Wow, if you could only taste this amazing apple dessert right now. It has a layer of soft cinnamon apples that are topped with bread cubes and a vanilla custard mixture, baked until creamy, and served with gooey dulce de leche or caramel sauce. A great recipe to use leftover holiday breads, it's incredibly comforting and just utterly delicious!

Originally published in January 2013, this post has been updated with text and images to serve you better. The recipe remains the same because it's awesome!
Most countries and cultures have a way of using stale bread. Whether it's a bread pudding or french toast, many involve a custard.
This apple bread pudding recipe is no exception and it's the perfect dessert for the holiday season when we usually have leftovers from brioche, challah bread, panettone, pandoro, Scandinavian pulla, etc.
It's highly recommended to serve it with a sauce, ideally caramel or dulce de leche, and enjoy a caramel apple bread pudding, which is the ultimate flavor combination for fall!
Two parts to this recipe:
- Apples. You have two options: you can cook them first in a skillet and they will caramelize a little, adding more flavor to the dessert, or you can use them raw, which means they will be light in color and crunchier. Both ways work, it's a matter of personal preference.
- Bread pudding. The bread layer is very simple and traditional and uses an egg mixture, similar to a custard. The main difference is that it uses some sort of egg and/or sweet bread (today is Pandoro bread that I had leftover from the holidays, but brioche, challah, or Finnish Pulla also work) instead of white or French bread.
Together, both layers are magic!
Ingredients
- Apples: Granny Smith apples, the green ones, are a must to balance out the richness and sweetness from the rest of the ingredients.
- Bread: use any sweet/eggy/buttery leftover bread you like such as Pandoro (I had some leftover from the holidays), Challah, Brioche, or Pulla. They are softer and sweeter than the regular white bread used in old fashioned bread pudding, so take that into account when adding sugar.
- Sugar: white granulated or light brown sugar, both work well.
- Milk and cream: the combination makes this dessert rich and creamy. I use full fat, but low-fat milk can be used. I don't recommend the same for the cream though.
- Eggs: they are essential for the structure of this dessert, otherwise the liquid will never firm up. The extra yolk adds richness.
- Flavorings: since there are apples in here, I added cinnamon, which pairs wonderfully with the vanilla. Also, I like to add some lemon juice and/or zest to cut through some of the sweetness.
How to make this pudding
Making this dessert is easy and pretty quick since the bread cubes don't need to soak a long time before baking, like it sometimes does with stale French bread.
Apple mixture
When making the apple layer you can use them raw (image 1), or partially cooked and lightly caramelized first (image 2) which is what I do because there's more flavor and color. It's all explained in the recipe card at the end of this post.
The bread
A few important comments about what bread to use and how to cut it.
- Types of bread to use: as mentioned before, we use breads that are egg-based, like Italian Pandoro bread, challah, Scandinavian pulla, or brioche bread, but favorites like cinnamon bread also work.
- Bread cubes: I cube the bread slices because they're easier to soak and also some tips are exposed during baking so they get crunchy which adds great texture to the final dessert, which is very creamy inside. The result is way better than with slices.
- Bread slices: I did try this version and the custard took way too long to fully bake and it just didn't work. So I don't recommend slices, cubes work much better.
The custard mixture
You only need to whisk or stir the custard, not beat it.
You do want the eggs to be completely integrated but not incorporate extra air to the egg mixture so that it doesn't rise or puff too much during baking.
Baking it
The top will bake to a golden brown, especially with an egg-based bread and it will look like it's done when the specified time in the recipe is up.
BUT, and this is a big but... always make sure the inside is creamy but completely set, fully baked. You don't want it to be still liquid because it means that the eggs are not fully set. It will be soupy and not good at all.
My top tips
- Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes are as accurate as I they can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Apples: if you want crunchier apples cut them in thicker wedges (about 6 slices from each half apple) and if you like very cooked fruit I suggest you dice them.
- Topping: you can cut bread cubes or slices. Both ways work, but the former tend to have crunchier parts because they get more exposure as the apple dessert bakes.
- Flavorings: I love cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon because they go so well with lemon, but let your palate decide. Orange, apple pie spice mix, even a dash of cardamom if you're familiar with it also work.
- Add-ins: there are several ingredients that can be added to the apple layer such as raisins, walnuts, pecans, cranberries. Use ¼ or ⅓ cup (total) of one of them or a mix.
- Serving it: this is the ultimate apple dessert to serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle on top. A delicious fall dessert! I usually drizzle some dulce de leche sauce or caramel on top of the bread pudding, directly in the baking dish before serving.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on how you like it, as both ways are fine. I like it warm with dulce de leche or caramel sauce, and sometimes with a scoop of ice cream. But plain apple bread pudding is fantastic.
The top will be golden and the creamy inside will be firm. You can use a cake tester and when it comes out clean it's done. You can also lift the top layer in the center with a fork and see if it's still liquid or not.
Yes, it can. Make sure it's covered. The bread in this one is very soft, even if it's stale, so there's no need to soak it for a long period. But you can do it if you want to bake it in the morning for example. The texture will be more uniform as the liquid will be absorbed more.
Yes, but in a good way. It's baked bread with liquid, so it does soften a lot. Make sure it's properly baked so it's not mushy. There's a difference between creamy and soft versus soggy and mushy.
No, it's not recommended. There are eggs and also fruit, which tends to ferment. So refrigerate what you're not using after a few hours, well covered.
