This bread pudding is undeniably the best! It’s loaded with warm cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and topped with an orange custard sauce.
Prep Time 45 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Additional Time 6 hourshours
Total Time 7 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Servings 16
Ingredients
For the bread pudding
½cup(72g)raisins
½cup(113g)unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6large eggs
¾cup(150g)granulated sugar
1teaspoonground cinnamon
½teaspoonground nutmeg
1 ½cups(360ml)heavy cream
1 ½cups(360ml)milk
1tablespoonvanilla extract
16ounces(453g)loaf stale French Bread, sliced into cubes
For the sauce
¾cup(180ml)heavy cream
¼cup(60ml)orange juice
3large egg yolks
¼cup(50g)granulated sugar
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Instructions
Make the bread pudding
Place raisins in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the butter, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together until the eggs are fully broken up.
Whisk in the heavy cream, milk, and vanilla.
Add the cubed French bread to the bowl and press down so all the bread is submerged into the liquid. Cover and let sit for 30-35 minutes.
Meanwhile, Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch square pan or a 2-quart casserole dish.
After the bread has finished soaking, drain the raisins and stir them into the bread mixture.
Transfer everything to the prepared pan and press down with the back of the spoon to make everything fit into the pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the top is golden and set.
Cool to room temperature then refrigerate for 6-8 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.
Make the sauce
Bring the cream and orange juice to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. Slowly drizzle in the warm cream mixture while whisking continuously.
Return the mixture to the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of warm pudding.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 hours.
Serve over slices of bread pudding
Notes
Place the cubed bread pieces in a bowl and leave the bowl on the counter uncovered for 1 day.
Bread pudding can be served warm, room temperature, cold. If you'd rather have it warm or room temperature, skip the 6 hour refrigeration time.
The orange custard sauce can also be served warm over warm bread pudding.
I'm weird about soggy, gummy bread textures that can be present in warm bread pudding so I prefer to enjoy mine cold or at room temperature with the custard has had time to set.
Make ahead tip
Both the bread pudding and the sauce can be made 1 day in advance.
The bread pudding will keep for up to 5 days stored tightly covered in the refrigerator.
The bread pudding will keep for up to 3 months covered tightly and stored in the freezer. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.