This bread pudding recipe is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. This is one of our family’s favorite recipes and is perfect served with a big scoop of ice cream!
Do you have any family recipes that you absolutely love? This bread pudding recipe is one that has been in my husband’s family for years and comes from his Grandmother Linda. My husband loves this recipe so much that his grandma used to bake it for him instead of a cake for special occasions. And honestly, I would choose this recipe over a cake any day too.
Speaking of Josh’s grandma, I really feel like I could write a million blog posts about how wonderful she was. She was such a kind person and had the best sense of humor. It was literally impossible to not crack a smile when you were around her.
My favorite memory of her was the time she got up on the dance floor at our wedding and danced like no one was watching. Although she’s no longer with us, one thing that we will always have are the memories and her amazing bread pudding recipe.
Plus, you know a recipe is good when it comes from grandma. Right?
Recipe Ingredients
This recipe uses simple ingredients that you may already have on hand! Here’s what you will need to make this easy bread pudding recipe:
- Day-old bread: To start this recipe you’ll need some bread, hence the name bread pudding. I like to use a loaf of challah bread when it comes to making this recipe. Josh’s grandma used slices of toasted white bread when she would make it. Some other great options are French or brioche bread. You also want to use day-old or stale bread so that it absorbs the moisture from the egg and milk mixture.
- Eggs: You will be using 5 large eggs for this bread pudding recipe.
- Milk: I prefer to use whole milk in this recipe, but Josh’s grandmother typically used skim milk. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand!
- Sugar: There’s 1 cup of granulated sugar in this dish to add some sweetness.
- Vanilla & spices: These add a little flavor to the bread pudding. For the spices there is a mixture of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg.
How To Make Bread Pudding
To make this bread pudding, start by spraying a 9×13 baking pan well with nonstick cooking spray. Next, cube your day old-bread into 1-inch pieces and place them in an even layer into the prepared baking dish.
Then, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and spices. You will be using 5 whole eggs and 4 cups of milk, which may seem like a lot. Trust me, the first time I made this recipe I sat there wondering if it was too much. As the bread bakes it will absorb the liquid, so don’t worry!
Once you mix up the wet ingredients, pour it over the bread in your pan. Make sure that the mixture fully coats the bread, if you miss some pieces, just press them down into the mixture to make sure they are coated.
You want to let it sit for about 15 minutes, so the bread can absorb some of the liquid before it goes into the oven too. I like to prepare the bread pudding, then once I’m done I preheat the oven. I just let it sit and soak up the mixture while the oven preheats, which is usually right at about 15 minutes. Easy, peasy.
The bread pudding will take about 45 to 50 minutes in the oven. You will know it’s done when the center is puffed up and firm if you gently touch it.
You do want to let it cool for just a little bit once you remove it from the oven so that it’s easy to handle. I really love this bread pudding served with a huge scoop of ice cream and some caramel sauce. But honestly, it’s delicious just by itself!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you freeze bread pudding?
Yes, absolutely! You can slice the bread pudding into pieces, wrap each one tightly, and store them in a large freezer bag or freezer-friendly storage container. To thaw it, simply place it in the refrigerator overnight.
Does it need be refrigerated?
Yes, you do want to refrigerate it. Once it has cooled completely, wrap it tightly, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How do you reheat it?
If you want to reheat the whole bread pudding, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and place it in a 300°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed. For individual slices, I prefer to microwave them in 20 to 30 second increments until they’re warmed through.
Baking Tips
- If your bread is still fresh or not dried out you can cube it into smaller pieces, place them on a baking sheet, pop it in the oven, and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes. You don’t want to completely toast the bread, just dry it out.
- I prefer to lightly beat the eggs before mixing them into the wet ingredients. This isn’t necessary, but does help to ensure that the eggs are thoroughly combined.
- Let the bread pudding soak for about 15 minutes while your oven is preheating. This will ensure that the bread really soaks up the egg custard mixture!
