Sara and I are on our way home from Des Moines today! If you haven’t had a chance to vote today in the Better Homes and Gardens cook-off and you’re feeling the urge, please click here to vote for us. And don’t forget to enter the current giveaway for the Non-stick Porcelain Cookware!
Somehow, in the 2 1/2 years that we’ve been doing this blog, we’ve never posted a bread pudding. I’ve had it on the calendar so many times (just wait…bananas…croissants…caramel…I’m not sure why it hasn’t happened, but when it does, it’ll be awesome), but it seems like it always gets bumped. Or I don’t want to make it. Or it’s too hot. Or some kind of lame excuse.
I saw this recipe on Twitter a few weeks ago and knew that I needed to make it because, after all, I am a sucker for caramel. And apples. And bread. And pudding.
It starts with a loaf of French bread (let it sit out for a few days if you can), eggs, apples…
as well as heavy cream, milk, and spices, which are equally important but also a part of the great photograph disappearing act of 2010.
You’ll want to slice the bread
and then cube iot into 1″ cubes (or even a little smaller)
If you can leave them out for a few hours so they get nice and dry, that’s great. If not, just place them on a baking sheet and bake them at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until they’re dry but not toasted.
While the bread is toasting, peel and chop your apples. If you want cool apple spirals (and to make your life infinitely easier), try one of these Apple Peeler Corers. I don’t think I’d ever make anything with apples in it without one of them…
Toss the apples and the bread cubes together in a large bowl and then place them in a greased 9×13 dish. In the same large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients except the butter and pour the mixture over the bread and apples.
You want to let this stand for awhile so the egg/milk mixture gets soaked into the bread. Ideally, you could cover it and refrigerate it overnight, but if that’s not possible, you can let it stand for 15 minutes-1 hour.
When the bread has soaked in most of the egg mixture, place the pan in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the center is set and the apples are tender.
Allow to stand for 5 minutes and then cut into pieces and serve warm. What you really want to do is drizzle some (okay, lots of) Buttermilk Syrup (this is where the “caramel” of the “Caramel Apple Bread Pudding” comes in) over the warm piece of bread pudding.
Like that. If you’re feeling especially rebellious, you could add some vanilla ice cream, too. So evil, right? Right.
5-6 c. stale French bread cubes (about 1/2 of a standard loaf cut into 1″ cubes) 3 c. apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces 4 eggs 3 egg yolks 1 1/2 c. milk 1 1/2 c. heavy cream 3/4 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. almond extract 2 tsp. pumpkin or apple pie seasoning 1 Tbsp. butter, chopped 1 recipe Buttermilk Syrup
*If possible, cut the bread into cubes and leave it out for several hours or overnight. If not, place the bread cubes on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bread cubes are dried out but not toasted.
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease or spray a 9×13″ baking dish with shortening or non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, toss together the bread cubes and the apple pieces. Transfer to the baking dish. In the same large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients except for the butter. When combined, continue to whisk while pouring over the bread/apple mixture (just to make sure the spices are evently distributed). Gently combine the bread and egg mixture, making sure each piece of bread is soaking in part of the egg and milk mixture. Allow to stand for at least 15 minutes (longer, if you can; you could even do this the night before, cover it tightly, and then bake it in the morning).
When the egg/milk mixture has mostly soaked into the bread, dab the butter over the bread and place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the center is set but not dry or burned.
Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve with warm Buttermilk Syrup (and vanilla ice cream if you really want to walk on the wild side.)
Sara Wells co-founded Our Best Bites in 2008. She is the author of three Bestselling Cook Books, Best Bites: 150 Family Favorite Recipes, Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites, and 400 Calories or Less from Our Best Bites. Sara’s work has been featured in many local and national news outlets and publications such as Parenting Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Fine Cooking, The Rachel Ray Show and the New York Times.
I just wonder because the amount of bread is not a very precise measurement. Can you describe how soupy it should be when the 15 minutes is up. Then we could tell if we need more bread or more milk/egg mixture.
