Name: Easy Bread Pudding
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 loaf of day old French or Italian bread or challah bread; 2 tablespoons butter, melted; 2 cups milk; 3/4 cup sugar; 4 eggs, beaten; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Bread Pudding is one of those old-fashioned easy recipes every home chef should have on hand. It uses only a few common household ingredients and can be whipped up in no time!

close up of brea pudding in white casserole dish

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It happens all the time: I buy a nice freshly baked loaf of bread at the store bakery and when I finally get around to using it, it’s stale.

Luckily, even stale bread doesn’t have to go to waste when you have this easy Bread Pudding recipe on hand!

Need more easy bread recipes? Try our viral Apple Bread, Classic Banana Bread, or 3 ingredient Beer Bread!

What is bread pudding?

This isn’t a pudding as we Americans generally think of the creamy milk-based dessert. As I learned when we lived in England for a year, pudding simply means “dessert,” so bread pudding is a dessert made with stale bread and a creamy, oh-so-flavorful custard of sorts. The taste is very similar to french toast.

Ingredients

day old bread – thick bakery bread like French bread, challah, or brioche is best
butter
milk
sugar
eggs
cinnamon
vanilla extract

As you can see, the ingredients are very common, making this an easy recipe to whip up fast on a whim.

You can use regular sandwich bread (stale) but it won’t be quite as fluffy as using a thicker bread.

Step by step

Preheat your over and butter a baking dish.
Rip the bread into cubes and place in the dish.
Mix melted butter, milk, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla together until blended.
Pour the egg mixture over the cubed bread, trying to cover every piece. Use a fork or spoon to gently push the bread down into the egg mixture so every piece is thoroughly coated.
Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown and the middle is set.

Tips for best results

What if you only have fresh bread? No problem! Just spread the slices evenly on a baking sheet and pop them into a 200°F oven for about 15 minutes to dry them out.

Variations

add dried fruit: raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit
chocolate: add in chocolate chips or top it with chocolate sauce
nuts: add in chopped walnuts or pecans for some crunch

Serving suggestions

You can eat this bread pudding warm or cool. You can serve it plain as is, or I like to top it with honey, caramel sauce, maple syrup, or even a scoop of ice cream.

Storage

Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals until heated through.

This recipe freezes well after baking. Wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container (affiliate link) for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!