Take your classic bread pudding and elevate it with sliced apples and a caramel sauce drizzled over top. This warm and delicious breakfast or dessert option is perfect for feeding a large group. Apple bread pudding is known as a rich and comforting dessert but can also be used as a sweet breakfast or a brunch recipe! Impress your friends and family with this delicious apple bread pudding recipe! This apple bread pudding is versatile, lending itself to both morning and night, serving at the brunch table and at the dessert table. Throw some raisins or dried cranberries in there and it has more of a morning flair, ready to take on the day, almost a ‘French toast casserole’. Serve the caramel apple bread pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have dessert fit for a king!
What is Bread Pudding?
Traditional bread pudding is just bread that is soaked in custard and then baked. This is an easy recipe that is simple to put together. You do need to be careful not to have it too dry or too soggy when making it. The consistency you are looking for is moist, yet spongy, kind of like a good French Toast.
Easy Apple Bread Pudding Ingredients
Apple bread pudding is filled with all the pantry staples you have in your home! It is simple to combine and create a delicious dessert. The ingredient combination mixed together creates a custardy-flavored pudding. This old-fashioned bread pudding is a classic favorite that kids to adults love!
Bread – A classic bread pudding recipe would recommend stale bread. The thicker and more stale the bread the better. With this recipe, we are using a softer type of bread and it is not stale. These croissants are soft and fresh from the bakery. Milk – You can either use milk or a cream for the custard mixture. It will thicken and make it a creamy texture. Sugar – Granulated sugar adds in sweetness and while baking it will caramelize on the outside giving the bread pudding a crisp and delicious sugary texture throughout the baked bread pudding. Eggs – The egg mixture will help bind the custard pudding together. Vanilla – A splash of vanilla adds a hint of flavor that is common in dessert recipes. Cinnamon – This is a pantry staple that is a warm and comforting seasoning in most desserts. For a more fall dessert, add in nutmeg to go along with the cinnamon. Apples – This is a key ingredient in the bread pudding recipe! Thinly slice the apples and add them to the pan overtop the bread.
Homemade Caramel Sauce
This caramel sauce is like liquid gold! Delicious, smooth, creamy, sweet liquid gold. It is a modified version of our Mom’s Christmas caramels and it is amazing. I could bottle this stuff up and slurp it with a straw. Add pecans to the caramel sauce for a little crunch too! Add this over the baked dessert for a decadent apple caramel bread pudding!
Whipping cream – A creamy velvety texture that is smooth and beautiful when combining the ingredients together. This is a high-fat thick liquid and gives a creamy texture. Sugar – Added in for sweetness! Light corn syrup – Thickens and helps prevent the caramel sauce from crystallizing. It gives the sauce a smooth texture with a glossy appearance. Butter – Gives the caramel sauce a smooth, silky, ribbon appearance that is so pretty when being poured on top. The butter will melt leaving it a creamy texture. Whipped cream – This is a light and fluffy cream that is thick and has substance to it. It will melt in the sauce liquid giving a sweet and creamy texture.
How To Make Homemade Apple Bread Pudding
Making apple bread pudding is a simple recipe that can be made ahead of time or an hour before your guests arrive! Apple bread pudding with caramel sauce comes together in minutes and bakes in less than an hour. This comforting dessert is the perfect ending to any night!
The Best Type of Bread for Bread Pudding
There is a lot of debate on which type of bread is best for bread pudding. Croissants are my favorite to use but you can use any number of breads with great results. You just want bread that will absorb the custard well. Dry, dense breads or crumbly breads won’t work well.
Tips for Perfect Apple Bread Pudding Recipe
These tips are helpful and create the best apple bread pudding recipe! With a few quick and easy tips this bread pudding will be the perfect dessert.
Stale bread – This can go yes or no. For this recipe we are not using stale croissants but other recipes are saying it is a great way to have the custard soak into the bread. Apple type – The apples are the main event! Choosing the perfect apple texture and flavor is a MUST. Make sure to slice the apples to the same thickness to help them bake properly in the bread pudding. Soaking the bread – Let the bread soak into the custard before baking it. Place the apple bread pudding casserole dish into the refrigerator to allow the liquid to soak into the croissants. Overbaking – Try not to overbake the bread pudding with apples. It will become very dry and stale. Garnish – Top the apple bread pudding with a dollop of whipping cream, or scoop of ice cream, or sprinkle powdered sugar overtop for extra sweetness.
Storing and Making Ahead
Like many delicious desserts, bread pudding still tastes incredible the next day! Store the apple bread pudding properly to ensure freshness every time you reheat it!
Refrigerate – After you have enjoyed the first time around after baking, cover the remaining dessert tightly and put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it again. Reheat – To reheat, just pop each serving in the microwave for 45-60 seconds and enjoy.
Read More: 33+ Easy Dessert Ideas (with Pictures + Simple Recipes)
More Traditional Dessert Recipes
Desserts are the fun part of any meal! Having a sweet, savory, creamy, or decadent dessert brings everyone together to enjoy some happy and sweet. It is the perfect combination! These dessert recipes are always a favorite and so delicious every time!
How to Make Apple Bread Pudding
Adapted from BYU Magazine’s Chef John McDonald. You can find the original recipe here.
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