Easy Bread Pudding

A piece of homemade bread pudding with caramel sauce on a plate.

5 from 20 votes

Rich and eggy, a slice of Homemade Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce drizzled over the top makes for relaxed and comforting dessert that is perfect for any occasion. Made with stale brioche bread and plenty of eggs, the baked bread pudding has a wonderful custard texture and flavor that you'll love!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Soaking Time2

Total Time3 10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 514kcal

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

Bread Pudding

1 loaf brioche bread, day old, cut into 1" cubes
6 large eggs
2 cups heavy cream or half-and-half
2 cups whole milk
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Caramel Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup water
4 Tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into cubes
¾ cup half-and-half or heavy cream
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with baking spray. Add cubed brioche bread to the dish in an even layer.
Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Pour over the cubed bread, pressing the bread into the custard to soak.
Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours so the bread can soak up the custard.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Remove plastic wrap and bake for 50-60 minutes until golden brown and set in the center.
While the bread pudding is baking, make the caramel sauce by combining 1 cup sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil without stirring.
Boil for 5 to 8 minutes until the sugar turns a light amber color. This can happen quickly so stick close to the stove so the sugar syrup doesn't burn.
Once the color of the sugar has darkened to a light amber, turn off the heat and stir in the half-and-half. The mixture will bubble up, so be careful. Add butter, vanilla, and salt, stirring until the butter has melted and everything is combined. If it doesn't combine for some reason, return the mixture to the heat and boil for 1 minute.
Transfer the caramel to a heat-safe jar to cool and thicken before serving over the bread pudding.

Notes

Storage: You can keep any leftover bread pudding in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can be served chilled, but I prefer it warmed up in the oven or microwave first. The caramel sauce will also last 1-2 weeks in a jar in the fridge.
Freezing: You can freeze individual slices of bread pudding for up to 2 months. Just wrap them well in plastic wrap and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating and enjoying.
Substitutions: You can use challah bread, French bread, croissants, Texas toast, dinner rolls, hamburger buns, hot dog buns, and almost any kind of bread to make bread pudding.
Variations: The possibilities really are endless, but some of our favorites are to add a sprinkle of cinnamon (about 1 teaspoon) or the zest of a couple of oranges and some chocolate chips. Or sprinkle fresh or frozen cranberries, blueberries, or other berries in with the cubed brioche bread. You can even make a chocolate bread pudding by whisking in ¼ cup of cocoa powder with the custard mixture before pouring it over the bread!

Recipe from The Speckled Palate.

Nutrition