This Bread Pudding is stale French bread soaked in a rich cinnamon vanilla custard made with eggs heavy cream and brown sugar. Baked until golden and served with a warm homemade vanilla butter sauce for just $0.69 a serving.
This is one of my husband’s favorite desserts. After 20 years of baking for my family, I have learned that stale French bread is the secret to great bread pudding because it soaks up the custard while keeping a slightly crisp top. The homemade vanilla butter sauce makes it taste like a restaurant dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Budget Friendly Dessert — $8.24 total for a rich classic dessert that serves 12
- The perfect way to use up stale French bread
- Make ahead friendly — assemble the night before and bake the next day
- A classic comfort dessert that works for holidays, potlucks, family dinners and everyday occasions
If you love easy classic desserts like this one you will also love our Peach Cobbler Recipe, Easy Moist Banana Bread Recipe and Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole. They are all budget-friendly, made with simple ingredients, and the kind of warm comforting desserts your family will request on repeat all year long.
Ingredients
For the Bread Pudding:
- Stale French bread — the foundation of the entire dessert. Stale or day-old bread absorbs the custard far better than fresh bread without turning to mush. French bread gives the best texture — Italian bread sourdough or brioche all work as great substitutes
- Light brown sugar — sweetens the custard and adds a warm molasses depth that white sugar cannot replicate. Pack the measuring cup firmly for the right amount
- Butter, divided — used in two ways. Some goes into the custard for richness and the rest is used to butter the baking dish for a golden bottom crust. Always use unsalted for the most control
- Salt — balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors throughout the custard
- Vanilla extract — adds warm depth to the custard. Pure vanilla extract gives the best most authentic flavor
- Ground cinnamon — the classic bread pudding spice that adds warmth throughout every bite. Add a pinch of nutmeg alongside for an even more complex spiced flavor
- Eggs — the backbone of the custard that binds everything together and creates that silky set texture. Always use large eggs at room temperature for the smoothest custard
- Heavy cream — adds richness and creates the most luxurious custardy texture. Do not substitute with half and half or milk — the fat content of heavy cream is what gives the custard its silky consistency
- Whole milk — combined with the heavy cream for the perfect custard consistency. Always use whole milk for the richest result
For the Vanilla Butter Sauce:
- Butter — the rich base of the sauce. Use unsalted and let it melt completely before adding the other ingredients
- Granulated sugar — sweetens and helps the sauce develop a slightly glossy consistency as it cooks
- Light brown sugar — adds a caramel depth to the sauce that makes it taste so much more complex than a plain vanilla sauce
- Heavy cream — creates the silky pourable consistency that coats every piece of bread pudding beautifully
- Vanilla extract — the star flavor of the sauce. Pure vanilla gives the best result and makes the sauce taste like a restaurant-quality finishing touch
Carrie’s Tip: Always use stale or day-old French bread because it absorbs the custard without falling apart. If you only have fresh bread, cut it into cubes and let it sit uncovered for at least two hours, or bake it at 300°F for 10 minutes to dry it out.
How to Make Bread Pudding
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 – Cut the French Bread Loaf into 1 inch cubes with knife and place in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Step 3 – In a separate mixing bowl combine both types of sugars, 4 Tablespoons melted butter, vanilla, salt and cinnamon together.
Step 4 – Once combined, add the eggs and whisk together.
Step 5 – Add the milk and heavy cream to the mixture. Combine until smooth.
Step 6 – Pour the mixture over the cubed bread pieces in the bowl and allow it to soak. Stir until the bread is well coated with custard mixture. Spread the bread mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish.
Step 7 – Dice the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter into small pieces and place on top of the mixture in the baking pan. Bake for 50 minutes.
Step 8 – In a small saucepan, heat the butter, heavy cream and both types of sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar is melted and everything is well combined.
Step 9 – Once the sugar has melted, increase the heat to medium high until it boils. Remove from heat once the mixture starts to boil and stir in the vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Step 10 – Let the sauce cool for 10-15 minutes. It will thicken as it sits.
