Description
A rich and comforting Bread Pudding with Apples recipe featuring toasted brioche or challah bread, Granny Smith apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries soaked in a spiced custard and baked to perfection, 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 for 10 minutes until dried out but not crispy.
- Prepare Baking Dish and Custard: Lightly grease a 9×13-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 and Add-ins: In a large bowl, toss together the toasted bread cubes, chopped apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries. Transfer this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Add Custard and Rest: Pour the custard evenly over the bread mixture. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then press down on the bread with your hands to fully submerge it in the custard. Allow the casserole to rest for 15 minutes, then evenly scatter the cubed butter on top.
- Bake the Bread Pudding: Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 55 minutes or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs and no wet custard. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.
- Prepare Caramel Sauce: While the bread pudding cools, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar and heavy cream, whisking until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is heated through. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. The sauce can be made ahead and reheated gently with a splash of heavy cream if it thickens.
- Serve: Pour desired amounts of warm caramel sauce over slices of bread pudding and serve warm.
Notes
- If omitting the caramel sauce, increase the sugar in the custard to 1 cup for sufficient sweetness.
- To store leftovers, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- For freezing, let the baked pudding cool completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat in microwave starting at 30 seconds then in 10-second intervals, or cover with foil and warm in a 325 degrees F oven for 10-20 minutes.
- For best texture, assemble the bread, nuts, dried cranberries, and apples separately from the custard if prepping in advance; combine just before baking.
- The caramel sauce can be prepared days ahead and stored airtight in the refrigerator; reheat gently before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 170 mg
