Nothing beats homemade Bread Pudding with fresh raspberries, whipped cream, and a delicious vanilla sauce. With easy prep time and ideas to customize, this Bread Pudding recipe will quickly become your favorite!
Bread Pudding is one of those recipes you’ll want to whip out whenever you’re serving a brunch or fun breakfast. Learn all my tips and tricks to make a super flavorful, custardy, and creamy treat.
Bread Pudding
For years and years, I hated bread pudding. I tried it every now and again, wondering what I was missing, because everyone else seemed to be obsessed. It wasn’t until I was in my early twenties that I finally had a bread pudding that converted me to a fan. At the restaurant where I was working, we threw a special brunch for Easter and that day, we served a raspberry croissant bread pudding. After hearing about it ALL day and with a bit of convincing from co-workers, I reluctantly tried the bread pudding.
It was insanely good! And I’m pretty sure I claimed it was the best thing I’d ever eaten! For years I’ve tried to replicate that bread pudding and I’ve come close, but never got it exactly right– until now. I’m so excited for you to try this Bread Pudding recipe!
First off, we’ll talk process, then ingredients, and finish with some tips for this Bread Pudding recipe.
How to make Bread Pudding
- Toast the bread. Bread Pudding is best using stale or day-old bread, but you can make it with fresh bread as well. Whatever you’re using, you want to dry out the bread to ensure it will soak up the custard without becoming soggy.
- Make the custard. For this custard, we’re keeping it simple; you don’t even have to warm everything through or scald the milk. Simply whisk together milk, cream, sugars, extract, salt, and orange zest. Toss this custard with your dried bread cubes.
- Chill the bread pudding. After everything is combined, the bread needs some time to absorb the custard and to get nice and cold before going into the oven. Cover and chill for 45 minutes to an hour.
- Bake. Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and bake.
- Serve with whipped cream and a vanilla sauce. While this recipe is delicious on its own, there’s nothing like a spoonful of whipped cream and vanilla sauce drizzled on top!
What is the best bread to use?
Arguably brioche and challah are the classic choices for bread pudding. While both would work really great in this recipe, I’m hooked on croissants! The bread pudding I fell in love with years ago had croissants, and it’s my go-to choice for my Bread Pudding. When choosing the bread you use, there are a few things to look for:
- An UNSLICED loaf or croissants: you don’t want pre-sliced or cubed bread because you need to be able to tear the bread to the exact dimensions needed (in this case, 1-inch pieces).
- Sturdy bread: Since the bread will be soaked in a custard, you want to make sure the bread won’t disintegrate. We toast the bread and use large pieces, which helps avoid sogginess.
- Taste: Obviously, Bread Pudding relies on bread as the main ingredient, so you want to make sure the bread itself tastes delicious.
Ingredients
Most bread pudding recipes include (obviously) bread, eggs, and some kind of milk/cream mixture. I include a few unique ingredients that really take Bread Pudding over the top!
- Orange zest: While it might seem unassuming, orange zest brightens this dish immeasurably. Along with the raspberries, it helps to cut the richness.
- Vanilla extract: A good vanilla extract adds a lot. If you happen to have a vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds and use in the custard for an even better vanilla flavor throughout the pudding.
- Coarse sugar: It’s an optional addition, but adding several tablespoons of coarse sugar to the top of your Bread Pudding adds a fun crunch and flavor.
- Honey-roasted almonds: Another optional addition, but these honey roasted almonds (found at most grocery stores), sprinkled on the baked bread pudding adds another delicious flavor element.
Recipe tips
- Fresh berries: Avoid frozen berries, as they tend to bleed color into the bread pudding and make it soggy. While raspberries are our go-to choice, blackberries and blueberries are delicious as well.
- Homemade whipped cream: Making whipped cream is so easy and much more flavorful than store-bought (I’ve written an entire post on how to make whipped cream).
- Rip the croissants: Instead of cutting the bread with a knife, ripping the croissants allows for more ridges to soak up the custard.
- The right size pan: It really depends on how you like your Bread Pudding. For a softer, more custard-like texture from top to bottom, use an 8×8-inch pan. If you want to focus on a crispier top layer, use a 2-quart shallow baking pan. My family definitely prefers the shallow pan!
Serve this bread pudding with…
More brunch favorites
- French Toast
- Chocolate Muffins (Bakery Style)
- Easy Quiche Recipe
- Here’s a tutorial for how to make crepes along with other delicious crepe recipes.
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Bread Pudding
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Parchment paper
- Aluminum foil
- stand mixer optional
- Medium pot optional
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
Bread Pudding
- 5-1/2 cups day-old croissants torn into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt I use fine sea salt
- 1 orange for zest
- 3/4 cup fresh raspberries halved
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar optional
- 1/3 cup honey-roasted almonds optional
Whipped Cream (Optional)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Sauce
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300℉. Lightly coat a 2-quart baking dish (or 8x8-inch pan) with cooking spray.
- Tear croissants into 1-inch pieces and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake, tossing halfway through (and reducing oven temperature if bread gets too golden) until pieces are very dry and slightly toasted, 15–25 minutes. (This step allows croissant pieces to absorb custard without disintegrating.) Let cool, then transfer to prepared baking dish.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together milk, cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and salt. Zest orange to get 1 teaspoon zest, then add to bowl. Whisk until combined and smooth.
- Place toasted croissant pieces in the baking dish (see note 1). Sprinkle raspberries on top of croissant pieces. Pour the liquid over the croissants and press them down to submerge in the liquid. This will keep croissants from burning.
- Cover with foil and refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour. Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Remove foil and make sure croissants are still submerged. If desired, sprinkle on the 2 tablespoons coarse sugar. Bake 35–45 minutes or until custard is firm and set (bake time may vary depending on the pan size; see note 1). If needed, tent pudding with foil to keep the top from burning. If desired, sprinkle almonds on top. While pudding is baking, prepare whipped cream and vanilla sauce (optional but delicious additions).
- Whipped cream: Add ingredients to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on high speed until stiff peaks form. Chill until ready to serve.
- Vanilla sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients except vanilla in a heavy-bottomed pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5–8 minutes or until mixture thickens and then comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir in vanilla.
- Top individual servings of warm Bread Pudding with whipped cream and vanilla sauce. Best eaten same day as prepared.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yes !! The whole family loved it!! Will be making it again!!
So glad to hear that! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Could you prepare it and let it sit over night and bake it the next morning?
I like your preference for croissants in this recipe over the more traditional bread ingredients, thank you!
This bread pudding is seriously devine. It Is the hit at every brunch I bring it to. Throwing my niece a baby shower next week and this is at the top of my list to make. Thanks so much!
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much and good luck with your baby shower!
Can I use frozen raspberries? Or/does it have to be raspberries?
I’d recommend fresh for this recipe!