Made this last night for a party – it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
I actually made it a full 20+ hours ahead of time, and it was good (I was a little worried that doing it longer than just “overnight” would be too long)… I did stir the bread a bit with the gooey stuff just before I popped it in the oven.
The caramel sauce is a FANTASTIC recipe too. I was amazed by how simple it was!!!
AMAZING RECIPE!!! After eating at one of the upscale restaurants for valentines day, we had an amazing Bread pudding with caramel sauce. My husband was skeptical but after tasting that was game to try it at home. When I found this receipe, I was actually sucked in by the nice site. I made the bread pudding for a family event. It was amazing (I might say better than the restaurant’s version). Although no one except my Grandmother (who by the way is an amazing cook) commented on it. I offered to make it for Easter and there was an overwhelming YES! My wonderful Grandmother even asked for the recipe.
Made this last night. The Almond Extract is a bit overpowering. It isn’t in CH’s original recipe. I think I’ll leave it out next time. Still tasty. Thanks.
This is the best bread pudding ever! I used light evaporated milk instead of milk and threw in some leftover butterscotch chips and brandy-soaked raisins and WOW!! Thanks for the super recipe!!
omgee! this sounds amazing! i'm gonna go get some apples out of our tree today and whip this up…& i think i'll serve it with your easy dulche de leche! mmmm….sounds so yummy & rich…can't wait! thank for all the awesome recipes…they always turn out wonderful! hugs!
Sara and I are on our way home from Des Moines today! If you haven’t had a chance to vote today in the Better Homes and Gardens cook-off and you’re feeling the urge, please click here to vote for us. And don’t forget to enter the current giveaway for the Non-stick Porcelain Cookware!
as well as heavy cream, milk, and spices, which are equally important but also a part of the great photograph disappearing act of 2010.
Like that.
If you’re feeling especially rebellious, you could add some vanilla ice cream, too. So evil, right? Right.
Questions & Reviews
I just wonder because the amount of bread is not a very precise measurement. Can you describe how soupy it should be when the 15 minutes is up. Then we could tell if we need more bread or more milk/egg mixture.
Wow, this looks delicious, you’re giving me a Sugar Rush just looking at it!
I made this and wrote about it here. Absolutely wonderful. Now I look forward to stale bread, just so I can make this again! Thanks for sharing it.
So I’ve never made bread pudding before, is it really 4 eggs and
3 egg goals the recipe calls for?
I meant yolks
Yep! 🙂 The “pudding” part is made up of eggs, so you need lots of ’em! 🙂
Thanks!
Will you add a PRINT option to this recipe? Thanks!
Made this last night for a party – it turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
I actually made it a full 20+ hours ahead of time, and it was good (I was a little worried that doing it longer than just “overnight” would be too long)… I did stir the bread a bit with the gooey stuff just before I popped it in the oven.
The caramel sauce is a FANTASTIC recipe too. I was amazed by how simple it was!!!
Thanks!
AMAZING RECIPE!!! After eating at one of the upscale restaurants for valentines day, we had an amazing Bread pudding with caramel sauce. My husband was skeptical but after tasting that was game to try it at home. When I found this receipe, I was actually sucked in by the nice site. I made the bread pudding for a family event. It was amazing (I might say better than the restaurant’s version). Although no one except my Grandmother (who by the way is an amazing cook) commented on it. I offered to make it for Easter and there was an overwhelming YES! My wonderful Grandmother even asked for the recipe.
Made this last night. The Almond Extract is a bit overpowering. It isn’t in CH’s original recipe. I think I’ll leave it out next time. Still tasty. Thanks.
This is the best bread pudding ever! I used light evaporated milk instead of milk and threw in some leftover butterscotch chips and brandy-soaked raisins and WOW!! Thanks for the super recipe!!
omgee! this sounds amazing! i'm gonna go get some apples out of our tree today and whip this up…& i think i'll serve it with your easy dulche de leche! mmmm….sounds so yummy & rich…can't wait! thank for all the awesome recipes…they always turn out wonderful! hugs!