Bread Pudding Recipe
Bread pudding is a classic dessert that's both indulgent and easy to prepare, using simple ingredients that you likely already have at home. This comforting treat, made with stale bread and custard, has been around for centuries, originating as a "poor man's pudding" in 13th-century England, where cooks used it to prevent food waste.
Heres how to make this delicious, traditional bread pudding:
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F (175C). Grease an 8-inch square baking dish, then tear 6 slices of day-old bread into small pieces and place them in the dish.
- Step 2: Drizzle 2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter evenly over the bread pieces. If you like, sprinkle cup of raisins over the bread for a burst of sweetness.
- Step 3: In a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups of milk, cup of white sugar, 4 beaten large eggs, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
- Step 4: Pour the custard mixture over the bread, ensuring the bread is evenly soaked. Use a fork to gently press the bread down, ensuring it absorbs the custard.
- Step 5: Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the pudding springs back when lightly pressed.
Once baked, allow the pudding to cool slightly before serving. Its perfect on its own, or you can drizzle it with a little caramel sauce for an extra decadent touch!
Best Bread for Bread Pudding:
The best bread for this recipe is a hearty, slightly stale loaf. Think challah, brioche, sourdough, or French bread. These types hold up well to the custard and create a rich, flavorful pudding. Any bread that would work for French toast is a great choice here.
How to Store Bread Pudding:
Once the bread pudding has cooled completely, cover it tightly or place it in an airtight . It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Can You Freeze Bread Pudding?
Yes, you can freeze bread pudding! To do so, bake the pudding in a foil pan, then let it cool completely. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil before freezing. When youre ready to enjoy it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. If you have any extra sauce, freeze that separately.
Recipe Variations:
You can experiment with different types of bread and add-ins. For a twist, try using chocolate chips instead of raisins, or add some fresh berries or dried cranberries. For extra flavor, sprinkle in teaspoon of nutmeg or add a splash of bourbon or rum extract. The possibilities are endless!
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 165 | |
| Total Fat | 5g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Cholesterol | 70mg | 23% |
| Sodium | 140mg | 6% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 27g | 10% |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g | 3% |
| Total Sugars | 19g | |
| Protein | 5g | 9% |
| Calcium | 81mg | 6% |
| Iron | 1mg | 5% |
| Potassium | 150mg | 3% |
Note: The nutritional information is based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may vary depending on your specific dietary needs.
With this easy-to-follow recipe, you can create a satisfying, comforting bread pudding that will quickly become a family favorite!

Comments
Ryan Lee
10/06/2025 01:52:54 PM
I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t like this.
KITKA714
12/26/2002 12:16:46 PM
This is a great, easy recipie! I doubled the recipie, changed the milk into heavy whipping cream, and instead of useing french bread or raisins I used petridge farm raisin swirl bread. I also recomend cutting off all crust from the bread, it makes it taste stale. But with these simple changes it's great!! Great recipie!
Allrecipes Member
07/29/2002 04:57:13 PM
My family and I love this recipe. Even my wife who never used to like breadpudding loved it. My little trick was instead of raisins I thinly sliced a granny smith apple and used it in it's place.
SarahCooks
09/22/2002 03:56:54 PM
I really liked this recipe! I had some left over french bread which I wasn't sure what to do with and figured a pudding would be nice... It sure was! I used one egg less (they were big and I didn't want it to be to "eggy" anyway). I also used brown sugar intead of white sugar and added nutmeg to the whole. Oh and I didn't use any raisins. I really recommend it... I'm thinking of making it for my family when they come over next weekend.
Texas Rebel
02/24/2020 04:53:14 PM
Awesome! I used a 9 x 12 glass dish, doubled the bread to 14 slices (7 Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Swirl and 7 French Bread slices) in 1 inch and 2 inch cubes. Then I doubled the other ingredients. I used 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and 2 cups of whole milk. I added a touch of nutmeg and cloves. No raisins, as we like bread pudding plain. I let mine sit for 30 minutes and kept pushing the bread down with a fork to completely absorb. Baked for exactly 45 minutes and it was PERFECT. Big hit. Made a simple vanilla sauce. Next year I will have more sauce options. It was all gone that night. Will make again!