Step 11 – Drizzle on top of the bread pudding. Then the bread pudding is ready to serve and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Always use stale bread. Fresh bread turns mushy and falls apart in the custard — stale or day-old bread absorbs the custard deeply while holding its shape during baking
- Press the bread into the custard. After pouring the custard over the bread press each piece down firmly — any bread that sits above the custard line will dry out and burn on top during baking
- Soak for at least 30 minutes. The longer the bread soaks the better the finished texture — overnight in the refrigerator gives you the most evenly saturated custardy result
- Do not overbake. The center should have a slight jiggle when you remove it from the oven — it continues cooking from residual heat as it cools. Overbaked bread pudding is dry and rubbery rather than soft and custardy
- Make the sauce right before serving. The vanilla butter sauce is best served warm — make it while the bread pudding rests for the most luxurious finish. If the sauce looks separated or greasy, remove it from the heat and whisk vigorously, adding a small splash of cold heavy cream to help it come back together.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap French bread for brioche for an even richer more buttery result
- Add ½ cup of raisins or dried cranberries to the bread before pouring the custard for a classic New Orleans style variation
- Add ¼ cup of bourbon to the vanilla butter sauce for an adult version
- Add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the custard for a chocolate bread pudding variation
- Swap cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice for a fall spiced version
- Use challah bread instead of French bread for a slightly sweeter more eggy result
- For a crunchy topping, toss an extra cup of bread cubes in melted butter, sugar, and a pinch of cinnamon, then scatter over the top of the soaked pudding before baking. It adds a crisp, sugary contrast to the soft custard underneath.
- Replace ½ cup of the whole milk with sweetened condensed milk for an even richer, sweeter custard — if using this swap, consider reducing the brown sugar slightly so the finished dessert isn’t overly sweet.
What to Serve with Bread Pudding
- Vanilla Butter Sauce — the recipe is included above and is non-negotiable for the full bread pudding experience. Drizzle generously over every serving
- Vanilla Ice Cream — serve warm bread pudding with cold vanilla ice cream for the most indulgent combination
- Homemade Whipped Cream — a lighter alternative to ice cream that pairs beautifully with the warm custard
- Caramel Sauce — drizzle alongside the vanilla butter sauce for an extra indulgent finish
- Coffee or Hot Tea — the classic dessert beverage pairing that balances the richness of the custard beautifully
Storage and Freezer Instructions
Refrigerator
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store the vanilla butter sauce separately in an airtight container.
Freezer
- Cool completely then cut into individual portions and freeze wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months. Freeze the sauce separately in an airtight freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating
Reheating
- Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 60–90 seconds or in a 325°F oven covered with foil for 15 minutes. Always reheat the vanilla butter sauce separately over medium-low heat and serve warm
Frequently Asked Questions
Stale French bread is the classic choice for its ability to absorb the custard without falling apart — brioche, Italian bread, sourdough, and challah all work beautifully as substitutes.
Yes — cut fresh bread into cubes and let sit uncovered for 2 hours or spread on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F for 10 minutes until dried out before using.
The bread was not stale enough or the pudding was underbaked — always use stale bread and bake until the center has just a slight jiggle with a mostly clean toothpick.
Yes — assemble completely and refrigerate overnight. Bake the next day directly from the refrigerator adding 10 extra minutes to the bake time.
The top should be golden brown and the center should have a very slight jiggle — it will continue to set as it cools so pull it out before it looks completely firm. For a more precise check, insert an instant-read thermometer into the center — it should read about 160°F. You can also gently press the center with a finger; it should spring back slightly rather than feeling liquid or sunken.
More Easy Pudding Recipes
This Bread Pudding has earned a permanent spot in our dessert rotation. It is rich, custardy, and costs just $0.69 per serving. After 20 years of baking for my family, I know simple recipes are often the ones worth perfecting, and the stale bread and overnight soak make this version especially good.
If you make it leave a star rating and a comment below — I love hearing whether you used the vanilla butter sauce and whether your family went back for seconds the way mine always does!
Bread Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 cups Stale French Bread
- ½ cup Light Brown Sugar
- 6 Tablespoons Butter Divided
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 5 Eggs
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 ½ Cup Whole Milk
For the Sauce:
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar
- ¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cut the stale French bread into 1-inch cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and milk until combined.
- Pour the custard mixture over the bread and gently stir until evenly coated.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and spread evenly.
- Top with the remaining butter.
- Bake for 50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the center has a slight jiggle. If the center is too runny, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- While the bread pudding cools, add the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and heavy cream for the sauce to a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir continuously until the sugars melt and the sauce is smooth.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Let the sauce cool for 10–15 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Drizzle the sauce over the bread pudding and serve.
This ranks near the top as one of my favorite desserts. It was also extremely easy to make and the kids loved it!
My new favorite
Easy and delicious!
This classic dessert is a must anytime we have guests over! The best part was how budget friendly it is to make.
My grandma loves when I make this recipe! So good!!
Love the flavor! This is my go-to recipe when I have leftover bread that I need to use. Thanks for the easy recipe.