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Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

A thick slice of moist bread pudding topped generously with a sweet vanilla cream sauce, served on a white plate.
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A classic, comforting bread pudding recipe using stale bread, baked until golden, and served warm with a simple homemade vanilla sauce.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 cups stale bread cubes (about 1 loaf)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) melted butter
  • For the Vanilla Sauce: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  2. Place the bread cubes evenly in the prepared baking dish.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
  4. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Gently press the bread down to soak up the liquid. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
  5. Drizzle the melted butter over the top of the soaked bread.
  6. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the pudding is set in the center and the top is golden brown.
  7. While the pudding bakes, prepare the sauce: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
  8. Whisk in the powdered sugar and granulated sugar until smooth.
  9. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
  10. Serve the warm bread pudding drizzled generously with the vanilla sauce.

Notes

  • Use bread that is slightly stale, like day-old French bread or challah, for the best texture.
  • If you prefer a richer sauce, substitute 1/4 cup of the heavy cream with bourbon or rum.
  • This recipe works well for using up leftover holiday bread.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://kitchnkudos.com/best-bread-pudding-recipe-old-fashioned/