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    Home » Recipes » Desserts & Sweets

    Old-fashioned Bread Pudding

    Published: Apr 22, 2020 · Modified: Aug 23, 2023 · by Renée B. · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    Over head of bread pudding with butter sauce, garnished with orange slices. In a cast iron skillet. Pin text reads: Classic Bread Pudding with whiskey sauce.

    Old-fashioned bread pudding is the very definition of Scrumptious! Our heirloom recipe is simple, easy, and extremely adaptable. Perfect for brunch or dessert.

    Bread pudding in a cast iron skillet, garnished with orange slices, with one serving removed.
    Jump to:
    • What's the Story on Bread Pudding?
    • Bread Pudding Ingredients
    • How to Make Old-fashioned Bread Pudding
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • Top Tip
    • FAQ
    • Related Recipes
    • Old-fashioned Bread Pudding

    What's the Story on Bread Pudding?

    Classic bread pudding is a delicious way to use up old bread. Growing up, if any part of a loaf of bread went stale, my mom would never even think of throwing it out. Waste not, want not. Instead, she would make one of my all-time favorite desserts: bread pudding. 

    As an adult, I adopted Mom's thrifty practice of saving old bread. I keep a large resealable bag in the freezer, and whenever we have a lone slice of bread or a part of a loaf goes stale, I throw the extra bread in the bag. When I have enough, I make bread pudding. 

    Our easy bread pudding recipe is full of sugar and spice and everything nice - and the recipe almost impossible to flub. The foundation recipe (i.e., Basic Bread Pudding), even without any additions or sauces, makes a perfectly delicious dessert just as written. 

    Bread Pudding Ingredients

    Ingredients, besides bread, for bread pudding: eggs, spices, orange zest, raisins.

    Basic Bread Pudding

    • Eggs: We use USDA large eggs (EU size medium).
    • Brown sugar: We prefer to use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar will also work just fine.
    • Dairy: You can use milk, half-and-half, or even an alternative milk (e.g., oat, almond, rice, etc.)
    • Sugar: Use regular granulated sugar.
    • Vanilla: Use vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
    • Spices: Use the spices you love! Our default combo for bread pudding is the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg warm-spice trifecta.
    • Salt: We use kosher salt.

    ★ Bread: You don't need to be picky about the kind of breads that go into your bread pudding. (I mean, that's kind of the point, right?) I do like to use a variety if I have it, though. Don't be afraid to use breads with unique flavors or textures, either! Rye bread is one of my favorite breads to use. 

    bread heels and pieces on a wooden cutting board.

      Flavor Additions (optional)

      • Raisins
      • Orange zest
      • Dried cranberries
      • Chopped dried fruits (e.g., apricots, pineapple, mango, etc.)
      • Chocolate chips
      • Coconut
      • Nuts
      • Fresh or dried berries

      How to Make Old-fashioned Bread Pudding

      Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease a large, heavy baking dish with a thin coating of butter, or spray it with cooking spray.

      A 10" cast iron skillet is my preferred baking pan for this recipe. However, you can use whatever works best for you: a 9x13 baking or casserole dish is another good choice.

      Cut bread into ¾" - 1" cubes. (You should have roughly 10 cups of bread cubes.) Put the bread cubes into buttered baking pan or dish. Sprinkle dried fruit and/or baking chips over bread cubes (i.e., raisins, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, etc.). Set aside.

      Bread cubes and raisins in buttered cast iron skillet.

      In a large bowl, whisk 7 eggs until frothy. Add sugars to beaten eggs and thoroughly whisk together.

      Glass bowl with wire whisk and beaten eggs in it. Eggshells and bread cubes on cutting board.

      Whisk in ground spices (i.e., cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), salt, and vanilla. If you are using orange zest, mix it now as well. Mixture should be a thick, eggy syrup.

      Eggs and sugar beaten, slowly pouring off a wire whisk to illustrate thickness of egg mixture.

      Stir in milk (or half & half). Pour the egg mixture over the bread cube mixture in the pan.

      Press it down a little with your hands. You should see a little of the liquid rise up in between the bread cubes.

      Unbaked bread pudding in a cast iron skillet.

      At this point, if the bread pudding seems really dry, I will mix up another egg with about ¾ cup of milk and drizzle that over the top. It really depends on the density of the bread you are using.

