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a slice of bread pudding recipe with caramel sauce
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Bread Pudding

This Apple Bread Pudding is an intoxicating combination you will have to taste to believe.  It’s the ultimate cozy pairing of bread, apples, walnuts and dried cranberries soaked in a cinnamon laced custard, baked to golden perfection, then doused in caramel sauce. This bread pudding recipe is outrageously easy to throw together in minutes and popped in the oven or it can be prepped ahead (kept separate) for the next day. Serve this stunner up for a special occasion breakfast (hello Christmas!) or anytime you’re craving a charming dessert.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

BREAD AND ADD-INS

  • 1 16 ounce loaf brioche or challah bread
  • 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, chopped ¼-inch
  • 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2/3 cup dried cranberries

CUSTARD

  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup applesauce (regular, not unsweetened)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar*
  • 1 3/4 cups milk
  • 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp EACH ground nutmeg, ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp EACH ground cloves, ground cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Add Later

CARAMEL SAUCE

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread cubes into an even layer on a baking sheet and toast for 7-10 minutes or until dried out but not hard/crispy.
  • Meanwhile, lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Whisk all off the custard ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.
  • Add the bread, apples, walnuts and dried cranberries to a separate large bowl and toss to combine then pour into the prepared baking dish. Pour the custard over top and let it sit for a couple minutes, then press down on the bread to totally submerge it (I just use my hands). Let the casserole rest for 15 minutes, then top evenly with cubed butter.
  • Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes or until the edges look set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but without any raw/wet custard. Cool on a baking rack for 10-15 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce:
  • Caramel Sauce: Melt butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and heavy cream, whisking until sugar dissolves and sauce is heated through. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. You can make the caramel ahead and reheat when ready to serve but you might need to add a little extra heavy cream as sauce thickens upon standing.
  • Pour desired amount of Caramel Sauce over the bread pudding and serve warm.

Video

Notes

*This bead pudding recipe is written to be served with the caramel sauce.  If omitting the caramel sauce, increase sugar to 1/2 cup, for a total of 1 cup sugars. 

How to Store and Reheat

  • To store: tightly cover leftover bread pudding and store in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
  • To freeze: to freeze baked bread pudding, let it cool completely then wrap a few times in plastic wrap followed by a couple layers of foil.  Freeze for up to three months.  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat per below instructions. You can also freeze individual slices of bread pudding in freezer bags.
  • To reheat in the microwave: microwave for 30 seconds then at 10 second intervals as needed.
  • To reheat in the oven: cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees F for 10-20 minutes or until warmed through, depending on the size of the leftovers.

Make Ahead

Bread pudding has the best texture if not assembled too far in advance because it has the tendency to become soggy.  Therefore, I recommend prepping the components ahead of time but keeping them separate until ready to bake:
  • Bread: cut, toast and toss bread cubes in the baking dish with the walnuts and dried cranberries. Add the apples just before baking.
  • Custard:  prep completely but don’t combine with the bread.  Cover and store in the refrigerator.
  • Caramel:  can be made days ahead of time and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, heat gently in a saucepan, adding a little extra heavy cream as needed because the sauce will thicken upon standing.