Description
A delightful Bread Pudding with Apples recipe featuring toasted brioche bread cubes, tart Granny Smith apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries soaked in a spiced custard, baked to perfection and served warm with a rich homemade caramel sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread and Add-Ins
- 1 16 ounce loaf brioche or challah bread
- 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, chopped ¼-inch
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
Custard
- 5 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup applesauce (regular, not unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 3/4 cups milk
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Add Later
- 4 tablespoons Danish Creamery Butter cubed
Caramel Sauce
- 12 tablespoons Danish Creamery Butter
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Toast Bread: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread cubes into an even layer on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes or until dried out but not hard or crispy.
- Prepare Baking Dish and Custard: Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. Whisk together all custard ingredients in a medium bowl until fully combined; set aside.
- Combine Bread and Add-Ins: In a large bowl, add toasted bread cubes, peeled and chopped apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries. Toss to combine, then pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Add Custard and Soak: Pour custard evenly over the bread mixture. Let it sit for a couple minutes, then press down using your hands to completely submerge the bread. Let the casserole rest for 15 minutes to absorb custard.
- Add Butter Cubes: Evenly distribute 4 tablespoons of cubed Danish Creamery Butter over the top of the soaked bread pudding.
- Bake Bread Pudding: Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no raw custard. Cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Prepare Caramel Sauce: While pudding cools, melt 12 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and heavy cream, whisking until sugar dissolves and sauce is heated through. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Reheat gently before serving if made ahead, adding extra heavy cream if needed to thin sauce.
- Serve: Pour desired amount of caramel sauce over warm bread pudding and serve immediately.
Notes
- If omitting the caramel sauce, increase granulated sugar to ½ cup (total sugars equal 1 cup) in custard for balanced sweetness.
- To store leftovers, tightly cover and refrigerate for up to 4-5 days.
- To freeze, cool completely, wrap well in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat in microwave for 30 seconds, then at 10-second intervals until warm, or reheat in oven at 325 degrees F covered with foil for 10-20 minutes depending on portion size.
- For best texture, prep bread and nuts ahead and keep apples separate until just before baking. Custard can also be made in advance and refrigerated until ready to combine.
- Caramel sauce can be prepared in advance and stored airtight in refrigerator; gently reheat before serving, adding a little cream if sauce thickens too much.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