      Allow everything to rest for about 20 minutes to give the bread cubes time to absorb the egg mixture.

      Bake 45-60 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Insert a toothpick or skewer into the bread pudding – it should come out clean.

      Baked, ungarnished bread pudding in a cast iron skillet.

      Allow bread pudding to cool on a wire rack.

      I usually loosely tent it with aluminum foil to keep it from losing too much moisture as it cools.

      Optional: When bread pudding has mostly cooled, drizzle with 1 to 1½ cups of cooled, prepared Cinnamon Whiskey Butter Sauce or other bread pudding sauce. Reserve any remaining sauce.

      When you are ready to serve the bread pudding, heat the reserve sauce slightly and serve on the side as you would syrup for pancakes.

      Refrigerate any leftovers.

      Variations

      We like Options. We like to change things up from time to time, and bread pudding is no different. Once you master the basic recipe, you'll find yourself coming up with all kinds of combinations of your own.

      Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding: Add golden raisins or raisins and extra ground cinnamon.

      Cinnamon-Orange Bread Pudding: Add golden raisins, fresh orange zest, and extra ground cinnamon.

      Cranberry-Orange Bread Pudding: Add dried cranberries and fresh orange zest.

      Cranberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding: Add dried cranberries and white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate pieces.

      Storage

      Bread pudding should be refrigerated within 2 hours of serving. Leftover bread pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

      You can also freeze bread pudding, tightly sealed, for up to 4 months.

      Top Tip

      If you don't have enough stale bread to make a big batch of bread pudding, make some Bread Pudding Muffins instead!

      FAQ

      Do you have to make a sauce for bread pudding?


      Bread Pudding Sauce is totally optional. However, adding it will take your bread pudding to the next level!

      Our Spiced Whiskey Butter Sauce is absolutely scrumptious over warm bread pudding! The sauce can made with whiskey, rum, or alcohol-free; Traditional Cinnamon, Cinnamon-Orange, and buttery Vanilla Sauce.

      Bread pudding in a cast iron skillet, garnished with orange slices.

      Related Recipes

      Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to warm bread pudding for some next level dessert deliciousness!

      • Four bread pudding muffins on a small, rectangular serving tray. Two are frosted, and two are dusted with powdered sugar.
        Bread Pudding Muffins
      • Whiskey sauce pouring from spoon into a jar. Bread pudding in the background.
        Cinnamon Whiskey Sauce for Bread Pudding
      • Bread pudding in a cast iron skillet, garnished with orange slices, with one serving removed.
        Old-fashioned Bread Pudding
      • Kaylen's Bread (Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe)

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      Bread pudding in a cast iron skillet, garnished with orange slices, with one serving removed.
      5 from 7 votes

      Old-fashioned Bread Pudding

      Old-fashioned Bread Pudding is absolutely scrumptious! This classic recipe is simple, easy, and extremely adaptable.
      Print Pin Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
      Course: Brunch, Comfort Food, Dessert
      Cuisine: American, Comfort Food
      Diet: Vegetarian
      Prep Time:20 minutes minutes
      Cook Time:1 hour hour
      Soak Time:20 minutes minutes
      Total Time:1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
      Servings: 10 servings
      Calories: 325kcal
      Author: Renee
      Prevent your screen from going dark

      Equipment

      • 1 cast iron skillet or casserole dish
      • 1 wire whisk

      Ingredients

      US Customary - Metric
      Basic Bread Pudding
      • 1 pound day-old bread roughly 10 cups, cubed
      • 7 large eggs
      • 1 cup brown sugar
      • ½ cup white
      • 4 cups milk or half & half
      • 1 tablespoon vanilla
      • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
      • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
      • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
      • ¼ teaspoon salt
      For Traditional Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding
      • ½ - ¾ cup golden raisins or raisins (As always, raisins are optional)
      • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon additional
      For Cinnamon-Orange Bread Pudding
      • ½ cup golden raisins or raisins
      • 1½ teaspoons fresh orange zest
      • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon additional
      For Cranberry-Orange Bread Pudding
      • ½ cup dried cranberries
      • 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
      For Cranberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding
      • ½ cup dried cranberries
      • ½ cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate pieces
      OPTIONAL
      • 1 batch Cinnamon Whiskey Butter Sauce or other Bread Pudding Sauce

