Traditional Bread Pudding Recipe

I’m not really sure what got it into his head, but my partner has been bothering me to make traditional bread pudding for awhile. I had some leftover stale bread recently, so I finally caved and put together this recipe for him.

This is based off most traditional bread pudding recipes, but with some changes that I think make it taste more authentic.

Bread pudding is one of those dishes I always thought I disliked. Several years ago, though, I found myself at a fancy gala dinner with friends where bread pudding was served as the dessert. Since this was a pretty luxurious dining experience I decided to give the bread pudding a try; it was amazing!

I tried to evoke some of that in this recipe by adding plenty of spices and butter for a more decadent flavor.

For the record, this recipe is what I consider to be traditional bread pudding. Seeing as it has been eaten since the 11th century and is popular all over the world, you might think of something different than I do when you imagine bread pudding.

What Do You Put In Traditional Bread Pudding?

If you’re a fan of bread pudding you might have already noticed I omitted one popular ingredient: raisins. This is mostly because I’m not a fan of them, and you’re welcome to add them to this recipe if you’d like.

Traditional bread pudding actually includes raisins and currants. Then again, traditional 18th century bread pudding also calls for grated bread and lemon peel, which isn’t really how we make it today.

Besides raisins, you could also add pecans, any dried fruit, apple slices, and even maple syrup. Some folks like to top their bread pudding with vanilla ice cream. Since it’s neutral and sweet, almost any sauce will work as a topping for bread pudding.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of stale bread, cubed (this works out to 6 slices)
• 3 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 2 cups of whole milk, this can be substituted with skim milk combination of skim milk and cream, but heavier milk will make a richer bread pudding
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, can be reduced to taste
• 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, or 2 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• Optional: raisins, currants, dried fruit, nuts, and toppings

How to Make Bread Pudding

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Lightly grease (I use a spray) a small casserole dish, cake pan, or cast iron pot.
3. Tear your stale bread into bite sized cubes by hand and toss into the baking dish.
4. Spread out in an even layer.

5. Melt the butter in the microwave, then drizzle evenly over dried bread cubes.

6. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Pour over bread.

Optional: I prefer to leave my bread pudding as is at this point, so there are some crunchy pieces that remain after baking. Alternatively, you could give it a stir now so it bakes evenly.

7. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until it’s no longer runny and the texture is spongy when pressed.
   I found it took 35 minutes in my convection oven in a cast iron pan, but cooking time will vary depending on how thin your mixture is, your pan, and your oven.

8. Let cool then serve on its own or with your favorite topping.

Continue to Content

Traditional Bread Pudding

Print

This traditional bread pudding recipe is an easy (and delicious) way to use up stale bread. Serve it on its own for a warm dessert or top with ice cream for a delicious treat!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of stale bread, cubed (this works out to 6 slices)
• 3 tablespoons of butter, melted
• 2 cups of whole milk, this can be substituted with skim milk combination of skim milk and cream, but heavier milk will make a richer bread pudding
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, can be reduced to taste
• 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon, or 2 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• Optional: raisins, currants, dried fruit, nuts, and toppings

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Lightly grease a baking pan.
3. Tear stale bread into bite sized cubes and spread in pan in an even layer.
4. Melt butter in the microwave, then pour over bread cubes.
5. Whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla in a seperate bowl.
6. Pour over bread crumbs evenly.
7. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until done.
8. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

You can add almost any dried fruit or nut to this recipe and it will still turn out great. Try and keep it to around 1/2 a cup so you don't overpower the other flavors.

Tips and Tricks for This Bread Pudding Recipe