TameBacon1471
09/17/2024 08:36:44 PM
I followed the recipe exactly aside from one thing. I soaked the raisins in 2 oz of brown sugar bourbon for 10 min, strained them and added the liquid to the egg-milk mixture for an adult dessert. I added the strained raisins to the bread cubes then added the mixture. I also doubled the recipe and used a 9x13 stone baking dish. I baked for an hour and it came out great. Your ratio of bread-milk-eggs is perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
Aileen Searles
02/09/2012 09:10:52 AM
I normally don't like bread pudding but my husband does so I searched for a recipe and found this one. Here's what I did: Used half a loaf of stale French bread from the deli which was maybe 10-12 slices. Omitted raisins, used 3 tablespoons butter instead of 2, 3 eggs instead of 4 (per several reviews), used half n half instead of milk. Then I added 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. I put the pan in the fridge for a couple hours since I wasn't ready to bake it. I think that was key because it really soaked up the liquid. I baked it for 55 minutes for a less custardy pudding. My husband and I both enjoyed this very much but I think next time I make it I will up the sugar to one cup. It just wasn't sweet enough and I'm not one to like overly sweet desserts. I will try 3/4 cup white sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar. I'm also going to cut back on the nutmeg to 1/8 tsp and maybe sprinkle chopped pecans over the top before I bake it. I think I will also cut the baking time by 5 minutes since it was just on the verge of becoming dry. If I remember, I'll come back and do an update.
granof3
02/24/2015 02:41:21 PM
DELICIOUS!!! I took some of the suggestions and added a few of my own. I substituted white sugar with organic cane sugar, and the raisins with pecans and black walnuts. I also used two types of bread and added extra slices. After I sprinkled the top with brown sugar I covered the top with more of the egg, milk, cinnamon, vanilla mixture. I also added nutmeg. Then I baked it in my large round cast iron pan. Tasted like a cinnamon roll with nuts.
ChirpyMiso3925
10/12/2024 11:55:58 AM
The First time I made it by the recipe and it was perfect, I did cook it about 7 to 10 minutes longer, but that's my oven...The second time I doubled it and made the egg mixture a little more eggs by adding two more, just our preference to be "wetter*. This time I added a diced green apple and a diced honey crisp apple, and five or six diced caramel cubes (Kraft brand). Its in the oven now.......I'll post the end result.****yes! This is very good, I only added diced cubes (just a few) of caramel so it wasn't sticky or overly caramel tasty. 99% of the time I'll make it without apples and caramel because bread pudding is wonderful as made in the original recipe.
bvwinemaker
08/19/2024 03:36:23 PM
Added fresh diced Peaches from my tree instead of raisins, and just because I like to be creative, I made Vanilla Tapioca Pudding and poured about an inch on top of the baked Bread pudding! Oh, and this is why my Grand Kids love me! Bake On!
Renee
11/03/2024 04:11:48 PM
I had a “few” day-old old cranberry orange bread (Wegmans) & 6 cranberry honey dinner rolls (frozen section WMart-baked from frozen according to package directions) for the bread base.I omitted the raisins to cater to my son’s girlfriend’s dislikes. I love them though!I did 1/2 teaspoon each of pure vanilla & pure almond extracts. I also added 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger and 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg too, in addition to the recipe’s amount of cinnamon.I also did 2/4 cup white & 1/4 cup brown sugars. 🥴 I forgot to coat the bread cubes in the melted butter, so I poured that on top at the end before baking. I also covered in foil for (spray inside of foil so all the yumminess does not stick!!) first 30-35 minutes, then uncovered for remaining bake time. I also wound up using a DEEP 8x11 pan too.Next time, when I have all the ingredients, I will follow recipe. I used my heart & what I had on hand today!! 😊 LOVE All Recipes!!! Thank you everyone! You save us every day!!! 😊
FunFish8679
09/23/2025 06:46:07 PM
I used half and half instead of milk. YUMMY!
Nilofar
09/17/2025 05:34:03 PM
Best and easy to follow recipe. Always turns out great!!!
Christine
09/13/2025 02:38:17 PM
I'm so glad I found this recipe online this is my husband's favorite bread pudding mix he misses it cuz we now I'm making it for him every other day it is a great recipe great taste
Suzy Rovk-Evans
08/30/2025 03:55:57 AM
A great easy recipe We made a loaf that failed Followed the above method Into my cookbook this has sailed!! We left out half of the required flour in our home made bread. But we couldn't waste it!!! Hehehe! Thank you so much for saving our day! X Arohanui to you all!
Lillian
08/29/2025 06:40:12 PM
No
LivelyFlan8644
08/25/2025 05:32:43 PM
I truly have never had a bad recipe from all recipes. This is another success. Thank you!!
danielle ouellette
08/17/2025 06:23:58 PM
Quick and easy. My kids love this!! We added some walnuts and chocolate chips.
veita
08/17/2025 04:08:53 AM
Yes! I love it, I made it with banana slices, it’s my first time! Thank you!
AnaliseMayfire
08/16/2025 02:56:42 PM
Hands down my favorite base recipe for bread pudding, I've been using this one for years. I always turn it into a French toast style bread pudding by using cinnamon rolls as my bread and mixing the frosting for the rolls into the custard. I let the cut up cinnamon rolls soak in the custard over night before baking it and it makes for a better texture (in my opinion). And I leave out the rasins.