Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce is a rich, spongy dessert you can make at home. This buttery cinnamon dessert is like a fluffier version of French toast, drenched in a sweet vanilla sauce.
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Why this Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce Recipe is a Keeper
This easy old fashioned recipe for bread pudding makes the perfect dessert, transforming day-old bread and melted butter into a rich custard bread pudding in silky vanilla sauce. Read on to see why we think this quick and easy bread pudding is comfort food at its best.
- Simple Ingredients: All of the ingredients for this old-fashioned bread pudding recipe can likely be found in your kitchen or local grocery store.
- Family Friendly: This easy recipe is a tried-and-true family favorite that everyone will enjoy.
- 40 Minute Dessert: Make vanilla bread pudding in just 40 minutes.
If you’re looking for more pudding recipes, try these: Banana Pudding Cheesecake, Apple Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce, and Easy Strawberry Pudding Parfaits.
What Type of Bread is Best for Bread Pudding?
If you love bread pudding, you probably already know that the best bread pudding recipe uses day-old or slightly stale bread that you’d otherwise throw away, instead of fresh bread. This is because the toughness of day old bread makes it able to absorb the custard. You can use French bread, Brioche bread, or Challah bread for bread pudding, as well as any bread you’d use to make French toast to make an amazing bread pudding.
Ingredient Notes for Vanilla Bread Pudding
- French Bread Pieces: Cut a loaf of French bread into cubes, then set aside to make the bread pudding with.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
- Dried Fruit: Add a bit of texture to your bread pudding with dried fruit. Raisins or dried cranberries will work great.
- Booze: A splash of alcohol can help improve the flavor of this dessert recipe. Try brandy, rum sauce, or dessert liqueurs.
- Caramel Sauce: Instead of the vanilla butter sauce, try drenching this easy bread pudding in caramel sauce instead.
Pro Tip
Make sure not to bake the bread pudding for too long. Overbaking will dry out the bread and custard, resulting in a tough and unpleasant texture.
How to Make Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
When it comes to easy recipes, this bread pudding is a clear favorite! This is a great recipe for breakfast or dessert, and you’ll love the vanilla sauce, creamy custard, and spiced bread pudding. It’s also a versatile recipe; you can even make lemon sauce by adding in some zest to the custard mixture! Read on to learn how to make this delicious vanilla bread pudding recipe.
These are the basic steps for making bread pudding and vanilla sauce. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Prep
Heat the oven to 350ºF and spray a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Then, place bread cubes in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Stir in Bread Pieces, Pour the Custard, and Bake
In a medium bowl, add milk and eggs, heavy cream, brown and white sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk together. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and stir until combined; allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes. Transfer bread mixture to prepared baking dish and bake for 50-60 minutes or until pudding is fully set.
3. Make Vanilla Bread Pudding Sauce
While bread pudding is baking, add heavy cream, cornstarch and sugar to a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Add butter and whisk until butter melts and bubbles start to form on the edges of the pan. Once you’ve made the vanilla sauce mixture, whisk until it reaches your desired consistency.
4. Drizzle and Serve
Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Serve bread pudding with vanilla sauce drizzled on top.
Vanilla Sauce Bread Pudding FAQs
Expert Tips for Making Easy Vanilla Bread Pudding
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Try different seasonings for old fashioned bread pudding, including nutmeg, cloves, or anise.
- 9×13 Pan: Instead of individual ramekins, you can make bread pudding in a 9×13 pan or casserole dish for a crowd.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: Instead of vanilla extract, try vanilla bean paste instead to thicken the pudding.
- Banana Bread Pudding: Try adding some pureed bananas to the bread pudding mixture for banana bread pudding.
- Ice Cream: Upgrade this wonderful recipe with an easy and simple trick: Serve the bread pudding hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!
What to Serve with Bread Pudding
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Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
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Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 6 cups French bread cubes, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- ¾ cup Milk
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar, tightly packed
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 4 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Vanilla Sauce
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ½ cup Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Bread Pudding
- Heat oven to 350ºF.
- Spray a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place bread cubes in a large bowl; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and stir until combined; allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes.
- Transfer bread mixture to prepared baking dish and bake for 50-60 minutes or until pudding is fully set.
Vanilla Sauce
- While bread pudding is baking, add heavy cream, cornstarch and sugar to a sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Add butter and whisk until butter melts and bubbles start to form on the edges of the pan.
- Whisk until mixture reaches desired consistency.
- Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract.
- Serve bread pudding with vanilla sauce drizzled on top.
Christina’s Notes
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Try different seasonings for old fashioned bread pudding, including nutmeg, cloves, or anise.
- 9×13 Pan: Instead of individual ramekins, you can make bread pudding in a 9×13 pan or casserole dish for a crowd.
- Vanilla Bean Paste: Instead of vanilla extract, try vanilla bean paste instead to thicken the pudding.
- Banana Bread Pudding: Try adding some pureed bananas to the bread pudding mixture for banana bread pudding.
- Ice Cream: Upgrade this wonderful recipe with an easy and simple trick: Serve the bread pudding hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
what kind of brandy do you use in bread pudding ????
It’s a brandy extract. You can find it at the supermarket with the other extracts.