Bread and butter pudding is one of those classic desserts I always come back to when I want something comforting and reminds me of old times. It turns stale bread into something warm, rich, and far more special than it has any right to be.
If you enjoy nostalgic desserts like this, you might also love Easy Apple Walnut Crumble Pie. But this traditional butter pudding has a charm all of its own.
Note: Maybe you heard of the terms bread pudding and bread and butter pudding. Is there a difference? Yes, but not really. The only difference is that bread and butter pudding is typically made using buttered bread slices. For bread pudding, you use bread slices or bread cubes without buttering them.
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Try This Easy Bread and Butter Pudding
Whenever I have leftover bread sitting around, this is one of the first things I think about making, truly slices of heaven. It is really simple, budget-friendly, and tastes even better than many fancy desserts.
The crispy golden top with the soft custardy center is what keeps me making it again and again.
Why You’ll Love This
- Super easy: I love how basic ingredients turn into something so comforting.
- Easy on the pocket: Perfect for using stale bread instead of wasting it.
- Perfect Texture: Crisp top, soft custard middle, lovely little raisin pockets.
- Classic comfort: One of those desserts that always feels like home.
Ingredients
- Bread: Stale white bread works beautifully. Brioche or challah also works well.
- Butter: Softened butter is what gives this traditional butter pudding its richness.
- Raisins: I love the sweetness they add between the layers.
- Eggs: Helps create the custard base.
- Milk & cream: Makes everything rich and creamy.
- Sugar: Sweetens the custard and tops the pudding beautifully.
- Vanilla & spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg give lovely warmth.
How to Make Bread and Butter Pudding
1. Grease a 10x7x2-inch (26x18x5cm) casserole with butter and set aside. You could also use a 9-inch (23cm) pie dish, brownie pan, or anything else you have that is 2 inches (5cm) high and about the same size. It doesn't matter if the baking dish is square, oval, or round.
2. Butter the bread slices on both sides and arrange them in the pan, overlapping each other.
3. Sprinkle the raisins between the bread layers and on top, and press them lightly into the bread so that they don't burn during baking. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, whipping cream, ¼ cup (50g) sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and pour over the bread evenly. Cover the baking dish and let it soak in the fridge for 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Dot the top with the remaining butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons (25g) of sugar.
6. Bake for about 35-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crispy.
7. The milk needs to be fully soaked up by the bottom bread layer. Cover loosely with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent heavy browning if necessary.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
9. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to use only stale bread. If the bread is too soft and fresh, it won't soak up the milk mixture very well. This is true for every bread you use, no matter if you use simple white bread, brioche, or challah. Whatever you use, let it sit uncovered at room temperature for a day or 2 to let it dry out a little.
- After pouring the milk mixture over the bread, lightly press down on the bread that it can soak up the liquid.
- You know that it is done baking when you insert a knife in the middle, and it comes out dry. You can also use two forks and pull the 2 most centered slices lightly apart to see if it looks unbaked and the liquid isn't soaked up or if it's done.
- The tops should be lightly golden and crispy. If you notice that the tops brown too much too fast, cover it loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the tops from burning.
- Instead of using sliced bread, you can chop it into 2-inch (5cm) cubes. Then skip the part of buttering the bread if you would like and transfer it to the baking dish. Then sprinkle with raisins and distribute them well between and on top of the bread cubes. Proceed with the recipe as described.
What Can You Serve With This?
- Custard sauce
- Whipped cream
- Vanilla ice cream
- Fresh berries
- Hot tea
FAQs
You can prepare this recipe one day in advance. Instead of storing the prepared and covered dish for 1 hour in the fridge, you can store it overnight. Before you bake it, dot with the remaining butter on top and sprinkle with sugar. Then bake as directed in the recipe.
It's also possible to freeze the prepared dish. After chilling it in the fridge for 1 hour, place the casserole (must be oven and freezer safe) in a freezer-safe bag, or wrap tightly with foil, and freeze it for up to 2 months. Place in the fridge overnight to thaw. Once fully thawed, dot with butter, sprinkle with sugar, and bake.
Absolutely. Brioche and challah are both delicious. It really depends on what type of bread you have on hand. You would want to avoid overly stale or hard bread, though.
Recipe
Bread and Butter Pudding
Ingredients
- 14 oz stale white bread* - about 8 slices
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup raisins**
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Grease a 10x7x2-inch (26x18x5cm) casserole with butter and set aside. You could also use a 9-inch (23cm) pie dish, brownie pan, or anything else you have that is 2-inch (5cm) high and about the same size. It doesn't matter if the baking dish is square, oval, or round.
- Butter the bread slices on both sides and arrange them in the pan, overlapping each other.*** Sprinkle the raisins between the bread layers and on top and press them lightly into the bread that they don't burn during baking. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, whipping cream, ¼ cup (50g) sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and pour over the bread evenly. Cover the baking dish and let soak in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Dot the top with the remaining butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoon (25g) of sugar.
- Bake for about 35-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and crispy. The milk needs to be fully soaked up by the bottom bread layer. Cover loosely with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent heavy browning if necessary. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
** Depending on your taste or who you serve this bread pudding to, you can either use unsoaked or soaked raisins. If you would like to use soaked raisins, soak them in ½ cup (120ml) bourbon, dark rum, brandy, or cognac the day before you plan to make this recipe. Drain the raisins and if you like, add 1 tablespoon (15ml) of the liquor to the milk mixture. If you don't like raisins, you could substitute them for chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or nuts 1:1 or skip altogether.
*** Instead of using sliced bread, you can chop it into 2-inch (5cm) cubes. Then skip the part of buttering the bread if you would like and transfer it to the baking dish. Then sprinkle with raisins and distribute them well between and on top of the bread cubes. Proceed with the recipe as described.
Cooking Time and Temperature
Bake at 350°F (175°C) until golden on top and fully set underneath.Serving Recommendations
I love this warm with custard sauce or a spoonful of whipped cream.Taste & Texture
Golden crisp top with a soft custardy base and sweet juicy raisins throughout.Storage, Freezing & Reheating
- Fridge: Store covered for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Warm in the oven or microwave until heated through.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour - you can use gluten-free flour 1:1 instead. Use a blend with xanthan gum or xanthan gum substitute .
- Unsalted butter - to make vegan apple walnut crumble pie, use your favorite vegan butter instead.
- Apples - I prefer Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, or Braeburn. Also, Granny Smith works fine. By the way, if you have tons of apples and don't know what to do with them, check out my post where I share 15 cakes with apples.
- Lemon juice - use freshly squeezed lemon juice and not store-bought one.
- Walnuts - since there are walnuts in the topping, I like to refer to this pie as apple walnut pie but if you have a nut allergy or don't like walnuts, leave them out. You could swap the walnuts for pecans if preferred.
Proper Storage Tips
- Cool before covering and refrigerating.
- Reheat gently so the custard stays soft.
Video
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Matthew Kemp
I loved this desert coming from grandma's kitchen and every time I make it which is quite a lot recently it makes me think of her and I couldn't be happier I've found this particular recipe . Thank you
Ashley
I made it for brunch yesterday. It's so flavorful and the two different textures are great. Greetings from Salt Lake City!
Sabine
That is the best part, right! Greetings to Salt Lake City, Ashley!
cakespy
LOVE it!! I am a huge fan of British foods and this one is such a classic. Your version of B+B pudding looks incredible - soft and flavorful!
Sabine
Thank you so much! I would love to see a snap when you try this recipe!