Published December 19, 2022.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Try my family’s favorite bread pudding recipe with croissants, vanilla bean custard, and dried cherries with Italian Zabaglione sauce. You will never want to eat another bread pudding recipe after you try this one.
With the richness of flavors and textures, this is one of my all-time favorite desserts. If you are wanting to try out some more delicious dessert recipes, you must try my Ricotta Cheesecake or French Silk Pie.
Bread Pudding
Bread pudding is an easy-baked dessert consisting of cubed dried-out bread that is saturated in a custard with milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, spices, and sometimes dried fruit or nuts. This is a centuries-old dessert stemming back to Europe during the 11th century. It’s a great dessert to make if you have an abundance of leftover bread. Bonus if the bread is dried out, like when making breadcrumbs.
There are many variations to this recipe, and it indeed will be different depending on who is making it. There was a time I was not allowed to go to my aunt and uncles on Christmas Eve without bringing this, it’s that good.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Bread – Almost any bread can be used. However, I used croissants, and they will make a more buttery, delicious bread pudding. Ask your local grocery store or bakery if they have 1- or 2-day-old croissants. They should be cheaper.
- Vanilla – Beans are best to use, but you can substitute 1 bean for 1 tablespoon of extract.
- Milk – Heavy cream will make this dessert very rich. You can substitute with ½ and ½.
- Eggs – You can use cold or room-temperature large eggs.
- Sugar – Regular granulated sugar is used to sweeten the custard.
- Dried Fruit – I prefer dried cherries in this recipe. You can use regular or golden raisins as well.
- Toppings – Whipped cream is a must, and any other sauce you’d like, such as zabaglione.
How to Make Bread Pudding
Cut croissants into 1-inch squares and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and place in the oven at 350° for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crunchy.
In the meantime, cut the vanilla bean in half longways.
Add it to 6 cups of heavy cream in a large pot and scald the mixture on medium-low heat. You’ll know it’s scalded when you tilt the pot and see several bubbles start to form on the bottom of the pot.
Once scalded, add to a mixing bowl with 15 egg yolks and 1 cup of sugar and mix well.
Be sure to scrape all the goodness out of the center of the vanilla bean and add it to the mixture.
Once the croissants are browned, place them in a large casserole dish.
Sprinkle the dried cherries on top.
Next, pour in the vanilla bean custard and fold it together with a rubber spatula until combined.
Cover it with foil and bake it in the oven at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until the custard is firm.
Let it cool slightly before serving it with homemade whipped cream and zabaglione.
Bread Pudding Sauce
There are a variety of sauces you can pour over bread pudding, including caramel sauce, a vanilla custard like in my Apple Irish Cake, or my personal favorite, zabaglione.
Zabaglione is a light Italian dessert consisting of whisking together egg yolks, wine, and sugar over a double boiler until it becomes thick. It is classically made right before serving and can be eaten by itself or over cake, fruit, pastries, or ice cream. About 10 minutes before the bread pudding is finished, start making the zabaglione.
In a metal, bowl whisks together 4 egg yolks and a 1/2 cup.
Transfer it to a double boiler on high heat and add in the champagne while continuing to whisk.
Beat vigorously until thick and foamy. It takes about 6-8 minutes, which is perfect because when this is done, the bread pudding will be finished as well.
Pour zabaglione over the bread pudding before serving.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be served as soon as it is done baking.
How to Store: You can cover it and store it for 3 to 4 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of bread pudding to a baking dish and cover it with foil. Bake it in the oven at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes or until hot. Serve with whipped cream and sauce.
chef notes + tips
- If you do not want to use all heavy cream in the custard, you can substitute half of it with whole milk.
- This can also be served with ice cream.
More Dessert Recipes
- Bundt Cake
- Apple Galette
- Lava Cake
- Tarte Tatin
- Pecan Pie
Video
Save
The Best Bread Pudding Recipe
5 from 18 votes
Try my family’s favorite bread pudding recipe with croissants, vanilla bean custard, and dried cherries with Italian Zabaglione sauce.
Servings: 16
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes
Ingredients
For the Bread Pudding:
- 8 large croissants cut up into 1” squares
- 2 vanilla beans cut in half longways
- 6 cups of heavy cream
- 15 egg yolks
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 ½ cups dried cherries
- ½ whipped cream recipe
For the Zabaglione:
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup of dry champagne
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350·.
Cut up croissants into 1-inch squares and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and place in the oven at 350° for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crunchy.
In the meantime, cut the vanilla bean in half longways.
Add it to 6 cups of heavy cream in a large pot and scald the mixture on medium-low heat. You’ll know it’s scalded when you tilt the pot and see several bubbles forming on the pot's bottom.
Once scalded, add to a mixing bowl with 15 egg yolks and 1 cup of sugar and mix well.
Be sure to scrape all the goodness out of the center of the vanilla bean and add it to the mixture.
Once the croissants are browned, place them in a large casserole dish. Sprinkle the dried cherries on top.
Next, pour in the vanilla bean custard and fold it together with a rubber spatula until combined.
Cover it with foil and bake it in the oven at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until the custard is firm.
