Apple Bread Pudding

Total Time
Prep: 30 min. Bake: 50 min.

Updated on Sep. 10, 2024

Apple bread pudding is a creamy and sweet baked dish to make during apple season when you don't have quite enough apples for a whole pie.

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Apple lovers have so many delectable dishes to choose from. Some of our favorite apple recipes include apple cake, apple fritters, apple pie and spiced applesauce. But there’s another apple dish that doesn’t get enough attention: apple bread pudding. It’s an old-fashioned recipe that’s so easy to make in your trusty cast-iron pan.

This dish is wonderful for dessert (served with ice cream or whipped cream) as well as for breakfast and brunch get-togethers. Sliced apples and day-old bread bake up in a spiced batter of eggs and milk. The result is a warm, sweet and creamy treat that will fill your house with the most heavenly autumn scent as it bakes. It may just become one of your new favorite fall desserts!

Ingredients for Apple Bread Pudding

  • Apples: We use tart Granny Smith apples to balance the sweetness of this apple bread pudding recipe. Our guide to the best baking apples has ideas for other types you can try.
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar goes into the pan when simmering and softening the apples, and it also sweetens the batter.
  • Butter: Use salted or unsalted quality butter here. It works with the sugar to soften the apples.
  • Day-old bread: You can use older bread that’s become stale and dry, or dry out fresh bread by leaving it unwrapped or toasting it until crisp. Dry bread soaks up and holds the eggy batter better than fresh bread, which would yield soggy, gummy pudding.
  • Eggs: Used in the batter, eggs give this dish flavor, moisture and structure once baked. Choose four large eggs, and beat them lightly before starting the recipe.
  • Brandy or apple juice: Bring out the apple flavor of the dish with a little apple brandy, like Calvados or applejack. Or, get that flavor with apple juice or apple cider.
  • Almond milk: This recipe uses vanilla almond milk to create the batter, but you can also use unflavored. The almond flavor in the milk is a nice complement to the apple and cinnamon flavors of the bread pudding.
  • Cinnamon: Just a little ground cinnamon gives the recipe so much fall flavor. Here’s our guide to choosing the best cinnamon.
  • Vanilla: Choose a good quality, pure vanilla extract for the best flavor in the dish once it’s baked. Our Test Kitchen prefers these brands of vanilla.
  • Walnuts: A half cup chopped walnuts gives a little crunch to the soft texture of this apple bread pudding recipe.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the apples

overhead shot; white background; a cast-iron skillet filled with diced apples, being sautéed in butter; The apples are a light brown color and are coated in a mixture of spices, including cinnamon and sugar; There is a wooden cutting board with apple peels and a small bowl of cinnamon on the side;Taste Recipes

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet over medium heat, and then add the sliced apples and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Cook and stir the apples for about six minutes, until they become golden brown and soft.

Stir cinnamon into the apples.

3/4th shot; white background; A cast-iron skillet with wooden spatula contains sautéed apples, coated in a mixture of spices and butter; A person's hand is pouring a liquid into the skillet;Taste Recipes

Pull the pan off of the burner and pour in the brandy or apple juice. Return the pan to the burner and cook the apples for another minute or two, until the sauce is thickened and syrupy. Remove the pan from the heat.

Step 2: Make the batter

overhead shot; white background; A grey bowl contains cubes of bread soaked in a creamy mixture; The bread cubes are partially submerged in the mixture; A wooden spoon rests in the bowl, A smaller bowl filled with additional bread cubes is in the background;Taste Recipes

Whisk together the almond milk, eggs, vanilla extract and the remaining granulated sugar in a large bowl. Gently stir the bread cubes into the liquid, then let the mixture rest for five minutes until the bread has softened.

overhead shot; white background; A grey bowl over kitchen towel contains a mixture of bread cubes, apples, walnuts, and a creamy custard; The bread cubes are partially submerged in the custard, and the walnuts are scattered throughout the mixture; A wooden spoon rests on the rim of the bowl, a wooden spatula is placed over small plate;Taste Recipes

Stir in the cooked apples and walnuts.

Step 3: Prep the skillet

overhead shot; white background; added butter to iron caste pan;Taste Recipes

Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet; place the skillet in the preheated oven until the butter has melted.

Step 4: Bake the bread pudding

overhead shot; white background; A cast-iron skillet contains a mixture of bread cubes, apples, walnuts, and a creamy custard; A person's hand is pouring a small amount of melted butter into the skillet;Taste Recipes

Spoon the apple-bread mixture into the skillet, spreading it into an even layer. Melt the remaining butter, then drizzle it over the top. Slide the pan back into the oven and bake the bread pudding for 50 to 55 minutes. It’s ready when it looks puffed and golden and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve apple bread pudding while it’s warm.