Related recipes you might like:
Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it, and also if you had issues, so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here, it's much appreciated.
You might also consider subscribing to our FREE email series to Boost your Home Baking Skills! And our regular newsletter.
And let's connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Apple Bread Pudding
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Description
Wow, if you could only taste this amazing apple dessert right now. It has a layer of soft cinnamon apples that are topped with bread cubes and a vanilla custard mixture, baked until creamy, and served with gooey dulce de leche or caramel sauce. A great recipe to use leftover holiday breads, it's incredibly comforting and just utterly delicious!
Nutrition is given for bread pudding without the sauce.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup white granulated or light brown sugar
- ¾ pound (4-5 large apples) Granny Smith apples
- Optional: ⅓ cup raisins/dried cranberries/chopped walnuts or pecans can be added to the apple layer
- 1 pound Pandoro bread, Finnish pulla, brioche, or challah, homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream (double cream also works)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- Caramel sauce or homemade dulce de leche, for serving (see Notes below for other links)
Instructions
- Have ready a rectangular 11x7-inch ovenproof dish in which you will serve the pudding. I like a ceramic dish, but glass also works. Remember the bread pudding will be served directly from the baking dish, so choose one that you like to put on the table.
For the apples:
- Peel, core, and cut the apples in wedges.
- Choose one of the two options below:
Raw apples: mix the wedges in a bowl with sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Heavily butter the dish (use the amount in the ingredients) and arrange the apples.
Partially cooked apples: melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and sprinkle sugar on top. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula and cook for about 3 minutes, until they begin to caramelize here and there. Do not let them turn too dark or too soft. Remove from heat, add the cinnamon and lemon juice and arrange them in the prepared dish. - Trim the pandoro bread and cut it into big chunks or cubes.
- Arrange the bread on top of the apples. It will be uneven.
- Mix milk, cream, eggs, and egg yolk in a medium bowl or pitcher. Do not beat.
- Pour this mixture slowly over bread, gently pressing down to absorb the liquid.
- Let it soak 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.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF / 180°C.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the crust is golden. Check the inside by lifting the bread with a fork. You don't want liquid, but it's fine if not completely set.
- Let rest for a few minutes on a wire rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with caramel sauce or homemade dulce de leche. If you want a showstopper dessert, first add a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and pour the sauce over it.
Notes
- Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!
- Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes are as accurate as I they can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Apples: if you want crunchier apples cut them in thicker wedges (about 6 slices from each half apple) and if you like very cooked fruit I suggest you dice them.
- Topping: you can cut bread cubes or slices. Both ways work, but the former tend to have crunchier parts because they get more exposure as the apple dessert bakes.
- Flavorings: I love cinnamon, vanilla, and lemon because they go so well with lemon, but let your palate decide. Orange, apple pie spice mix, even a dash of cardamom if you're familiar with it also work.
- Add-ins: there are several ingredients that can be added to the apple layer such as raisins, walnuts, pecans, cranberries. Use ¼ or ⅓ cup (total) of one of them or a mix.
- Serving it: this is the ultimate apple dessert to serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle on top. A delicious fall dessert! I usually drizzle some dulce de leche sauce or caramel on top of the bread pudding, directly in the baking dish before serving.
- Dulce de leche: I have the best dulce de leche recipe in this blog, but you can also buy it online. I like Dulce de Leche Cachafaz warmed before using it so it's more fluid. You can also buy a dulce de leche sauce like La Lechera.
- Caramel: you can buy online the topping like Ghirardelli caramel flavored sauce, or make your own following this salted caramel recipe or this homemade caramel recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛
- Calories: 374
- Sugar: 19.7 g
- Sodium: 252.9 mg
- Fat: 16.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 47.8 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 131.3 mg
Keywords: apple bread pudding
Adapted from an old Bon Appetit magazine.
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
This looks lovely - just the right amount of decadence.
Amy (Savory Moments) says
Oh my - this looks so delicious and comforting! Yummmm.
e / dig in says
paula, this is delicious looking. i love apple puddings like this. i shall have to try this one soon.
Sara says
Lovely! This looks fantastic...it's been way too long since I've made bread pudding!
a farmer in the dell says
This post made me really excited for farm season. We don't have fresh produce available yet....only a few more months. That bread pudding looks to die for!! And those apples.....I need those apples!
Anna @ On Anna's Plate says
Beautiful!
Deb says
Oh my goodness! What an irresistible dessert! The caramelized apples add a layer of delight to the classic bread pudding!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
ohmahgaw this looks incredible! I only recently tried bread pudding like a year ago and I love it so much. I'm freaking drooling over this combination of bread pudding with that gorgeous layer of caramelized apple. I'm making this asap!
Medeja says
Those caramelised apples look so good that Ithink I could have them alone without pudding 🙂
Renee says
Beautiful bread pudding with the layer of caramelized apples. I just recently made my first bread pudding and, to be honest, I never liked it until then. Now I'm searching out more great bread puddings to try.
It has to be strange to have Christmas during summer. I could not imagine what it would be like with the blazing heat. Not that it is always freezing cold here either. Crazy Georgia weather. I've seen Christmas with freezing temps and in the 70's.
wp_vknotes_admin says
The funny, or rather ridiculous thing, is that until a few years ago many of us made stuffed turkey and had `snowed´ xmas trees...!