This baked custard is delicious as a dessert, breakfast, and whenever a creamy smooth pudding strikes your fancy.
Growing up we often had lots of leftover bread since dad worked in a bakery.
When the milk was delivered it also had an abundance of cream on top and was used with the addition to milk for mom's recipe.
Over the years I have used half and half, or a mixture of cream and milk also, no matter what your milk substitution is it will still have a nice creamy texture as long as some cream is added.
This bread pudding with apples is perfect for fall and is great served during the Thanksgiving holiday.
The recipe has many substitutions for fruits also so check out my list below for those not fond of apples or raisins.
The bread you choose to use is also optional, we love our cinnamon swirl bread or egg bread, and often at Christmas time, Grandma would use leftover Homemade Panettone.
It's a great delicious custard with an optional caramel topping, check out the printable recipe card below.
Old Fashioned Bread Pudding
A little patience goes a long way when making homemade bread pudding.
The custard bakes very slowly in a low oven with a steamy water bath.
I try to always remember to keep a pan of water on a second level under the custard to make a nice creamy texture and do this method also for Cheesecake Recipes.
These measurements are to taste using cinnamon, raisins, and fruits, we like more custard also than bread so adapt away.
Fruit Substitutions
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Raspberries
- Mango
- Pears
- Peaches
- Dried fruits of any kind
Tools You Will Need
- whisk for the egg
- measuring cups and measuring spoons
- blender or mixing bowl
- saucepan for caramel
- dessert bowls
- spoons
- A timer to make sure you have cooked this look enough
Tips
- Use a blender for even mixing or whisk.
- For best results always use the water steam bath method.
- A knife inserted in the middle will ensure the custard is completed cooking.
- Add more raisins or less also nuts and craisins or another dried fruit.
- You can substitute whole milk with evaporated milk, use half cream and milk, or all half and half.
- Always boil the raisins (if using) to make sure they are soft
- If you have milk that's about to spoil this is the perfect way to use it up.
- Add more cinnamon to taste.
- Cinnamon bread, Egg bread, Panettone, Italian bread, sourdough are all good choices for bread.
Ingredients You Will Need
- sugar
- whole milk or half and half
- salt
- brown sugar
- water for the steam bath
- cinnamon
- eggs
- butter for greasing the pan or oil spray
- pure vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon
- apples
- optional: 1/4 cup raisins, craisins, figs or dates chopped, nuts or another fruit you prefer
- Garnish: homemade caramel sauce, whipped cream a dash of cinnamon sugar on top
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Try Some Of Our Other Favorite Desserts
Pumpkin Custard Tart
Grandma's Baked Custard
Old Fashioned Bread Pudding
Custard Pudding
If you're looking for a more bread-style pudding, this isn't it, this is more custard than bread.
The smooth creamy custard this makes is superb, easy and as a child, this is the one that stayed etched in my mind of mom and grandma making.
Simple pantry ingredients, nothing to fuss over, and use what you have on hand.
The only thing that makes a huge difference is a cream keeps this from becoming watery since there is more butter content than water in cream than milk (just a little tip).
Served warm or cold don't forget to try the homemade caramel sauce and top it with whipped cream for a sensational dessert Apple Raisin Bread Pudding!
Yield: 10
Apple Raisin Bread Pudding
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 H & 30 MTotal time: 1 H & 40 M
This is bread pudding baked custard with a caramel sauce. The apple cinnamon raisins make this a perfect dessert.
Ingredients
- Custard for the Bread Pudding Recipe:
- 1 quart of half and half (or use half cream and half milk or evaporated milk with half cream combinations)
- 4 large eggs
- 4 thick slices of Cinnamon Swirl Bread or your favorite bread any kind will work
- Optional: 1/4 cup raisins boiled in water until plump and soft around 2 minutes in the microwave or stovetop
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 small peeled and sliced apples ( around 1 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- cinnamon to taste I use around 1 teaspoon
- Optional: substitute bananas, blueberries, raspberries, thin-sliced peaches, mango for apples
- Caramel Sauce:
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
Instructions
- Directions for the bread pudding:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Butter a 13 x 9 baking dish or use a deep greased baking pan.
- Place the bread, apples, and softened raisins in the prepared greased pan.
- Whisk the eggs, creams your using, vanilla, sugars, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl by hand or in a blender until this is evenly blended together and smooth.
- Pour over the apple bread and raisin mixture.
- Put this casserole on a baking sheet for any spills.
- I add 2 inches of water to another small metal baking pan and place that on another shell in the oven.
- This helps the custard cook with a steam bath.
- Note: you can also use a big Turkey roasting pan with 2 inches of water and place the casserole dish in it.
- Bake at 300 degrees for around 1 - 1/2 hours.
- The middle will be a little jiggly.
- Tip: insert a knife in the middle of the bread pudding, and if it comes out clean, it's done. The bread pudding will continue to cook a little as it cools outside of the oven
- Caramel Sauce Instructions:
- While the bread custard is baking, place all the caramel sauce ingredients, except for the vanilla, in a small saucepan.
- Place the burner on medium heat and let this cook until it thickens.
- When it comes to a full boil turn to low, stir in the vanilla.
- This is an optional garnish poured over warm or cold bread pudding.
- Optional Garnish: homemade caramel sauce, whipped cream, or a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top.
- Note if you are in a hurry and do not want to make the sauce use a good store-bought ice cream caramel topping.
- Store any leftovers in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Warm-up for another use.
Notes:
Tips
- Use a blender for even mixing or whisk.
- For best results always use the water steam bath method.
- A knife inserted in the middle will ensure the custard is completed cooking.
- Add more raisins or less also nuts and craisins or another dried fruit.
- You can substitute whole milk with evaporated milk, use half cream and milk, or all half and half.
- Always boil the raisin to make sure they are soft
- If you have milk that's about to spoil this is the perfect way to use it up.
- Add more cinnamon to taste.
- Cinnamon bread, Egg bread, Panettone, Italian bread, sourdough are all good choices for bread.
- Note if you are in a hurry and do not want to make the sauce use a good store-bought ice cream caramel topping.
Pin for later
More Recipes We Love
Apple Cinnamon Buns
Apple Pie
Country Baked or Fried Apples
Homemade Apple Cider
Apple Brownies
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2010. It was edited and re-published in 2021.