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 Josh’s family for years and comes from his Grandmother Linda. Josh 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 is the memories and her amazing bread pudding recipe.
I mean, you know a recipe is good when it comes from grandma. Right?
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. I think Josh’s grandma used slices of toasted white bread when she would make it. But, I really love challah bread in this recipe so that’s what I always use.
You do want to use day-old bread or bread that’s dry and doesn’t have much moisture in it. 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 it for about 8-10 minutes. You don’t want to completely toast the bread, just dry it out.
Then you’ll whisk together some eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla extract, and spices. You’ll 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 it bakes the bread will absorb the liquid, so don’t worry.
As for the spices, there’s just a little bit of ground cinnamon and nutmeg mixed in. Whatever you do don’t leave them out! I feel like the spices, especially the nutmeg, really make this bread pudding.
Once you mix up the wet ingredients, you’ll pour it over the bread in your pan. Then 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. What I like to do is prep 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.
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.
Grandma's Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 loaf day-old challah bread cubed into 1-inch pieces*
- 5 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon 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 oven to 350°F. Once the 15 minutes is over, place the bread pudding in the oven and bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes or until the top is set.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Hi! im thinking of making this for dessert tonight. what works better clear or dark pan?
thank you!!
I always use a glass or ceramic pan 🙂
Can a mixture of different bread, bagels be used?
Yes, that should be fine!
Dark… the recipe is very forgiving but a dark pan works better than clear.. good luck.. btw.. I use this recipe frequently. It’s a great recipe. Also.. you can improvise and experiment with ingredients and flavors.. I’m making one right now.. I added strawberry preserves, whiskey soaked golden raisins and walnuts. I typically go heavy on the cinnamon and vanilla. A real vanilla bean added is a game changer.. Also add some all spice.. adds a nice richness..
Best bread pudding ever. The 5 eggs and 4 cups milk make it the best
This looks delicious! Can it be prepared the night before and cooked the next day?
You could prep the bread in the pan and leave it on the counter to dry out. Then whisk together the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl, cover tightly, and refrigerate. The next morning, just whisk the wet ingredients again, pour on top, and let it sit while the oven is preheating.
I’ve been making bread pudding for over 25 years and it’s hit or miss with the heavy custard in the bottom (which is what I shoot for). Sometimes there is and sometimes there isn’t. Is there a secret to getting that thick layer of custard on the bottom and not the watery stuff?
I’m not sure if there’s a secret to getting a thick layer of custard on the bottom. I think this one turns out great, I don’t find it to be too watery or anything.
Maybe the milk makes a difference? Do you always use whole milk or have you used say 2% once in a while which has more water and might either need longer cooking to evaporate that moisture or simply not make a thick a custard? I think there is a trick for getting lower fat milk to behave like whole (something you add) but I don’t know what it is, sorry.
I’ve used 2% and skim milk and don’t notice much of a difference. I just find that whole milk makes it a little richer.
Hey, I’m excited to try this recipe but there is only two of us. How do I store left overs and for how long?
You can cover it tightly (or store in an airtight container) for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. You can also cut the recipe in half (just use 2 eggs) and bake it in an 8-inch square baking pan.
Watery stuff in the bottom usually means overcooked egg/milk mixture. I took mine out at 35 minutes, not 45, and it was great. Start checking it at 35 minutes, maybe, especially if you started with mixtures at room temp.
I have made a similar recipe but only use 2 cups of whole milk and there is a thick layer of custard on the bottom. I had some leftover shortbread cookies that went into the last batch (cut sugar in half) and it was to die for! Love bread pudding.
Excellent! I also made a vanilla sauce to pour on top and it was amazing! I baked for 45 minutes in a glass dish Make sure to use whole (homogenized) milk otherwise it will probably be runny.
I like using a variety of bread – white , rye , cinnamon raisin . I’ve even used a couple bagels . I use whole milk or 1/2 &1/2 cream , even table or whipping cream . Makes it a little richer . I always make a vanilla sauce to pour over it . My family’s favorite dessert .
I made this for Xmas dinner. HUGE HIT!!
Thankyou so much for sharing your Grandmother’s recipe! ♡
So happy to hear that, Shelly!
I cannot get challah bread in my area. What makes a good sub?
You can use just about any kind of bread! Brioche or French bread are good options. I’ve had some readers mention that they just used different kinds of leftover bread that they had too. Just make sure the bread is about the same weight (20-ounces).