Video Tutorial
Grandma's Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 loaf day-old challah bread cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 5 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 cups (960 ml) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place the cubed challah bread into the prepared baking dish and spread it around into an even layer. Set aside.
- In a very large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon until fully combined. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread in the prepared baking pan, making sure all of the bread is coated. Allow to sit and soak up the mixture for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Once the 15 minutes is over, place the bread pudding in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is set.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
My mother used to make bread pudding when I was a kid and had a great raisin sauce any ideas???
I’ve never made a raisin sauce, so I don’t have any suggestions for one at the moment. You could definitely add 1 cup of raisins to this bread pudding though.
Raisin sauce might be the same as what’s used on ham. Raisins soaked in apple juice. Then heat it up and thicken with corn starch. Add a dash of dry mustard. That’s about it.
This is delicious with Maple Syrup on it also you have to try it just warming the syrup and pouring on. Yummy.
Were is the nutritional facts?
I love bread pudding. Enjoyed it as a kid and still enjoy it. The only thing missing is the sauce that goes with it. Some used lemon sauce and most used raisin sauce like my mom.
If you go on Facebook, Brenda Gantt from Alabama made a bread pudding with a delicious looking sauce. I don’t think it had raisins in it said she put them in the bread pudding, but I’m sure you could chop them up and put them in the sauce. It looked really easy to make too.
Can you use half and half instead of whole milk?
I think that would be fine.
I used egg nog in place of the milk and added 1/2 cup of raisins. Tastes very rich and delicious!
I forgot to mention I substituted the Challah for raisin bread also.
I do. I also add two egg yokes. They make it richer.
hi, sounds delicious! I would like to add plums to the recipe – probably half them, cook them with sugar and cinnamon until a little softened – do you think it could work?
I haven’t tried it so I’m not quite sure. You could use the cooked plums as a topping for the bread pudding once it’s baked though.
Just made this bread pudding this morning. Add twice the cinnamon since I love cinnamon. Delicious!!!!!!
MY mother made this by spreading apricot jam over the bread and adding 1 cup of raisins – delicious
This is a great recipe! Grandkids went crazy over it. Not a raisin fan so I substituted with chopped pecans. Thank you for sharing!
You can boil 1 cups raisins 1 cup of water and 1/4 c to 1/2 c sugar. Bring to a boil until sugar is Dissolved stirring as you go. Remove from heat add 1 tsp of vanilla Then let it sit and cool pour a little over bread pudding. You can strain the raisins out if you prefer.
Instead of cow milk could you use almond milk?
That would be fine!
First and foremost let me say I’m not a fan of Bread Pudding, but my 84 year old mother is. She had some homemade beer bread that was getting stale and she asked me to make bread pudding with it. I knew that I had several bread pudding recipes saved, this one among them. I had all the ingredients, so this was my choice. I had 11 ounces of bread, not 20, so I halved the recipe. That worked fine, I used 3 eggs, because 1/2 an egg is hard to do. Everything else was made as directed. I thought this was flavorful and sweet. It had a nice consistency. I enjoyed it. My Mom, not so much. She said it wasn’t sweet enough. My Dad, loved it!!! Just an FYI: I’m not big on sweets and only eat them about once or twice a year, which may account for my thinking it was sweet.
I would recommend this recipe, It came together fast and was very easy. I particularly loved the nutmeg flavor which was quite pronounced.
This recipe is great as a base for all variations of a bread pudding. My father used jelly and lemon doughnuts with raisins, and it was delicious. So I used this recipe, but with the doughnuts instead of the bread, and everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I plan on using it for many variations, as well as the original, because my husband loves bread pudding, as do I.
Can you prepare the night before and then bake the next day?
I think that would be fine. I would let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes while the oven preheats though.
Delicious and simple recipe. Found a small loaf of pumpkin spice challah bread today and knew it was destined for bread pudding. Had to cube and dry in the oven first but it was sensational and made the house smell terrific. Just had some with vanilla bean ice cream. Thumbs up!
