Old-fashioned bread pudding with vanilla sauce turns stale white bread into a soft, custardy dessert: bread cubes and raisins soak in warm milk and butter, then get stirred with sugar, eggs, vanilla and nutmeg and baked until golden. A warm caramel vanilla sauce of butter, white and brown sugar and cream goes over the top. It serves 6 from a 1½-quart dish.
How to make it: Pour warm milk and butter over the bread and raisins and let it soak 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar, eggs, vanilla and nutmeg, pour into a greased dish and bake at 350°F for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden and 160°F in the center. Make the sauce while it bakes and pour it over warm pudding.
Why You’ll Love It
- Uses up stale bread: day-old bread soaks up the custard best.
- Pantry ingredients: milk, eggs, sugar, butter and raisins.
- Two textures: golden on top, soft and custardy underneath.
- The sauce: buttery caramel vanilla sauce, warm from the pan.
Ingredient Notes
Stale white bread: 4 cups of 1-inch cubes. Dry bread holds its shape; fresh bread turns mushy. Brioche or challah make a richer pudding.
Raisins: ½ cup. Dried cranberries or chopped dates work too.
Milk and butter: 2 cups whole milk warmed with ¼ cup butter. Warm milk soaks into the bread faster.
Eggs, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg: 2 large eggs, ½ cup sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla and ½ teaspoon nutmeg make the custard.
Vanilla sauce: ½ cup butter, ½ cup each white and packed brown sugar, ½ cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon vanilla.
Ingredients
For the bread pudding
- 4 cups stale white bread, cubed into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
For the vanilla sauce
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
How to Make Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding
1. Heat the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 1½-quart baking dish with butter.
2. Combine the bread and raisins. Place bread cubes and raisins in a large mixing bowl.
3. Soak. In a saucepan, heat milk and ¼ cup butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Pour over bread and let sit 10 minutes.
4. Make the custard. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, and nutmeg to the soaked bread. Stir gently to combine.
5. Bake. Pour mixture into the prepared dish and bake 40–50 minutes, until golden and the center reaches 160°F on a food thermometer.
6. Make the sauce. While baking, make sauce: melt ½ cup butter in a saucepan, add white and brown sugar, and stir until smooth and bubbling (5–8 minutes).
7. Finish and serve. Slowly stir in cream, cook until slightly thickened, then stir in vanilla extract. Serve warm over pudding.
Tips for Custardy, Not Soggy, Bread Pudding
- Use dry bread. Leave fresh bread out overnight, or toast the cubes briefly in a low oven.
- Let it soak. Ten minutes in the warm milk lets the bread drink up the liquid evenly.
- Stir gently. Fold the eggs in without mashing the bread cubes.
- Check the center. It’s set when the top is golden and the middle reads 160°F.
- Add the cream slowly. The hot sugar bubbles up when the cream goes in.
Why Stale Bread Works Better
Bread pudding was made to use up bread that was past its best, and dry bread is still the right choice. Day-old cubes soak up the warm milk and egg custard without falling apart, so you get soft custard around each piece instead of a dense, wet layer. If your bread is fresh, spread the cubes on a sheet pan and leave them out for a few hours, or dry them briefly in a low oven before you start.
Variations
- Richer bread: brioche, challah or French bread in place of white bread.
- Different fruit: dried cranberries, chopped dates or no fruit at all.
- Cinnamon: add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon with the nutmeg.
- Bigger batch: double everything and bake in a 9×13 dish; check the center for 160°F.
- Extra sauce: the vanilla sauce is also good over pancakes or ice cream.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead: Bake the pudding and make the sauce up to a day ahead, then refrigerate both separately.
Refrigerator: Cover and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. They keep 3 to 4 days.
Reheating: Warm slices in the microwave or a low oven until hot, and rewarm the sauce gently on the stove, stirring.
What to Serve With It
Serve it warm with the sauce, plus a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you like.
More cozy desserts: easy cinnamon apple cake, Southern peach crumb cake and lazy pecan pie bars. Have overripe bananas too? Bake salted caramel banana bread, Hawaiian banana bread or hot fudge brownie bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of bread is best for bread pudding?
Stale white bread works well. Brioche, challah or French bread make it richer.
Why is my bread pudding soggy?
Usually the bread was too fresh or it came out too early. Use dry bread and bake until the center reaches 160°F.
How do I know bread pudding is done?
The top is golden and a thermometer in the center reads 160°F.
What is the sauce for old-fashioned bread pudding?
This one is a caramel vanilla sauce: butter, white and brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla, cooked until slightly thick.
Can I make it without raisins?
Yes. Leave them out or use dried cranberries or dates.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Bake it and make the sauce a day ahead, refrigerate both and rewarm before serving.
How long does bread pudding keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Final Notes
Start with dry bread, let it soak and bake until the center is set, then pour on the warm sauce. If you try it with brioche or dried cranberries, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
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Ingredients
- 4 cups stale white bread cubed into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 1½-quart baking dish with butter.
- Place bread cubes and raisins in a large mixing bowl.
- In a saucepan, heat milk and ¼ cup butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Pour over bread and let sit 10 minutes.
- Add sugar, eggs, vanilla, and nutmeg to the soaked bread. Stir gently to combine.
- Pour mixture into the prepared dish and bake 40–50 minutes, until golden and the center reaches 160°F on a food thermometer.
- While baking, make sauce: melt ½ cup butter in a saucepan, add white and brown sugar, and stir until smooth and bubbling (5–8 minutes).
- Slowly stir in cream, cook until slightly thickened, then stir in vanilla extract. Serve warm over pudding.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