About 10 minutes before the bread pudding is finished, start making the zabaglione.
In a metal bowl, whisk together 4 egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar.
Transfer it to a double boiler on high heat and add in the champagne while continuing to whisk.
Beat vigorously until thick and foamy. Takes about 6-8 minutes which is perfect because when this is done, the bread pudding will be finished as well.
Pour zabaglione over the bread pudding before serving.
Notes
Make-Ahead: This is meant to be served as soon as it is done baking.
How to Store: You can cover it and store it for 3 to 4 days. This will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of bread pudding to a baking dish and cover it with foil. Bake it in the oven at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes or until hot. Serve with whipped cream and sauce.
If you do not want to use all heavy cream in the custard, you can substitute half of it with whole milk.
This can also be served with ice cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 737kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 9gFat: 56gSaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 414mgSodium: 192mgPotassium: 159mgFiber: 2gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 2673IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 127mgIron: 1mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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37 comments
- Mandy Apodaca
This recipe is AMAZING!! It’s easy to follow easy to make and an instant classic. It is very versatile too you can add things and make it completely your own. Love it. Make it at least once a month.
- Reply
- Dusty
Fantastic recipe. I used Hawaiian sweet rolls, because that’s what I had, and didn’t want to waste them. I highly recommend!
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- sue😀
Going to have a try as soon as I get the goods needed to make the recipe thank you ChefBilly 😁😋👋🤩😋😀
- Reply
- sue 😁😋
Oh my days sooooo delicious how spoiled are we thank you ChefBilly 😁😋🤩😛
- Reply
- Crystal Thompson
Is there a substitute for the champagne ?
- Reply
no, not really unfortunately.
- Reply
- Donnalee
Excellent!
Instead of dried cherries I substituted fresh strawberry sauce and it was a hit‼️- Reply
excellent!
- Reply
- Dianne Roy
I’ve made many bread puddings, this is the best by far!
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- Patricia
Is like to see the video of you making the bread pudding. Thanks
- Reply
It’s in there, click the link
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- Elizabeth A Hanka
can’t wait to have a holiday so I can make this, it looks delicious. Thanks for sharing your prized recipe.
- Reply
- Macsbird
This is the most AMAZINGLY flavored bread pudding! Each part is so delicious. We do not celebrate a holiday without this fabulous dessert! Thank you, chef, for sharing it with us😊
- Reply
Fantastic!
- Reply
- Anna Starr
Billy…is there any recipe you DON’T knock out of the park? This is by far the most delicious bread pudding I have ever had. Had no idea how easy it was to make. I don’t know if recipes always call for croissants but they were perfect. I had them for 2 days before using them. 15 minutes in the oven and they were beautifully golden brown. Most puddings I’ve had are just heavy in raisins so the dried cherries were a perfect choice. Made this for our monthly wine group dinner party and everyone couldn’t stop going on and on about how good it was.
I have learned over the last year of following you, I can blindly make ANY of your recipes for our dinner parties and they will always be delicious.
Lastly, the carmel sauce and a dollop of whipped cream were the perfect toppers and presented fabulously. This will be a staple in our house for certain.- Reply
Appreciate the kind words. Thanks for trying it.
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- Tami
Ooooo! I think I just found my Easter desert! This looks amazing and my tribe is way into my bread pudding. This looks something I could “outdo myself” with! I love watching you and trying your recipes. You have helped me go from a good home cook to a great one with your techniques and ideas. I’m much more fearless now! I’ll let you know how it goes! Happy spring!🌸
- Reply
Excellent!
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- Sue
BEST Bread Pudding EVER!!!!! I did not realize I could adjust the dish before I printed it, LOL… Between my BFF and I our families enjoyed it for days. I even share with my neighbors. They all had a RAVE revue. A keeper for sure.
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- Sarah
Can this be made with any other kind of bread? French loaf, perhaps?
- Reply
Yes it could, obviously the flavor will be different.
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- Nimer
Can it be made in advance . N then whether it has to be reheated
- Reply
You can, although it won’t be nearly as good.
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- Jonah
Chef… This bread pudding is awesome. It’s super yummy! I just became a superhero to my husband and my mom!
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I’m tellin ya it is a sure fire winner!!!! Thanks so much for the review!
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- Passade
This looks so delicious and would like to thank you for sharing such an amazing dish.
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my pleasure, thanks for checking it out.
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- Stef
Want!! Now! I can see why this has been such a big hit with everyone in your life. Thanks for sharing the secret recipe. Can’t wait to try it.
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it’s seriously amazing!
- Reply
- Rachael Yerkes
Your pictures are lovely and this tastes so good!
- Reply
thank you so much!
- Reply
- Liz
I remember my Grandma making bread pudding! This looks incredible Billy!
- Reply
Thanks Liz!
- Reply
- Tara
Oh my, the zabaglione is so rich and creamy. Can’t wait to make this again!
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It is such an underrated dessert sauce!
- Reply
- Becky Hardin
This Bread Pudding looks so delicious and so easy to make. I will have to try it.
- Reply
oh it is SOOO GOOD!
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