Bread Pudding

Old Bread Gets a New Life

By
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Carroll Pellegrinelli
Expert baker and published author, Carroll Pellegrinelli shares her knowledge of bread baking and desserts.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/26/24
Tested by
Patty Lee
Patty Lee
Tested by Patty Lee
Patty was a Senior Food Editor for The Spruce Eats, where she oversaw recipe developers and food writers in creating delicious recipes and helpful cooking guides.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
A baking dish of bread pudding, topped with cinnamon sugar, with a serving cut out

The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

Prep: 35 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 80 mins
Servings: 12 to 16 servings

There are endless ways to breathe new life into a stale loaf of bread: Croutons. Stuffing. Breadcrumbs. But one of the best and most comforting is by far bread pudding. It's truly amazing how such simple ingredients—a day-old baguette, milk, heavy cream, eggs—can come together to form a rich, crowd-pleasing dessert.

This classic bread pudding recipe includes nuts and dried raisins, both of which require a bit of prep. The raisins get a quick soak in water (or booze if you so choose) to rehydrate and plump up, while the nuts are lightly toasted so they don't get soggy during baking. Trust us, these additional steps make a big difference, adding small pops of sweetness and crunch to a luscious bread pudding.

Tips for the Best Ever Bread Pudding

To make the best bread pudding, you have to plan ahead and give your French bread a day to grow stale. Old bread is able to absorb the custard without falling apart, giving you the luscious texture that bread pudding is known for. Allowing the bread to soak is another essential step—the longer the bread sits in the custard mixture, the creamier the interior with will.

How to Prep Fresh Bread for Bread Pudding

If you don't have time to let your loaf sit for a day, you can dry out the bread by giving it a quick bake. Once you have the bread cut into cubes, place them on a baking tray and toast in a 300 F oven until dry for around 10 to 15 minutes. They should still be pale so make sure to keep a close eye on them.

Bread Pudding Sauce Ideas

While bread pudding is delicious on its own, you can make it even more decadent with a sauce, such as:

What You'll Need to Make This Bread Pudding Recipe
A Sharp Serrated Knife
A Zippy Electric Mixer
A Sturdy Baking Dish

"Studded with raisins and toasted nuts, this bread pudding is as classic as it gets. The custard-soaked French bread gets wonderfully creamy after baking and isn't too sweet. Some of the loaf is reserved to sprinkle on top, giving the casserole a lovely crunchy top. I enjoyed a piece warm, but it's just as delicious the next day straight out of the fridge." —Patty Lee

Basic Bread Pudding Tester Photo
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf day-old French bread (such as a baguette)

  • 5 large eggs

  • 3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided

  • 2 cups milk

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon, plus 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 3/4 cup raisins, or other dried fruit

  • 1 cup chopped nuts, such as pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make basic bread pudding

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  2. Cut up the French bread into 1-inch cubes.

    A cutting board with cubes of sliced French bread

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  3. In a large bowl, beat eggs with a hand mixer or wire whisk until lemon colored.

    A large bowl with whisked eggs

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  4. Add the 3/4 cup of sugar and beat until dissolved. Add the milk and cream and whisk to combine. Add the vanilla, the 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, and salt.

    A large bowl of whisked eggs with heavy cream, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  5. Stir in 6 cups of the bread. Allow the mixture to rest for 20 minutes.

    A large bowl of cubed French bread sitting in an egg-milk custard base

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  6. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. 

    A greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  7. In a small bowl, cover the raisins with very warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Instead of water, liquor, or juice can also be used. If using room temperature liquid, soak raisins for 25 minutes.

    A bowl of raisins submerged in warm water

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  8. Place the chopped nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, under for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool.

    A baking sheet with toasted chopped walnuts

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  9. In a separate small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of cinnamon with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.

    A small bowl of cinnamon sugar mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  10. Melt the butter in the microwave.

    A small bowl of melted butter

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  11. Stir the dried fruit and toasted nuts into the bread mixture.

    A large bowl of cubed French bread, egg-milk custard mixture, rehydrated raisins, and toasted walnuts

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  12. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Top with the remaining bread and press down gently.

    A baking dish with cubed French bread soaked in custard, with rehydrated raisins, toasted walnuts and topped with cubes of French bread

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  13. Brush the dry bread pieces with melted butter. Sprinkle on the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

    A baking dish of cubed French bread soaked in custard with rehydrated raisins and toasted walnuts, with extra cubed French bread on top, brushed with butter. The entire topped is coated with cinnamon sugar.

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

  14. Bake for 45 minutes or until edges are done and center still shakes a little. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

    A baking dish of golden brown baked bread pudding

    The Spruce Eats / Abby Mercer

How to Store and Reheat Bread Pudding

Bread pudding can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat, cover the bread pudding with a piece of aluminum foil and place in a 350 F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave (or simply enjoy cold!).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
357 Calories
24g Fat
31g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 357
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 30%
Saturated Fat 11g 56%
Cholesterol 107mg 36%
Sodium 228mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 18g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 1mg 3%
Calcium 102mg 8%
Iron 2mg 8%
Potassium 231mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)