Love this recipe. I’ve made it for the first time and everyone loved it. I’m thinking about making it again for Christmas. I was thinking of making them in a muffing form. Is it possible with this exact recipe or do I need to make any changes (ex: temp, time, etc).
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Cheryl! I haven’t tried these in a muffin pan, but I do think it would be fine. I would keep the oven temperature the same and reduce the baking time, maybe to 20 to 30 minutes.
I looked at a lot of bread pudding recipes online and this was the quickest, easiest yet. Very straightforward directions and so delicious. Thank you so much!
Can I use French bread
Yes, that’s fine!
What about using apples and what kind are for baking, I like gala.
It would be fine to add some chopped apple. Gala, Honeycrisp, or Fuji apples would all work.
I made this last night for my hard working husband!
It is delicious! It’s going into my cookbook!
Does the bread need to be dried or stale for this recipe?
Yes, I suggest using stale bread. You can dry it out in the oven for a few minutes if you’re short on time.
Stale bread would probably work for most people, but for people like me with stronger than average taste buds stale won’t work. Even baked with spices, I am able to taste the staleness. For others like me, I take out a fresh loaf and lay the slices on cooling racks the afternoon before, to let the bread dry out. Next day, I cube it and follow your recipe with the addition of spices. Excellent recipe!
Very delicious recipe. I used brioche bread and substituted honey and it turned out amazing.
Danielle, This is the best pecan pie , just like the ones they make in Savanah GA down by the river on River street or front street, thanks you so much
Douglas
Hello, Can this be made with dairy free milk such as cashwemilk?
Yes, that would be fine.
What about adding some canned 🍑 peaches
I haven’t tried it with canned peaches. It may be okay, but the peaches will add more moisture to the bread pudding.
This recipe is similar to my mom’s…..I love more custard than bread! She also served it with a warm lemon sauce. omygosh…just thinking of it makes my mouth water. I will make this recipe for a birthday dinner in a few days.
Bread in # cups please.
I freeze stale bread for a lot of purposes. Sorry, saying a ‘loaf’ doesn’t mean a lot.
Thanks
Jeff
9 to 10 cups.
She says she uses a 20 ounce loaf of Challah, can you do that math?
Looked for a new recipe and this one looks good. I made a batch and a half, right now it’s in the 15 minute timeout. I added a pinch of salt I always have when sweetening with sugar. I’m excited to try this, it smells delicious already! I will repost with the success story but I think this one is a homerun.
This tasted pretty good but was still soggy on the bottom. My husband said that I didn’t need to make this recipe again. I was pretty disappointed.
Hi is there a difference between bread pudding and a French toast bake? The ingredients seem the same. Thanks!
They’re kind of similar! French toast casseroles generally use more eggs and less milk though.
Delightfully easy recipe that made my house smell amazing. Way too much nutmeg in this one for us though. Especially with the cinnamon. Might retry and adjust the spice mix.
Just made this bread pudding for the second time. I used your recipe because the ingredients were the same as my moms! I used to watch her make it but never knew how much of what she used. She learned from her grandma! I’m 62, so this recipe has been around a long time. Our recipe was never written down, but this one is as close as it gets!!! My Dad bought extra bread just to let it go stale so I will make this for him. He is 91 and thought we would never have as good a bread pudding as Mom’s again, but he is happy 😊
So happy to hear that everyone loved the recipe and it brought back such special memories! 🙂
The only bread I have on hand is GF honey white. Do you think it’ll still work (and taste good)?
I think that would be fine!
I had some brioche bread and butter bread and some almost stale cookies. Chopped them all up ! I used brown sugar instead of the white for a more richer flavor.
It’s in the oven right now. This looks like a solid recipe that you can be flexible with some of the “bread” options.
Would a 16oz challah bread from fresh market be enough or should I get two loads?
You will probably need a little more bread. You could either pick up a second loaf and freeze any that’s leftover. Or if you have some extra bread at home (like sandwich bread, hamburger buns, etc.) you could use that to make up for the difference. You will need about 9 to 10 cups of cubed bread.