I made this for a last-minute gathering and it was so quick, easy and delicious! It’s not too sweet and the challah is perfectly moist in the middle but crispy on the edges. I made a maple-rum-raisin sauce on the side for those that wanted more sweetness. Next time, I’ll try adding raisins right into this recipe.
I just took this bread pudding out of the oven. I added a half a cup of raisins and a half a cup of chopped pecans. I baked it for 50 minutes at 375 degrees. I let it sit for 15 minutes too cool. It does unfortunately, have that moisture on the bottom of the pan. It’s like sugar water. I don’t know why. This was my first attempt at bread pudding. It does taste great though.
Hi, Terry. If there’s a lot of water underneath the bread pudding, I think it may have been because the bread pudding was overbaked and caused the custard to weep (become watery). I would suggest baking it at 350°F (per the recipe) and see if that helps next time. I’m glad you liked it though!
What’s challah bread
Can you use ordinary bread
It’s a braided egg bread that’s a little sweet. You can use regular bread, just use the same amount.
If I am unable to purchase challah bread, what would you suggest?
You can use just about any kind of bread as long as it’s about the same amount. Brioche is another good option.
I made this using chocolate bread. I bake my own bread so sometimes I make chocolate bread. I sprinkled a handful of chocolate chips on top. When it came out of the oven I drizzled some caramel on top. The custard was perfect and this bread pudding was an instant favorite. We loved it and could not believe we had eaten the whole pan.
That sounds fantastic, Kathy!
Hello. I am trying to stay away from white flour. How will the pudding taste with whole wheat bread? Thanks!
I think it would taste just fine!
I love this recipe!!! I am making it for the first time with some “an few day old dried” KING CAKE instead of bread! This is a large cinnamon roll decorated at Mardi Gras season! Cant wait to try it!
I’m going to try this with Hawaiian bread. I bet it will be fantastic!!! I think I’ll cut back on the sugar a bit though as the bread is sweet.
I made this using panettone and added a couple of ripe bananas and dark chocolate chips. Delicious! Great recipe. Thank you .
I’ve always heard bread pudding needs to be baked in a “water bath” which is placing the baking dish inside a pan of water that comes up about an inch or two on the side of the baking dish. Supposedly prevents the custard part from curdling. That’s how I bake my bread pudding and haven’t had any liquid in the finished pudding. I use regular whole milk.
A water bath would definitely help the bread pudding heat evenly and prevent the custard from breaking. I haven’t ever had any issues with that happening though, so I don’t find the extra step necessary.
So excited to make this today! I have the Bricoh Bread. Would love to have a recipe for LEMON SAUCE…to spoon on top. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
So glad you liked the bread pudding, Karen! I’ll certainly add lemon sauce to my list of recipes to work on.
Mmmm… I’m drooling. It looks so good. My son would really love this bread pudding.
How many people will this 9-13 inch pan serve? I need to serve 15people. Thanks for your help.
It really depends on how large of servings you’re wanting, I usually cut it into 12-15 servings.
Mine is in the oven as I type. I cut the recipe in half (3 eggs, 2 cups milk) but I subbed unsweetened coconut milk because I only had skim in fridge but wanted the fat content. I used a mini loaf of zucchini bread I bought at market that I let get stale. I am baking this in a water bath as I want the custard to be creamy and not break. I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Hope you enjoyed the bread pudding, Kelli!
Hi,
In the photos it looks like there is some sort of fruit baked into the top, as well as a drizzle over the bread pudding (perhaps caramel?), but I don’t see that mentioned in the ingredients or instructions – what would they be? Thank you!
There’s no fruit baked into the top, but I did drizzle it with salted caramel sauce. You can find that recipe here: https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/homemade-salted-caramel-sauce/.
I never buy whole milk. Think evaporated milk undiluted will work?
It would probably be okay, but the bread pudding would be richer. You can mix together equal parts of evaporated milk and water (2 cups of each one) to make 4 cups of whole milk though.
This recipe is just what I’m looking for and I can’t wait to try it! Any idea how many cups of cubes are in a 20 oz loaf of challah? I have some leftover French bread I’d like to use, but don’t know the weight. It would be helpful to know approximately how many cups the 20 ounces converts to. Thanks! Sharon
It comes out to about 9-10 cups of cubed bread. Hope you enjoy the recipe!