Wow, if you could only taste this amazing dessert, the best Apple Bread Pudding ever!
Caramelized apples are topped with bread pudding, baked until creamy and then served as an upside-down cake, sort of. SO freaking delicious!
Two parts in this recipe:
- Apples: they are first caramelized until they are an amber color and have that nutty smell we all love. This step is necessary; otherwise, the apples will be light in color and crunchier. Maybe you want that?
- Bread pudding: the bread layer is that of a standard bread pudding recipe. I use brioche or pulla or a similar type of sweet bread, but old crustless white bread is used.
Steps for making the caramelized apples:
- Peel, core and cut apples in chunks. I like wedges, but it's a matter of personal taste. I do suggest slices that are more on the large side than small dice. They hold their shape better.
- Melt butter, add the apples and add the sugar (image above).
- Mix lightly with a wooden spoon or spatula and let caramelize (image below), being careful not to burn the fruit.
- Layer the bread pieces and milk and egg mixture. And push the slices down with a spatula or spoon so they are completely soaked (image below). They will pop back to the top, but take your time. If the bread is dry it will not bake as it should.
This season fruits are in abundance, and I mean a lot of them at the same time. And not enough time to gulf them down!
Right now my fridge is full of peaches for a chutney that I already made and will be posting next week, and white peaches which will be made in syrup with spices; fresh figs which are going to crown a brown butter pound cake (coming very soon to this blog); fresh blackberries and raspberries that will probably be turned into this risotto and this tart. And cherries which will be made into this delectable focaccia, again. Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing.
This is truly one of the best ways to use leftover sweet bread. I like it with cold cream and some fresh fruit on the side.
Other recipes you might like:
Apple Walnut Loaf Cake
Apple Raspberry Crumb Bars
Pulla Bread
Ham and Cheese French Toast
Raspberry Apple Crostata Pie
Let me know if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it.
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Caramelized Apple Upside Down Bread Pudding
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Description
Wow, if you could only taste this amazing dessert!
Caramelized apples are topped with bread pudding, baked until creamy and then served as an upside-down cake, sort of. SO freaking delicious!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (55g) unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 pound (4 large apples or 350g), preferable granny smith
- 1 ½ pounds (680g) Finnish pulla, brioche, challah or crustless white bread
- ½ cup chopped almonds
- 1 cup (250g) whole milk
- 1 cup (230g) cream
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Few gratings fresh nutmeg
- Cold cream and fresh raspberries (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- In an ovenproof large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add apples and cook 2 or 3 minutes until they begin to release liquid.
- Sprinkle sugar on top of the apples and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Let the apples cook, untouched, for 8 to 10 minutes, until they caramelize and most of the liquid is absorbed. If they start to burn stir them a few times.
- While the apples cook, trim the pulla and cut into big chunks or slices.
- When the apples are caramelized, turn off the heat and arrange half the bread on top of them, fitting tightly.
- Scatter almonds on top and cover with the rest of the pulla.
- In a medium bowl, mix milk, cream, eggs, egg yolk, cinnamon and nutmeg. Do not beat.
- Add this mixture slowly over bread, gently pressing down to absorb the liquid. Let it stay at room temperature for about 15 minutes, pressing a few times so that the bread absorbs as much of the milk mixture as possible before going into the oven.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the crust is golden. Check the inside by lifting the bread with a fork.
- Loosen the edges with a knife and let rest for a few minutes. Carefully invert the pudding onto the serving plate or dish.
- Serve at room temperature with cold cream and fresh berries if desired.
Notes
The type of bread you use will substantially alter the sweetness and texture of this dessert. In my opinion they are all good, the ones I suggest. All different, but all good.
Keywords: apple pudding, apple bread pudding
adapted from Bon Appetit, December 1988
Having a three hundred tree apple orchard, I'm always looking for new recipes...this is wonderful.
My god, this is brilliant and looks incredible! Love your photos! So sorry you guys are having to endure such horrid weather - come to California! I'm a huge Nancy Silverton fan, too. If forced to choose, I'd say my five fave cookbooks are: Deborah Madison's Local Flavors, Annie Somerville's Everyday Greens, David L's Perfect Scoop, Deb P's Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, and everything by Alice Medrich. 🙂
It's deep freeze winter where I live and I'm making this gorgeous bread pudding this weekend!
I hope you love it as much as we did!
That looks heavenly! So comforting. I am dying for peaches, blackberries and cherries but it won't be long until they are in season again here. My favorite cookbook is the Momofuku Milk Bar cookbook. I am also hoping this year is a turning point for me. Hope the year is everything you want it to be.
I´m starting to can and freeze berries and fruits to have in the winter. Here´s to a great year Laura!
Oh, I love, love this wonderful dessert! I'm a huge fan of bread pudding and adding apples makes it even better!
This looks wickedly tempting!
Paula, what an absolutely delicious looking Caramelized Apple Bread Pudding - I do not think that I ever made a Bread Pudding but I have tasted some and I loved it - terrific caramelization on the apples. And I love the addition of some cream and fresh raspberries! P.S.: I have made that Finnish Pulla several times for guests since baking it fi rthe TwD group, and I agree with you, it is a terrific recipe and now I know what to do with the leftovers the next day! Thanks for the wonderful post that is just brimming with a lot of very useful information!
Have a great Wednesday!
Absolutely wonderful, Paul! I can't stop staring at it. I love apples made like this. As for the bread pudding? It is surely growing on me, especially with a beautiful recipe like this one.
This Bread Pudding looks fantastic!! It sounds like a perfect dessert for the cold winter we’re having here in NJ! So yummy looking!