Published on November 8, 2023. Published by Megan
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Bread pudding with vanilla sauce is a rich, baked custard and bread dessert, topped with a classic silky vanilla butter sauce right before serving. This quick and easy bread pudding makes the perfect weekend treat or a special holiday breakfast or dessert.
Jump to:
- Why Should You Make This Recipe
- Ingredients
- How To Make
- How To Store, Freeze, Thaw and Reheat
- M’s Expert Tips
- FAQs
- Other Dessert for Breakfast Recipes
- Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce Recipe
Why Should You Make This Recipe
I love a good dessert for breakfast recipe. My Cinnamon Rolls and Apple Pie Filling, Banana French Toast, French Toast Muffins and Cinnamon Rolls with Heavy Cream are just a few of the many that I love making when I want an extra special breakfast treat. This bread pudding with vanilla sauce recipe is no exception. Here are a couple reasons I know you’ll reach for this easy bread pudding over and over again.
- Easy to make, bake and eat: This perfectly spiced vanilla sauce bread pudding tastes like something you could find in a restaurant, but you may be surprised to learn just how easy it is to make! This quick and easy recipe comes together in about 10 minutes. All you have to do after mixing all the ingredients is to simply bake it, cook the sauce, top and enjoy!
- Perfectly cozy and made for holiday breakfasts or desserts. There’s nothing more satisfying than enjoying a deliciously indulgent dessert for breakfast everyone will love. This simple bread pudding is the perfect easy to make breakfast or dessert treat.
Ingredients
This easy bread pudding with vanilla sauce recipe requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge.
Bread Pudding
Gather buttery bread, milk, heavy cream, melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, salt and raisins.
Vanilla Sauce for Bread Pudding
Gather milk, heavy cream, butter, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla extract.
Substitutions
This vanilla bread pudding recipe is as easy to make as it is delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions if you need them.
- Buttery Bread: The best bread pudding uses buttery bread like brioche bread, challah bread or french bread. Use the one you like the most and already have on hand. This recipe needs 16 ounces, 454 grams of bread cut into 1 inch cubes.
- Heavy Cream: Use an equal amount of half and half.
- Milk: Whole milk is preferred, but feel free to use any milk you like.
- Eggs: Bread pudding needs eggs. Therefore, this ingredient can not be substituted for this bread pudding with sauce recipe.
- Ground Spices: The ground cinnamon and nutmeg or cardamom make the perfect blend of aromatics for this bread pudding recipe. If you don’t have the individual spices, feel free to use any blend of baking spices you have on hand. Pumpkin spice, chai spice or apple pie spice blends would all work well in this recipe. Use 1 ½ teaspoons ground spices for this recipe.
- Butter: Feel free to use salted butter if needed. Just omit the added salt.
- Granulated Sugar: This recipe calls for granulated sugar. Light brown sugar works well as a substitute. Maple sugar is a wonderful refined sugar free alternative.
- Vanilla Extract: This gives a lovely flavor boost to the overnight french toast with brioche bread. Omit if needed.
- Raisins: Traditional bread pudding recipes include raisins. Feel free to use raisins if you like them. Otherwise, this bread pudding with vanilla sauce tastes just as good without them.
- Cornstarch: This is used to thicken the vanilla sauce for bread pudding. Feel free to use an equal amount of flour or arrowroot powder.
How To Make
Learn how to make bread pudding and bread pudding sauce in a few easy steps.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs together until well combined. Whisk in the milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until well combined. Add the cubed pieces of brioche, challah or french bread into the bowl. Gently mix the bread into the spiced vanilla custard. Allow the bread pudding mixture to rest and soak in the custard while the oven preheats to 350 F (177 C) for 20 - 30 minutes.
- Evenly coat the bottom and sides of the casserole dish with the melted butter. Transfer the vanilla sauce bread pudding into the prepared dish. Bake the custard bread pudding for 50 - 60 minutes. While the vanilla pudding bread bakes, make the sauce for bread pudding.
- Add milk, heavy cream, sugar, butter and cornstarch in a small pot or sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Once the butter melts, stirs more frequently until the sauce thickens enough to fully coat the back of a spoon. This takes about 10 - 12 minutes of cooking over medium heat. Once the vanilla sauce has thickened, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and transfer the sauce to a heat safe bowl to cool slightly before serving. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Once the bread pudding has finished baking, cool the dish for 10 - 15 minutes before serving. Right before servings, pour some of the vanilla sauce on top of the warm bread pudding, reserving more for serving on the side. Bread pudding can be enjoyed very warm from the oven, at room temperature or chilled from the fridge.
How To Store, Freeze, Thaw and Reheat
- Store the Bread Pudding: Fully cool the baked vanilla bread pudding. Cover the dish with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days if the sauce has not been added to the top. Once the vanilla sauce has been added to the top, the bread pudding is best eaten within 2 -3 days.
- Store the Vanilla Sauce: Fully cool the vanilla bread pudding sauce to room temperature. Transfer the sauce to an airtight container, stored in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 weeks.
