Half the Sugar Baker
I’ve been making this bread pudding for my family every Christmas morning for the past 4 years, although it would be amazing any time of the year! It’s so easy to make and you’ll only need a handful of ingredients. The custard is smooth and creamy and the bread is so light and fluffy – it’s perfect! I included an eggnog version too, if you want to make it even more festive!
Note on ingredients:
You will only need a couple of basic ingredients for this bread pudding, but I have a couple of suggestions to make it amazing!
Milk: You can use any type of milk for this recipe. I usually use 2% milk because it’s what I have on hand. You can also use eggnog (more on this later!)
Sugar: Since the bread in this recipe is already sweetened, you don’t need a lot of sugar in the custard. My family prefers it less sweet so I like to use 2 tablespoons of sugar, but I know that many people prefer it sweeter so it says 1/4 cup in the recipe. I would recommend using 2-6 tablespoons of sugar, depending on how sweet you like it. You can also dust the bread pudding with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup, which adds sweetness!
The bread: This recipe works best with a super fluffy enriched bread (any bread that is made with butter and eggs). I recommend using challah or brioche, but you could also experiment with milk breads. You will only need 1/2 a loaf, so save the other half for other delicious recipes! You will need to cut the bread into 2″ cubes and it should result in around 5-6 cups. I just cut the bread with my baking dish next to me and I add the cubes as I go so I cut exactly enough to fill it.
Add ins: You can really get creative with your bread pudding here. I like to sprinkle on some raisins and chopped walnuts, which I think pairs really well with the eggnog version. You could also try adding some chocolate chips, other nuts, or fresh fruits!
To serve: I really like to serve this bread pudding with a dusting of powdered sugar. I also set out fresh fruit and maple syrup, which pairs really nicely with the bread pudding.
The eggnog version:
For those of you who love eggnog, it’s super simple to incorporate into this bread pudding! All you have to do is replace 1 cup of milk with 1 cup eggnog. In the recipe, you would use 1 cup eggnog and 1 cup milk when it calls for the milk. Then proceed with the recipe as normal. You could try replacing all of the milk with eggnog, but I found the eggnog flavor to be overpowering.
Process:
If you’re making this bread pudding for breakfast, chances are that you want to make it as quick as possible. Here is my process to make the morning as streamlined as possible:
The night before, I make the custard mixture and combine it with the eggs. Then I cut up the bread into cubes. Next, I butter my pan and arrange my bread cubes. Finally I sprinkle raisins and walnuts over the bread and store both the custard and bread in the fridge.
The next morning, I remove both the bread and custard mixture from the fridge. I pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes and let it soak for at least 45 minutes. Meanwhile, I preheat my oven to 350ºF. After it has soaked, I bake it for around 25-35 minutes. Once done, I dust it with powdered sugar and it’s time to enjoy!
If you liked this easy bread pudding recipe, you can check out more holiday recipes here!
Easy Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk see notes for an eggnog version
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
- 1/2 loaf challah or brioche bread cut into 2 inch cubes
- raisins optional
- chopped raw walnuts optional
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Add milk, butter, vanilla extract, granulated sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg into a medium saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until the butter has completely melted.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter. Arrange the cubed bread in one even layer so that it covers the whole baking dish. Sprinkle the raisins and chopped walnuts over the bread cubes, if using. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, briefly whisk the eggs. Then add the beaten eggs to the milk mixture and whisk until well combined. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes so that each bread cube gets saturated. Let the bread cubes soak for at least 45 minutes.
- When ready to bake, heat oven to 350ºF. Bake the bread pudding for 25-40 minutes. The custard should be set but still wobbly. Serve warm and optionally dust with powdered sugar before enjoying!
