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Easy Homemade Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

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This easy homemade bread pudding with vanilla sauce is the ultimate comfort dessert. Made with simple ingredients like stale bread, eggs, and a rich custard, it’s forgiving, delicious, and perfect for using up leftovers.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (brioche, challah, French bread, or croissants work best)
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease your 9×13-inch baking dish with the melted butter, making sure to coat the bottom and sides well. Place your bread cubes in the dish in an even layer. Don’t press them down—you want them to have room to soak up the custard.
  2. In your large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth and slightly pale, about 1 minute. Add the whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until everything is fully combined.
  3. Pour the custard evenly over the bread cubes. Use a rubber spatula to gently press the bread down, making sure every piece gets coated. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. This is crucial—the bread needs time to absorb the liquid.
  4. Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the top of the soaked bread. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set but still slightly jiggly. If the top is browning too quickly (around the 30-minute mark), tent loosely with aluminum foil.
  5. While the bread pudding bakes, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar and heavy cream, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract and pinch of salt.
  6. Let the bread pudding cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, generously drizzled with the vanilla sauce.

Notes

For the best texture, use bread that’s a day or two old. Fresh bread can get mushy. If your bread is fresh, cube it and spread it on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for about 5-7 minutes to dry it out slightly. The vanilla sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.

Nutrition

Keywords: bread pudding, vanilla sauce, easy dessert, comfort food, leftover bread, custard dessert

Find it online: https://bouncybowl.com/easy-homemade-bread-pudding-with-vanilla-sauce/