Bread pudding is my go-to dessert anytime I’m feeding a crowd. In fact, the first time I made it was when I was in charge of dessert for a large dinner party in my 20s. It was a total hit. Since then, I’ve tweaked and refined the recipe to get it just right.
Baked in a trusty 9-by-13 pan, my recipe features soft chunks of bread soaked in a rich, just-sweet-enough vanilla custard with a shatteringly crisp, butter-drenched top. This classic bread pudding is the perfect balance of crowd-pleasing treat and easy dessert, with a make-ahead moment if you want to get a head start.
Ingredients in Bread Pudding
- Unsliced challah bread or brioche bread. Either of these soft, eggy breads is perfect for bread pudding. Before assembling the pudding, you’ll dry the cubed bread in the oven, which keeps the dessert from getting soggy.
- Unsalted butter. A few tablespoons get melted and drizzled over top before baking. The result is an extra-flavorful, crisp top.
- Whole eggs and yolks. This combo makes for a rich, full-flavored custard.
- Milk or half-and-half. A fuller-fat dairy is the way to go with this dessert, so if you’re using milk, you’ll want to stick with whole milk.
- Granulated sugar. You’ll use just enough to make the dessert decidedly sweet, without being too sweet.
- Vanilla extract. It’s not a misprint in the ingredient list—you’ll use two full tablespoons here. This ensures the custard and the bread are packed with a big vanilla flavor.
- Spices. The recipe calls for a mix of ground cinnamon and nutmeg, though it’s quite easy to substitute in any of your favorite spices here. Cardamom, ginger, allspice, and pumpkin pie spice all work nicely.
- Citrus zest. Finely grated orange or lemon zest is totally optional, though I always include it. Mixed into the custard, it adds a gentle fragrance to the dessert.
- Dried fruit or chocolate chips. If you want to jazz up your bread pudding a little, one half-cup of chocolate chips or dried fruit, like raisins, dried cranberries, cherries, or chopped apricots are a nice addition.
