Recipe Background
Simple Bread Pudding offers warm vanilla and cinnamon flavors, perfect for sharing.
Simple Bread Pudding is a warm embrace on a rainy day. Rich vanilla and spicy cinnamon fill the kitchen as they meld into the milk, creating a heady aroma that recalls cinnamon toast and cozy kitchens. The bread, once humble and slightly stale, transforms as it soaks up the creamy mixture, becoming an indulgent custard layered with soft, luscious texture. It's the ultimate comfort food—easy to share, but you'll want to keep it all to yourself.
As it bakes, magic happens. The bread puffs and swells, its edges crisping to a deep golden brown. Letting it bake until the custard is set but the center retains a gentle wobble ensures a perfectly tender bite. Served warm, this pudding pairs seamlessly with a silky vanilla sauce that drapes over each spoonful, adding an indulgent layer of sweetness.
Sharing this dish evokes pure nostalgia. It brings to mind family gatherings and special moments enjoyed at the table. The simplicity of preparation invites you into a quiet rhythm—stirring, smelling, and waiting. Each bite delivers balanced sweetness and gentle spices, with a hint of toasted bread caramelizing at the edges. This simple dessert isn’t just about taste, but about the shared joy of savoring something comforting and timeless.
Ingredients
For the bread pudding:
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for greasing the pan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- salt to taste
- 1/2 loaf sweet egg bread such as challah or brioche, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 2 eggs beaten
For the optional vanilla sauce:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter a 4-6-cup baking dish.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk, 2 tablespoons of the butter, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, the cinnamon, 1/3 cup of the sugar, the nutmeg, and the salt.
- Cook the milk mixture until the butter melts and then allow it to cool.
- Fill the prepared baking dish with the cubed bread.
- Add the eggs to the cooled milk mixture and whisk to combine.
- Pour the milk mixture over the bread.
- Bake the pudding until the custard is set, but still a little wobbly, and the edges of the bread are browned, about 30-45 minutes.
- Melt the remaining butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.
- Add the remaining sugar, the cream, and the remaining vanilla and cook until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Serve the pudding warm with the vanilla sauce.
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