Description
This delicious Bread Pudding with Apples is a comforting dessert featuring toasted brioche or challah bread combined with Granny Smith apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries, soaked in a spiced custard, baked to perfection, and served warm with a luscious 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 the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread the bread cubes evenly on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 10 minutes or until they are dried out but not hard or crispy.
- Prepare Baking Dish and Custard: Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, applesauce, granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and salt to make the custard. Set aside.
- Combine Bread Mixture: In a large bowl, add the toasted bread cubes, chopped apples, chopped walnuts, and dried cranberries. Toss to combine evenly. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Soak Bread in Custard: Pour the custard evenly over the bread mixture in the baking dish. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then press down on the bread gently using your hands to fully submerge the bread in the custard. Allow the casserole to rest for 15 minutes to absorb.
- Add Butter and Bake: After resting, evenly distribute the cubed butter on top of the bread mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes or until the edges look set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no raw custard.
- Cool Before Serving: Remove the bread pudding from the oven and cool on a baking rack for 15 minutes.
- Prepare Caramel Sauce: While the bread pudding cools, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and heavy cream, whisking until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is heated through. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Reheat gently if made ahead, adding extra heavy cream if needed to adjust consistency.
- Serve: Pour desired amount of warm caramel sauce over slices of bread pudding and serve warm.
Notes
- If skipping the caramel sauce, increase the total sugar to 1 cup by adding extra granulated sugar to the custard.
- Store leftover bread pudding tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
- To freeze, cool completely then wrap well with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat leftovers by microwaving for 30 seconds then additional 10-second intervals as needed, or bake covered with foil at 325 degrees F for 10-20 minutes until warmed through.
- For best texture, assemble bread mixture and custard separately and combine just before baking.
- Make caramel sauce ahead and store in the refrigerator; reheat gently adding cream to loosen as it thickens when standing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg
