Grandma’s Old Fashioned Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
Make this classic bread pudding recipe using stale bread. It features a creamy custard base, warm spices, and a rich homemade vanilla sauce for a comforting dessert.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 50 min
- Total Time: 65 min
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 cups stale bread, cubed (French bread or brioche works well)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter (for greasing)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with melted butter.
- Arrange the cubed bread evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle raisins over the bread if you are using them.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Gradually whisk in the milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg until the custard mixture is fully combined.
- Slowly pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes, pressing down gently so the bread absorbs the liquid. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the custard.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out mostly clean.
- While the pudding bakes, prepare the vanilla sauce.
- Once baked, let the bread pudding cool slightly before serving warm, topped generously with the homemade vanilla sauce.
Notes
- Use bread that is a day or two old for the best texture; fresh bread can become too mushy.
- For a richer flavor, substitute half of the milk with heavy cream.
- If you prefer a rum sauce, substitute 2 tablespoons of the milk with 2 tablespoons of dark rum in the custard, and make a separate rum sauce instead of vanilla.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 250
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 10
- Cholesterol: 110