      Instructions

      • Preheat oven to 325°F | 163°C.
        Grease a large, heavy baking dish with a thin coating of butter, or spray it with cooking spray.
        A 10" cast iron skillet is my preferred baking pan for this recipe. However, you can use whatever works best for you: a 9x13 baking or casserole dish is another good choice.
      • Cut bread into ¾" - 1" cubes. (You should have roughly 10 cups of bread cubes.)
        Put the bread cubes into buttered baking pan or dish. Sprinkle dried fruit and/or baking chips over bread cubes (i.e., raisins, dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, etc.). Set aside.
      • In a large bowl, whisk 7 eggs until frothy.
        Add sugars to beaten eggs and thoroughly whisk together. Whisk in ground spices (i.e., cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), salt, and vanilla. If you are using orange zest, mix it now as well.
        Mixture should be a thick, eggy syrup right now.
        Stir in milk (or half & half).
      • Pour the egg mixture over the bread cube mixture in the pan.
        Press it down a little with your hands. You should see a little of the liquid rise up in between the bread cubes.
        At this point, if the bread pudding seems really dry, mix up another egg with about ¾ cup of milk and drizzle that over the top. The amount of egg-milk mixture you need really depends on the density of the bread you are using.
      • Allow everything to rest for about 20 minutes to give the bread cubes time to absorb the egg mixture.
      • Bake 45-60 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned.
        Insert a toothpick or skewer into the bread pudding – it should come out clean.
      • Allow bread pudding to cool on a wire rack.
        I usually loosely tent it with aluminum foil to keep it from losing too much moisture as it cools.
      • If you are adding a whiskey, rum, or vanilla sauce (Optional)
        When bread pudding has mostly cooled, drizzle with ⅔ of the cooled, prepared sauce.
        Reserve the last ⅓ of the sauce.
      • When you are ready to serve the bread pudding, heat the reserve sauce slightly and serve on the side as you would syrup for pancakes.
      • Refrigerate any leftovers.

      Notes

      Recipe options include: Traditional Cinnamon-Raisin, Cinnamon-Orange, Cranberry-Orange, and Cranberry White Chocolate. 

      Bread Pudding Sauce is totally optional. However, adding it will take your bread pudding to the next level!
      Our Spiced Whiskey Butter Sauce is perfectly scrumptious over warm bread pudding! Variations: Traditional Cinnamon, Cinnamon-Orange, and alcohol-free buttery Vanilla Sauce, and can be made with whiskey, rum, or alcohol-free.

      Nutrition information includes the "Basic Bread Pudding" recipe ingredients only. It does not take into account additional ingredients listed in the recipe options (i.e., dried fruit, baking chips, etc.) or ingredients in the Cinnamon Whiskey Butter Sauce.

      Nutrition

      Serving: 1serving | Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 324IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 215mg | Iron: 2mg
      This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
      Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!
      milk bottle from top down

      Thank you for visiting the Good Hearted Woman. Remember to bookmark this site, and come back soon!

      Originally published May 6, 2014. This post has been updated with new content, images, and recipe directions to improve reader experience.

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      About Renée B.

      Renée is self-taught home chef with a penchant for creating healthy(ish) comfort food recipes, and adapting vintage recipes for the 21st century cook. In her spare time, she writes unfinished novels and songs about cowboys.

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        5 from 7 votes (1 rating without comment)

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      1. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

        April 23, 2020 at 11:49 am

        5 stars
        All of these bread pudding variations sound so good! Can't wait to dive into each and every one of them!

        Reply
      2. Marlynn says

        April 23, 2020 at 10:30 am

        5 stars
        I am loving all of the different options for this bread pudding! And that cinnamon whiskey butter sauce is totally mandatory in my hungry opinion 😉 So much yum in one dish!

        Reply
        • Renée ♥ says

          April 23, 2020 at 11:14 am

          We are in complete agreement about the Cinnamon Whiskey Butter Sauce!

          Reply
      3. Tisha says

        April 23, 2020 at 8:52 am

        5 stars
        The butter sauce is what really caught my attention! I love bread pudding but this butter sauce sounds like the perfect addition!

        Reply
        • Renée ♥ says

          April 23, 2020 at 10:10 am

          Oh my gosh - this butter sauce will change your life!

