. It’s the best way to transform stale bread into a versatile and (most importantly) easy dessert. Perfectly adaptable to what you have on hand, this simple recipe can take to various mix-ins depending on when you’re serving it: Serve it up warm or room temp for the easiest dessert or a simple but deliciously effective brunch dish. Use my best-ever recipe to nail the classic version, then use it as a jumping-off version to experiment as you please. Keep reading on for all of my top tips on how to nail this well-loved recipe:

How To Make Bread Pudding

INGREDIENTS

• Bread: I love challah for its subtle sweetness and light, airy texture, but any [stale] bread will do (brioche would be another great choice). Think about your favorite bread for French toast—whatever works there will work great here.
• Custard: I create the custard by combining 2 large eggs, 3 large egg yolks, pure vanilla extract, kosher salt, nutmeg, sugar, heavy cream, and whole milk. This combination creates the perfect sweet, rich, slightly-spiced custard for bread pudding. Not a nutmeg fan? Choose another spice—pumpkin pie spice, allspice, cardamom—to give a different, warming feel. This recipe is extremely forgiving, and adaptable to whatever you're craving (or have on hand).
• Raisins: I love to add raisins in for a sweet, chewy bite, but you can leave them out if you’re not a fan, or switch it up with your desired dried fruit.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

It might seem like a hassle, but using stale bread is important here. You can use a loaf that’s already slightly stale, or use one of our two methods listed below: The day before, slice your bread into 1" cubes and leave out overnight to dry out, or if you’re in a pinch, place the bread on a baking sheet and bake at 200º for 20 minutes, then let cool before using.

Once your bread is ready to go, preheat your oven to 325°. Then, in a large bowl, make your custard by whisking together eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, salt, nutmeg (if using), and sugar. Once combined, add in the milk and cream. Then, you can add in your bread and raisins (if using), and toss everything together to fully coat your bread pieces. Then, let the mixture sit for at least 10 minutes so the bread has the opportunity to soak up all of the custard.

After around 10 minutes, transfer the mixture to a baking dish, then sprinkle the top with the remaining sugar. Bake the bread pudding until the center is set—this should take around 40-45 minutes. Let it cool, then sprinkle the top with confectioners’ sugar, slice and serve.

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

How To Serve Bread Pudding

For the easiest dessert, serve this up solo with dollops of whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice cream—either will make this a sweet hit. Top with fresh sliced fruit or a fruit compote—like our homemade strawberry compote—if you're serving this up at breakfast or Mother's Day brunch.

Storage

Cover it tightly or transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge, where it will last for up to 3 days (if you don't devour it all before then).