I am so glad you are here. This recipe creates an ooey-gooey comfort dessert featuring tender apples, rich custard, and a luscious homemade cinnamon caramel glaze. It is an easy bread pudding recipe perfect for holidays or cozy weekend brunches.
Author:purejoyalex
Prep Time:25 min
Cook Time:50 min
Total Time:75 min
Yield:8 servings 1x
Category:Dessert
Method:Baking
Cuisine:American
Diet:Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
1 large loaf (about 1 pound) stale bread (like challah or French bread), cut into 1-inch cubes
4 medium apples (like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
For the Caramel Glaze:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Prepare the bread: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread the bread cubes evenly in the dish.
Prepare the apples: In a medium bowl, toss the chopped apples with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup brown sugar until coated. Scatter the apples over the bread cubes.
Make the custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until fully combined.
Soak the bread: Slowly pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread and apples. Gently press the bread down to help it absorb the liquid. Let it sit for at least 20 minutes, or up to 1 hour, so the bread soaks up the custard completely.
Bake: Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out mostly clean.
Make the caramel glaze: While the pudding bakes, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
Serve: Let the bread pudding cool for 10 minutes. Drizzle the warm caramel glaze generously over the top before serving. This is a wonderful comfort food dessert.
Notes
Use stale bread for the best texture; dry bread absorbs the custard better than fresh bread.
You can prepare the entire pudding, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking. Add 5-10 minutes to the baking time if baking straight from the refrigerator.
Serve this warm spiced apples dish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a truly memorable sweet breakfast treat or dessert.