          Reply
      4. Ashley says

        April 23, 2020 at 6:16 am

        5 stars
        This looks heavenly! What a great use of bread too. I grew up freezing our bread if it was on the verge of being stale too!

        Reply
        • Renée ♥ says

          April 23, 2020 at 10:11 am

          Those thrifty practices our parents taught us are starting to come in pretty handy these days, aren't they?

          Reply
      5. Capri says

        April 22, 2020 at 3:24 pm

        This Bread Pudding is so Savory, sweet, and perfect! My family loved it! Thanks for the great recipe

        Reply
      6. Amber Myers says

        April 22, 2020 at 1:37 pm

        Oh yum, this looks so good! I love bread pudding so I can't wait to make this.

        Reply
      7. Mirlene says

        April 22, 2020 at 1:33 pm

        5 stars
        This bread putting is amazing. Filled with so much flavor. Makes you want more after each bite.

        Reply
      8. Maresa says

        April 22, 2020 at 1:14 pm

        You had me at whiskey for breakfast 😉

        Reply
        • Renée ♥ says

          April 22, 2020 at 1:20 pm

          ???

          Reply
      9. Jovita says

        April 22, 2020 at 12:56 pm

        Thank you for these bread pudding variations, I haven't tried some of them yet. And that cinnamon whiskey sauce sounds divine!

        Reply
        • Renée ♥ says

          April 22, 2020 at 1:20 pm

          It's amazing.

          Reply
      10. Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry says

        April 22, 2020 at 12:49 pm

        That sauce sounds absolutely incredible! What a great accompaniment to bread pudding - one of my favourite desserts.

        Reply
      11. Heather says

        April 22, 2020 at 12:23 pm

        I don't think I've ever tried bread pudding before! This actually looks delicious and you've peaked my interest.

        Reply
      12. Nadine says

        April 22, 2020 at 11:17 am

        5 stars
        I love this recipe! It is great how much flavor you add to the recipe using ingredients such as ginger. I can’t wait to try it!

        Reply
        • Renée ♥ says

          April 22, 2020 at 11:28 am

          Thank you! I hope you love it as much as we do!

          Reply
      13. Joann says

        February 03, 2018 at 6:56 am

        Thank You for the amazing recipe. I made it last night. It cooked for 2 hours because it was so juicy but darn it was good. I made the cinnamon sauce but it was so sweet I ended up not using it.

        Reply
      14. Pech says

        May 11, 2014 at 1:52 pm

        You had gorgeous packaging, thanks for helping out No Kid Hungry!

        Reply
      15. Nicole @ Or Whatever You Do says

        May 09, 2014 at 7:55 pm

        GREAT bread pudding! Love that! (and I love the alcohol explanation at the end...lol)

        Reply
      16. Leanne says

        May 08, 2014 at 3:53 pm

        Wow, that looks AMAZING! Saving the recipe for later... not for a bake sale 🙂

        Reply
      17. Laetitia - French Fries and Apple Pie says

        May 08, 2014 at 1:26 pm

        This recipe looks delicious! I'll definitely try it out.
        I wished I had known about the sale, I would have either bake or buy some of these delicious-looking treats!

        Reply
      18. Geoff (Steep Stories) says

        May 07, 2014 at 3:05 pm

        Holy heck, you're right. We DO have more names for rain than anything else. Like Eskimos in snow.

        Reply
      19. Sarah says

        May 06, 2014 at 12:22 pm

        I love the packaging!

        Reply
      20. Melinda says

        May 06, 2014 at 11:05 am

        That looks absolutely scrumptious! I've pinned it and am going to give it a try!

        Reply
      21. Kayla says

        May 06, 2014 at 10:13 am

        What a great event! I've always wanted to try to make bread pudding.

        Reply
      22. Tiffany @thyme of taste says

        May 06, 2014 at 9:11 am

        Looks great Renee! Sorry we missed you... we could only stay about an hour than had to run off to my daughter's softball tourney in Tillamook!

        Reply

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      Welcome to The Good Hearted Woman — a cozy corner of the internet where comfort food meets modern life. From heirloom recipes and easy weeknight dinners to seasonal dishes, homemade breads, and potluck favorites, we share the kind of food that brings people together.

      When we’re not in the kitchen, you’ll find us hosting guests at Parkside Acoustic Bed & Breakfast, our music-themed B&B in Ashland, Oregon — where good food and warm hospitality go hand in hand.

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