Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce Recipe
A comforting and classic bread pudding recipe featuring cubed stale bread soaked in a spiced milk and egg mixture, baked to perfection and served with a rich homemade vanilla sauce. Perfect as a warm dessert for any occasion.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Bread Pudding
- 6 cups cubed stale bread (French, challah, brioche, regular sliced)
- 2 cups milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Vanilla Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the baking dish. Grease an 8×8-inch casserole dish thoroughly and set it aside to prevent sticking.
- Arrange the bread. Cut the stale bread into 1-inch chunks and spread them evenly across the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
- Mix custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
- Soak the bread. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes, ensuring all the bread is saturated, then let it sit for 20-25 minutes to absorb the mixture.
- Preheat and bake. Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C). Bake the soaked bread pudding for 50-55 minutes until it is set but still slightly jiggly in the center. The center should rise fully; if not, bake a little longer.
- Make the vanilla sauce. While the pudding bakes, melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add sugar, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract.
- Cook the sauce. Stir the mixture gently over low heat until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Serve. Remove the bread pudding from the oven and serve warm topped with the freshly prepared vanilla sauce.
Notes
- Stale bread works best for this recipe as it soaks up the custard without becoming too mushy.
- You can use any bread variety, but rich breads like brioche or challah add extra flavor.
- If you prefer, add raisins or nuts to the bread pudding before baking for a different texture.
- The pudding will continue to set as it cools; slightly underbaking helps keep it creamy.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat before serving.
Keywords: bread pudding, dessert, vanilla sauce, cinnamon dessert, baked pudding, classic dessert
