Vanilla Bread Pudding
Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Annie
This ultra-comforting vanilla bread pudding recipe comes together with pantry staple ingredients for a delicious dairy-free dessert!
Confession. After over a dozen years together I thought I knew Mr. MLAD’s favorite dessert. You would think after years of baking for him I would have known what to make him for his birthday or a valentine’s day dessert but alas… It wasn’t until sometime during our first year of marriage I realized I didn’t know what “the dessert” my husband loved was.
I thought possibly it would be a brownie or maybe some super chocolaty cookie but I regret to inform you I could not have been more off base. Bread Pudding. A warm scoop of fresh baked bread pudding probably served with some bourbon glaze in a small pub across the pond if I could manage would be ideal.
Aaaaaaaaaand I’m back to square 1. After reading this to Mr. MALD he chuckled and informed me again, I am mistaken. So maybe I don’t know his favorite dessert but I sure as shit ain’t getting complaints for the baked goods coming out of our kitchen while I try to figure it out.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD BREAD PUDDING?
There is a fine balance to strike when you make bread pudding. You don’t want the bread to be too dry or too mushy. I also think it shouldn’t be overly sweet. Save that for a saucy topping or whipped cream. So how do you get the perfect bread pudding consistency? Use stale bread.
If you know you are making bread pudding with a loaf of bread simply chop it into bite sized pieces and allow it sit out overnight. If you don’t want to wait (who could blame you??) simply toss the chopped bread pieces into the oven and toast at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. Take the pieces out and allow to cool completely before tossing with the custard mixture.
HOW TO MAKE BREAD PUDDING
INGREDIENTS
- Bread– Stale bread works best. Cut the loaf of bread into 1-inch cubes.
- Custard- Made out of eggs, melted plant-based butter, sugar, non-dairy milk, and vanilla. Can it even be Vanilla Bread Pudding without vanilla?
- Cinnamon– For an extra-cozy flavor.
DIRECTIONS
- Prepare for baking: Prepare a 9X13-inch baking dish with plant-based butter or spray with a non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Chop the stale bread into 1-inch cubes and sprinkle into the baking dish. If your bread is not stale you can chop it the night before you plan on baking and let it sit out.
- If bread is not stale, toast bread: If you happen to live in a zoo, like me, and can’t leave food on the counter uncovered, chop the bread into 1-inch cubes and bake in the oven at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before coating with the custard.
- Melt plant-butter: Next melt the plant-based butter and allow to cool, but not re-solidify before mixing into the custard.
- Make custard: In a medium bowl stir together eggs, sugar, non-dairy milk, cooled plant-based butter, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Soak custard: Pour the liquid mixture over the chopped bread cubes and let soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Bake bread pudding: Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the bread pudding for 50-60 minutes or until the center is set.
- Serve: Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar.
DAIRY-FREE CHANGES TO BREAD PUDDING
You know I love taking a dairy-filled dish and making it beautifully dairy-free. For this bread pudding I:
- Confirmed the bread was not made with dairy. Check the label to ensure no milk, butter, or cream creeped its way into the bread. Alternatively you can bake your own bread to ensure it’s a dairy-free loaf.
- Use plant-based butter in the custard mixture. I love using Country Crock Plant Butter to keep my baked goods deliciously dairy-free.
- Swap out milk for a non-dairy milk option. My go-to is oat milk but almond milk works great in this recipe too.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
When it comes to making a delicious batch of bread pudding, here are just a few helpful kitchen tools you might need.
- 4 Cup Liquid Measuring Cup (Amazon affiliate link)– I love being able to mix up the custard and have a pour spout option for easily pouring it over the bread chunks.
- 9×13-inch Baking Dish (Amazon affiliate link)- For both form and function I can’t recommend this dish enough. You can use it for baking as well as storing with its nifty lid.
- 9×13-inch Le Creuset (Amazon affiliate link)- This is the pan I made and photographed this vanilla bread pudding recipe in.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT BREAD PUDDING
HOW DO I KNOW MY BREAD PUDDING IS DONE?
After 50-60 minutes of baking at 350°F, you will know your bread pudding has cooked through when you insert a metal knife into the baked dessert and it comes out clean.
CAN BREAD PUDDING SIT OUT OVERNIGHT?
No, while you can leave your bread chunks out overnight to dry out, once you have added the custard and baked the bread pudding you need to refrigerate the dish overnight.
Serving Suggestions
If you are looking for fun and flavorful ways to dish out this vanilla bread pudding recipe, here are a few of my favorite ways.
- Dusted with powdered sugar
- Topped with strawberry slices
- Dolloped with vegan whipped topping
- Sprinkled with dairy-free chocolate chips
- With a warm cup of coffee
OTHER DELICIOUSLY DAIRY-FREE DESSERTS
If you tried this delicious Vanilla Bread Pudding and enjoyed it feel free to leave a comment below! I would love to hear how it went! You can also snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy to share all your life after dairy adventures!
You can also get delicious dairy-free recipes and tips by signing up for my newsletter!
Vanilla Bread Pudding
This ultra-comforting vanilla bread pudding recipe comes together with pantry staple ingredients for a delicious dairy-free dessert!
Ingredients
- 8 cups Bread cubed
- 2 Tablespoons Plant-based Butter melted and cooled
- 3 Eggs
- ½ cup Sugar
- 3 cups Non-dairy Milk
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
Instructions
-
Prepare a 9X13 baking dish with plant-based butter or spray with a non-stick spray. Set aside.
-
Chop the stale bread into 1-inch cubes and sprinkle into the baking dish. If your bread is not stale you can chop it the night before you plan on baking and let it sit out.
-
If you do not have time to allow the bread to sit out overnight, chop the bread into 1-inch cubes and bake in the oven at 350° for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely before coating with the custard.
-
Next melt 2 Tablespoons plant-based butter and allow to cool, but not re-solidify before mixing into the custard.
-
In a medium bowl stir together 3 eggs, ½ cup sugar, 3 cups non-dairy milk, 2 Tablespoons melted and cooled plant-based butter, 1 Tablespoon vanilla, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
-
Pour the liquid mixture over 8 cups chopped bread cubes and let soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the bread pudding for 50-60 minutes or until the center is set. Remove from oven and dust with powdered sugar.
Recipe Notes
Store baked vanilla bread pudding in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve cold or warm.
Some of the links above contain Amazon affiliate links. These are products and brands I use in my kitchen daily. They pay me a small commission for the referral at no additional cost to you.