This bread pudding dish is so versatile!

We eat it for brunch, breakfast for dinner (and it’s great with sausage links!) and for dessert. There’s no limit on when it can be enjoyed.

We also love that this dish is the perfect remedy for the age-old problem of having old, dry bread that you can’t do much else with! It works with loaf bread, homemade breads like yeast rolls we made, buns or bagels. And by the time you add the other ingredients, you won’t be able to tell the bread was anything but fresh.

My wife Molly isn’t a huge fan of raisins normally, but even she loves them in this for the additional texture and flavor they provide, along with the nutmeg. She also LOVES the vanilla sauce, which is so simple to make and can be used on other sweet treats like cakes and ice creams, too!

This pudding is so warm and has just the right amount of spice. We think it’s perfect for warming up the family on a cold day, and it’s a great pick for a family breakfast or brunch around the holidays. However, you might need to double the recipe and make two if you have a large gathering! It won’t last long.

 

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

What You Need for the Pudding:

4 cups of cubed bread

½ cup raisins

2 cups milk

¼ cup butter

½ cup sugar

2 eggs beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ teaspoon nutmeg

What You Need for the Sauce:

½ cup butter

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

 

What You Do:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cube bread and combine with raisins in a large bowl.

3. Combine milk and butter in a pot, and cook on medium on the stovetop until butter melts, about 5 minutes.

4. Pour milk-butter mixture over bread, and let stand for 10 minutes.

5. Stir in all remaining pudding ingredients and pour into a greased casserole dish.

6. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes (40 minutes is enough for us) until pudding is set.

7. Combine all sauce ingredients except vanilla in a pot on medium heat on the stovetop and bring just to a boil. Stir in vanilla afterward.

8. Divide warm pudding into bowls, and serve with sauce. Depending on serving size, you can expect to get about 6 to 8 servings from this dish.

Refrigerate leftover pudding and sauce for up to a week.