Simple Bread Pudding

By Mark Bittman

Updated Jan. 22, 2025

Simple Bread Pudding
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
30 to 45 minutes
Rating
5(7,300)
Comments
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This recipe is proof-positive that leftover bread can easily be converted to dessert without much work. There’s room for customization here: Consider adding fresh or dried fruit or a combination of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom. Bread pudding makes a great brunch dish, served with fresh fruit compote. Or add a handful of chocolate chips before baking for a decidedly more decadent outcome.

Featured in: Turning Leftovers Into Dessert

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings
  • 2cups milk
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
  • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅓cup granulated sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • ½loaf sweet egg bread like challah or brioche, cut into 2-inch cubes (5 to 6 cups)
  • 2eggs, beaten
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

198 calories; 8 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 174 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm milk, butter, vanilla, sugar and salt. Continue cooking just until butter melts; cool. Meanwhile, butter a 4-to-6-cup baking dish and fill it with the cubed bread.

  2. Step 2

    Add eggs to cooled milk mixture and whisk; pour mixture over bread.

    Image of milk mixture being poured over bread for making simple bread pudding
  3. Step 3

    Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until custard is set but still a little wobbly and edges of bread have browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    Image of a scoop of bread pudding on a plate with powdered sugar for making simple bread pudding.

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FAQS

  1. To make it a truly special dessert, provide bowls of crème anglaise, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (or all four!) for topping individual portions at the table.

Ratings

5 out of 5
7,300 user ratings
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Comments

Patricia

5-6 cups of bread require more than 2 cups of milk & 2 eggs. You can't fit 5-6 cups of bread in a 4-6 cup baking dish. So, * 5-6 cups bread * 1 quart milk * 4 eggs * 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ... in a 2.5-quart casserole dish.

Louisanova

Make sure to let the bread soak in the egg-milk mixture; about an hour or more is perfect. Then it will become a beautiful custard.

Kim

I agree that letting the mixture soak for a while improves the result. Also doubling the eggs, 4 rather than 2, makes for a better custards pudding.

Pua

It's so easy and delicious, but I prefer a bread pudding that's more pudding-like, similar to Tartine's version. I'm looking to try it again, doubling the liquid-to-bread ratio.

Joel

My wife and I tried this bread pudding and added generously drizzled caramel sauce and luxardo cherries (and syrup from jar also generously drizzled) and those additions took this dish from good to great! Also suggest cooking for 40 mins because I like my bread pudding more moist than how it turned out after cooking 45 mins.

Debby

I used croissants for the bread and heavy cream (1 1/2 cups), 4 eggs. Very yummy! Thank you have never liked bread pudding too much till now.

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