Bread and Butter Pudding

Last night's dessert

Bread and Butter Pudding. So simple yet so good. I have yet to serve this to anyone that didn't love it. Especially men.

It is one of those desserts that is easy to adjust to suit your own taste or to use up different bread or even cakes. I usually make it with a white bread, any white bread, but I have also made it with chocolate bread, using a vanilla sauce instead of caramel. Although the caramel sauce would have been wonderful on the chocolate bread too.

Chocolate Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Other options are spice cakes and gingerbread. Both make a great Bread pudding although I guess if you get technical, it really isn't bread pudding then. Bake in loaf pans, casserole dishes, round or square cake pans or ramekins.

Spice Cake Bread Pudding

Spiced Gingerbread Cake

For those of you that like raisins they can also be added to the mix. As well as cranberries, chocolate chips, etc. Or use a loaf of raisin bread. Just don't serve it to me. Hate raisins!!!!

Baked in a loaf pan and sliced

Baked in Shallow casserole

Baked in Round Cake Pan

Individual Ramekins

Here is my basic recipe.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Bread And Butter Pudding With Caramel Sauce
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5 or 6 slices of bread
1/2 cup butter
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar
5 or 6 eggs
2 cups cream (you can use milk but it isn't quite the same)
vanilla
pinch of salt

Caramel Sauce

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cream
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

NOTE: If you prefer the pudding to have more custard, then use less bread so that all of the custard is not absorbed into the bread when baked.

Cut crusts from bread and spread each slice with butter. (Bread slices can be left whole, or cut into halves, quarters or cubes.) I actually like the crusts left on if using a bread that has a soft crust)

Place bread buttered side up in a oven proof dish. (may use any shape dish, or glass loaf pan, cutting bread to fit)

Beat the sugar and eggs together and then add the cream, vanilla and salt.

Pour over bread and allow the bread to absorb. (make be refrigerated at this point and baked later)

Sprinkle with some white sugar and place dish into a pan of hot water and bake in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until pudding is set and golden.

To make caramel sauce

Bring butter, sugars, cream and salt to a boil and then simmer for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Another Option

Custard sauce for Chocolate Bread and butter Pudding


The custard sauce was really easy. It was just two cups of milk or cream ( I used coffee cream) heated to a simmer. Mix three tablespoons of flour into 1/2 cup of white sugar and mix into a beaten egg.

When the milk is hot, slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture,stirring constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pot and cook over low heat until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Custard should be pouring consistency. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.