A cast-iron skillet filled with a golden-brown bread pudding. A spoon rests in the skillet. A white bowl containing a serving of the bread pudding is next to the skillet, along with a small container of cream on the left. The items are on a white cloth.Taste Recipes

Recipe Variations

  • Serve with caramel sauce: Make a simple caramel or salted caramel sauce on the stove, then drizzle it over portions of the apple bread pudding recipe.
  • Substitute brown sugar: Give the bread pudding a richer, caramel-like flavor by using light brown sugar in place of the granulated sugar.
  • Make it gluten-free: All you have to do is choose a gluten-free loaf of bread! Let the slices dry out a little, or cube the bread and toast it in the oven.
  • Add dried fruit: Give your bread pudding extra flavor and texture by mixing in dried fruit like cranberries, raisins, pineapple or blueberries.
  • Use dairy milk: Use regular or 2% milk instead of almond milk for a somewhat more creamy bread pudding. You can add extra vanilla extract to replace the flavor of the almond milk.

How to Store Apple Bread Pudding

Let the bread pudding cool. Wrap the pan tightly with storage wrap or transfer the bread pudding to a tightly sealed container to prevent it from losing moisture. Because this dish is made with eggs and fruit, store it in the fridge for up to five days.

Can you make apple bread pudding ahead of time?

Yes, you can assemble this dish the night before you want to bake it. After combining the apples and bread with the batter, cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to rest overnight. The next day, take the mixture out of the fridge and allow it to warm up on the counter for 30 minutes. Then, follow the steps to heat and butter the skillet, and bake the bread pudding.

The bread pudding can also be fully cooked in advance, refrigerated and then reheated in a covered pan in the oven until warmed through.

How do you reheat apple bread pudding?

Cover the bread pudding in the skillet with foil and place it in a 350° oven until warmed through, 20 to 30 minutes. You can also reheat single portions in the microwave in 30-second bursts until it’s warmed through.

Apple Bread Pudding Tips

What’s the best bread to use for bread pudding?

Use sturdy bread like sourdough, French bread or a rustic white loaf for bread cubes. The sturdier the bread, the more it will keep its shape and some of its texture after baking. Softer breads like white sandwich bread or sweet loaves like brioche or Hawaiian can also be used; they’ll be softer in the baked bread pudding. Slice your bread into equal-sized cubes to get an even distribution of apples, bread and nuts throughout the bake.

Whichever type you choose, it’s important to let the bread dry out somewhat and become stale so it can absorb more of the batter and hold up better once baked. Or, slice the bread into cubes and toast them in the oven until lightly browned with crispy edges—this gives the bread some extra flavor as well.

How can you avoid soggy bread pudding?

Use stale or toasted bread; the dry texture helps the bread absorb the batter so that it doesn’t pool in the bottom of the skillet. Heating the skillet in the oven before adding the bread pudding mixture also gets the baking started more quickly. Spread the mixture evenly in the skillet so that it all cooks through at the same rate. Finally, let the bread pudding bake thoroughly, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

What do you serve with apple bread pudding?

When enjoying the apple bread pudding recipe for dessert, serve it with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A cup of tea or coffee is delicious with it as well. Apple bread pudding made as a breakfast or brunch dish can be served with whipped cream, fresh fruit, yogurt, or a savory breakfast side like bacon or sliced ham.

Apple-Walnut Bread Pudding

Prep Time 30 min
Cook Time 50 min
Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup sugar, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup brandy or unsweetened apple juice
  • 3 cups refrigerated unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 cups cubed day-old bread
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add apples and 1/4 cup sugar. Cook and stir until apples are soft, about 6 minutes. Stir in cinnamon. Remove from heat. Stir in brandy; cook over medium heat until liquid is syrupy, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk milk, eggs, vanilla and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until blended. Gently stir in bread; let stand until bread is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in apple mixture and walnuts.
  3. Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet; place in oven to heat skillet. Carefully remove hot skillet from oven once butter has melted.
  4. Add bread mixture. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter; drizzle over top. Bake until puffed, golden and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 367 calories, 17g fat (6g saturated fat), 112mg cholesterol, 328mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate (31g sugars, 2g fiber), 8g protein.

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Bread pudding is one of those desserts that you basically can throw anything into. It's the kitchen sink of desserts. This recipe came about because I had stale bread and apples that needed to be used. No apples? You can use dried fruit such as cranberries or apricots, or even dried apples. —Debra Keil, Owasso, Oklahoma
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