I frequently prepare this delectable family meal for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
| Prep Time: | 15 mins |
| Cook Time: | 1 hr 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 25 mins |
| Servings: | 16 |
| Yield: | 16 servings |
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 cups milk
- 1 (1 pound) loaf soft French bread, torn into small pieces
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cups white sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup raisins, or more to taste (Optional)
- ½ pound unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with 1/4 cup melted butter.
- Pour half and half and milk over bread in a large mixing bowl; let soak for 10 minutes before gently stirring. Stir eggs into the bread mixture until incorporated. Add sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and raisins respectively, stirring each addition into the mixture before adding the next. Spoon bread mixture into prepared baking dish.
- Bake in preheated oven until bread mixture is firm and pudding-like, about 50 minutes.
- Stir 1/2 pound unsalted butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar together in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stir pecans into the cream mixture, and simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes; pour over bread pudding to serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 540 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 68 g |
| Cholesterol | 103 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16 g |
| Sodium | 329 mg |
| Sugars | 50 g |
| Fat | 28 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
This dish made me famous. So much so I’m not allowed to make any other dessert for the holidays. If I don’t make this my family is thoroughly upset. I leave the sauce separate as some family members just want the pudding by itself. This recipe is easy to put together and I have very little leftovers afterwards.
This has become a family favorite! It’s absolutely delicious! The only change I make from the recipe is I omit the raisins.
I used Kings Hawaiian Rolls one full package plus 3 rolls from another package because they were all so smushed. I decreased the sugar to 2 cups, and increased the cinnamon to 2 1/2 tsp. I mixed all the wet ingred together and allowed the raisins to soak in the “wets” for 15 min or so. Then I added the torn up bread and allowed to soak for additional half hour. I used walnuts because that is what I had. It got grand reviews.
This is awesome! I made it with left over cinnamon rolls from a local bakery and used walnuts-Delish!!
Excellent flavor. I put this recipe together as indicated in the magazine, not here. I beat the eggs in a big bowl, then added all the other ingredients except the bread. Mix well. Then I stirred in the bread and let sit for 10 minutes, stirred again. Recipe is unclear whether the Praline Sauce is to be served separately and poured over when ready to eat, or pour sauce over when the bread pudding first comes out of the oven.
My husband took one bite and said it was the best dessert he had had in a long time. It is very sweet but he likes sweet. I have made it twice, once using raisin challah. I have tossed in a few extra raisins just because we like them. I didn’t see the need for quite so much butter to prepare the pan, so I reduced that by half the second time I made it.
Perfect. Except I followed advice and cut the white sugar to only 2 C. I also used brioche instead of French bread.
I made this for my family on my parents’ 73rd anniversary. They loved it! My dad isn’t a big fan of raisins so I used dried cranberries instead. Their tart flavor was a nice contrast to the sweetness of the pudding.
I have made this several times and it is delicious every time just the way it is written! Yesterday on Christmas, I realized the bread I bought for the recipe had already started to mold. I had a loaf of standard white sliced bread so I went for it. It was just as good! More of a soft pudding texture than the actual bread pieces you get with the French bread, but still wonderful and was still complimented and gobbled up. We always serve fresh out of the over with vanilla ice cream on top. It’s perfect!
Ive made this a couple of times and really like the flavor. I did have trouble the first time with the order of adding the ingredients. I think it was too hard on the bread soaking in milk then adding eggs etc. it turned out pretty mushy and not bread like. Since then I always mix eggs milk cream vanilla sugar together in a bowl and pour over the bread in the pan and let set for 10 minutes. Works out better for me. Other than that it’s a keeper!
Amazing! Definitely suggest cutting the sugar down from 3 to 2 cups, especially when you top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream then praline sauce… this is more than enough sweetness. This has been my most requested dessert dish for the family.
Although the flavor is good, the pudding itself is ‘way too sweet, especially when warm. Next time I’ll be cutting the sugar down by 1/3.
I loved this. I used brioche, but next time will choose a more sturdy bread. The praline sauce was beyond divine! I quick flash roasted the nuts first. Omg. wonderful!
This was an amazing dish. My family loved it.
Even though I didn’t make the sauce, it was still too sweet. I will cut down the sugar next time.
I made it for my son-in-law for Father’s Day because he really likes bread pudding. I think when I make it again I will put one less cup of sugar in. It was very sweet. I followed the recipe to the letter and it was easy to make. I will probably add more bread. It was just a little soggy in the middle.
Best one yet
I wanted to love this recipe (made as is mostly). However, it was overly sweet, thereby ruining the experience of making bread pudding for the first time. Made this once and followed as written except I used a heaping tbsp of cinnamon (‘m a cinnamon addict), baked the nuts (black walnuts) right on top of the pudding (like crunchy nuts, not soggy) and halved the “praline” topping because I couldn’t fathom adding that much more butter and sugar to an already likely sweet bread dessert. Mind you I am NOT a health nut….at all. However, this recipe is disgustingly sweet. This is coming from a sweet ADDICT. Update: Day two, I revisited this dessert (huge pan), and it was 100x better. The sweetness mellowed out perfectly, and the bread wasn’t as wet. Definitely a wonderful recipe on Day 2 that I can’t wait to make again.
I think this is one of the very best bread puddings we have ever eaten!! So yummy!
followed recipe only halved the ingredients. turned out perfect!!
Love it and so did family