This easy apple bread pudding recipe has fluffy brioche bread and tender cinnamon apple pie filling baked in a warm, creamy vanilla custard. Serve your warm bread pudding with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce for the perfect fall dessert!
Apple desserts like this cozy bread pudding are perfect for holiday gatherings and Thanksgiving. Try my easy apple hand pies and this moist apple coffee cake next.
Cozy and comforting, this apple bread pudding recipe falls somewhere between a fall French toast casserole and my easy apple monkey bread. It’s a super convenient, old-fashioned apple dessert to make for family gatherings, and I think it would be perfect for Thanksgiving! Simply prepare the spiced caramel apples and fold everything together into a creamy custard before you bake it.
Things to Know About This Apple Bread Pudding
- Cozy fall flavors. Studded with warm, spiced apples, this bread pudding has all the warm flavors of a homemade apple pie, without the effort of rolling out a flaky pie crust and baking a whole pie.
- Use up leftover bread. A cozy apple bread pudding is a great way to use up day-old bread that’s quick, easy, and satisfying.
- Versatile. Serve this apple bread pudding for Thanksgiving dessert, or prepare it the night before for easy make-ahead holiday breakfasts and brunches.
Ingredient Notes
These are the key ingredients in my apple bread pudding recipe, along with helpful notes. For the complete ingredients list, amounts, and step-by-step instructions, refer to the printable recipe card after the post.
- Apple Pie Filling – I make my homemade apple bread pudding with apple pie filling, made from diced apples, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Canned apple pie filling can be used instead if you need a shortcut.
- Bread – I use day-old brioche. French bread, sourdough bread, or challah bread are all fantastic choices for bread pudding. Even regular white sandwich bread works in a pinch. The most important thing is for the bread to be slightly stale, as it’ll soak up more of the custard without becoming soggy.
- Heavy cream & Milk- When combined with eggs, this makes the custard to soak the bread.
- Spices – Ground cinnamon and nutmeg, or you could use apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice instead.
The Best Apples for Baking
My first choice is green Granny Smith apples or another tart, firm apple, like Honeycrisp, Gala, or Pink Lady apples. I chose to peel the apples for this recipe, but you could leave them unpeeled if you prefer.
How to Make Apple Bread Pudding
Follow the steps below to make this easy baked apple bread pudding from scratch. I recommend baking in a glass or ceramic baking dish to prevent the bottom of the bread pudding from overbrowning.
- Prepare for baking. Set the oven to preheat to 350ºF while you grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Cook the apples. Peel and dice the apples, then toss them with the other ingredients for the filling. Afterward, sauté the apples over medium heat for 15-20 minutes so they’re softened and tender.
- Combine the bread with the custard. Meanwhile, cut the stale bread into even-sized cubes. Whisk the milk and eggs with heavy cream, white and brown sugar, vanilla, spices, and salt. Gently stir the bread cubes into the custard, and leave it to soak for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the apples. Now, fold the apples in with the bread. Spread the bread pudding mixture into your prepared casserole dish and drizzle melted butter on top.
- Bake. Bake the apple bread pudding at 350ºF for 40-45 minutes, until golden. Rest the pudding outside of the oven for about 15 minutes before you slice it. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream, ice cream, or try a drizzle of caramel sauce.
Dry Out the Bread Quickly
This bread pudding recipe depends on stale, day-old bread for the best texture. If you’re using fresh bread, you’ll need to dry it out before you make your dessert. An easy way to do this is to spread the bread cubes out on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven for 8-10 minutes while it preheats. They should be lightly dried, but not toasted or browned.
Julianne’s Tips and Recipe Variations
- Cut the bread and apples into even sizes. This ensures that the apples cook through evenly, and that you don’t end up with some bread pieces soggier than others.
- Soak the bread before baking. Let your bread cubes soak in the sauce for 10–15 minutes for a soft, custardy texture.
- Don’t overbake. Overbaking makes the bread pudding dry. The custard should still be soft when this apple bread pudding comes out of the oven. It will continue to set up while it rests afterward.
- Serve warm. Apple bread pudding is best served warm for the perfect texture and flavor.
- Easy mix-ins. Make this apple bread pudding with pecans, chopped almonds, and other mix-ins like raisins, dried cranberries, or semisweet chocolate chips. You can fold in any extras at the same time as the apples.
- Give it a boozy twist. Add a splash of bourbon or rum to the vanilla custard for an adult version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Like French toast recipes, the best bread for this apple bread pudding is day-old, crusty bread like brioche, challah, French baguette, or Italian bread.
Yes. This bread pudding can be prepared in the baking dish the day before, covered, and refrigerated overnight for an easy make-ahead dessert (or breakfast!). Bake the dish uncovered, increasing the baking time by a few minutes if the apple bread pudding is cold from the fridge.
Storing and Reheating Bread Pudding
- Refrigerate. Cover the cooled apple bread pudding with plastic wrap or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Can I freeze apple bread pudding? Yes. The baked bread pudding can be wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw the pudding in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat. This apple bread pudding is best served warm. To reheat it, microwave individual slices or warm the casserole in the oven until it’s hot throughout.
More Fall Dessert Recipes
Apple Bread Pudding
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 sevings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This homemade apple bread pudding is easy to make with fluffy brioche bread and tender cinnamon apples baked in a warm, creamy vanilla custard. It’s the perfect fall dessert served warm with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce!
Ingredients
For the Apple Filling
- 3 medium-sized green apples, peeled and diced.
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (7.5g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) water
For the Bread Pudding
- 6 cups of cubed brioche bread, slightly stale
- 2 cups (472ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (236ml) heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (143g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted for drizzling
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, toss the diced apples with lemon juice. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix together with the apples until fully coated. Pour the maple syrup over the top and gently stir.
- Heat the apples on the stove over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until soft. Stir occasionally. You want the apples to be soft. If the apples are sticking to the pan add 2-4 tablespoons of water to the saucepan as needed. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
- Cube the brioche into 1-inch pieces. If the bread is not stale, toast the cubes on a baking sheet in the preheating oven for 8–10 minutes, or until lightly dried out but not browned.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until fully combined and smooth. Add the cubed bread to the custard and gently stir to coat. Let the mixture sit for 10–15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up the custard.
- Fold the cooked apple mixture into the bread and custard, distributing evenly. Pour the entire mixture into the prepared baking dish. Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set but still slightly soft. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10–15 minutes before serving to allow the custard to finish setting. Serve warm as-is, or with whipped cream, ice cream, or caramel sauce if desired.
Notes
- What type of bread? You can use French bread, sourdough bread, or challah bread. The most important thing is that the bread is slightly stale.
Storage Instructions
- To store leftovers, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This bread pudding is best eaten warm. To reheat it, microwave individual slices or warm the casserole in the oven until it’s hot throughout.
- Freezing: Baked bread pudding can be wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw the pudding in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 332
- Sugar: 26.6 g
- Sodium: 241.4 mg
- Fat: 12.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.2 g
- Fiber: 2.3 g
- Protein: 7.8 g
- Cholesterol: 107.4 mg