- Freeze: Fully cool the baked vanilla bread pudding. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and a layer of foil. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Thaw and Reheat: Transfer the entire bread pudding dish (or pre sliced pieces) to the fridge to thaw overnight. Reheat the vanilla bread pudding by baking it in a 350 F (177 C) oven until warmed though or slice into pieces and heat through in the microwave. Pour warmed vanilla sauce on top and serve.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly and easily resulting in a smoother custard filling.
- Evenly cube the brioche or challah bread: 1- 2 inch pieces are the perfect size for baking and eating the best bread pudding.
- Use a 9 x 13 casserole dish. This bread pudding really puffs up while baking so make sure to use the correct size dish. For this recipe use a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) oven safe dish. If you need to use a smaller dish, cut the recipe in half and bake this in an 8 x 8 (20 cm) dish for about 30 - 35 minutes.
- Top the warm bread pudding with your favorite toppings. Although this dish tastes amazing without toppings, I love topping my bread pudding with vanilla sauce. Chopped nuts, fresh berries or whipped cream would also be delicious toppings.
FAQs
What is bread pudding sauce made out of?
A traditional bread pudding sauce is made from just a few simple ingredients: milk, sugar, vanilla extract and cornstarch. Variations of vanilla bread pudding sauce includes rum sauce, bourbon sauce, caramel sauce and lemon sauce.
Does bread need to be stale for bread pudding?
Yes, old fashioned bread pudding is best made with day old, stale bread. Fresh bread will soak up too much of the custard and will become mushy. Stale bread soaks up just enough custard to retain its shape and still bake up into a delicious bread pudding.
How do you know when bread pudding is done baking?
Bread pudding takes about an hour to bake. The top should be golden brown and no custard should seep through when the center of the bread pudding is gently pressed down.
Other Dessert for Breakfast Recipes
- Brioche French Toast Casserole
- Apple Fritter Bread
- French Apple Cake
If you try this Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce Recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! -M
Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce Recipe
Megan
Bread pudding with vanilla sauce is a rich, baked custard and bread dessert, topped with a classic silky vanilla butter sauce right before serving. This quick and easy bread pudding makes the perfect weekend treat or a special holiday breakfast or dessert.
4.53 from 36 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Cooling Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Equipment
1 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan
1 mixing bowl
1 sauce pan or small pot
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (474 ml) milk, room temperature
- 1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter, melted
- 1¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 16 oz. loaf of bread, cuded day old or stale bread recommended
- 1 cup raisins, optional
Vanilla Sauce for Bread Pudding
- ½ cup (118 ml) milk
- ¾ cup (177 ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon (10 g) cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs togetheruntil well combined.Whisk in the milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and saltuntil well combined.
5 large eggs, room temperature, 2 cups (474 ml) milk, room temperature, 1 cup (237 ml) heavy cream, room temperature, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) unsalted butter, melted, 1¼ cup (250 g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt
Add the cubed pieces of brioche, challah or french bread into the bowl.Gently mix the bread into the spiced vanilla custard.Mix in the raisins now, if using in the bread pudding.
16 oz. loaf of bread, cuded, 1 cup raisins, optional
Allow the bread pudding mixture to rest and soak in the custard while the oven preheats to 350 F (177 C) for 20 - 30 minutes.
Evenly coat the bottom and sides of the casserole dish with a tablespoon (15 ml) melted butter.Transfer the vanilla sauce bread pudding into the prepared dish.
Bake the custard bread pudding for 50 - 60 minutes.The top should be golden brown and no custard should seep through when the center of the bread pudding is gently pressed down.
While the vanilla pudding bread bakes, make the sauce for bread pudding.
Add milk, heavy cream, sugar, butter and cornstarch in a small pot or sauce pan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Once the butter melts, stir more frequently until the sauce thickens enough to fully coat the back of a spoon. This takes about 10 - 12 minutes of cooking over medium heat.
½ cup (118 ml) milk, ¾ cup (177 ml) heavy cream, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon (10 g) cornstarch
Once the vanilla sauce has thickened, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla extractand transfer the sauce to a heat safe bowl to cool slightly before serving. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
Once the bread pudding has finished baking,cool the dish for 15 - 20 minutes before serving. Right before servings,pour some of the vanilla sauce on top of the warm bread pudding, reserving more for serving on the side.Bread pudding can be enjoyed very warm from the oven, at room temperature or chilled from the fridge.
Notes
Store the Bread Pudding: Fully cool the baked vanilla bread pudding. Cover the dish with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days if the sauce has not been added to the top. Once the vanilla sauce has been added to the top, the bread pudding is best eaten within 2 - 3 days.
Store the Vanilla Sauce: Fully cool the vanilla bread pudding sauce to room temperature. Transfer the sauce to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 weeks.
Keyword Best Bread Pudding, Bread Pudding Sauce Recipe, Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce, Vanilla Sauce for Bread Pudding
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