Oh yes — Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce is the ultimate comfort dessert 🍞🍮✨. Warm, custardy, and rich with nostalgia. Here’s a classic recipe that brings that homemade magic.
Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding
Makes 6–8 servings
Ingredients
For the pudding:
- 6 cups stale bread, cubed (white, brioche, or challah works best)
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup heavy cream (optional for extra richness)
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup raisins or other dried fruit (optional)
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
For the vanilla sauce:
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cornstarch (optional, for thickening)
Instructions
1️⃣ Prep Bread
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Place cubed bread in the dish.
- If using raisins, sprinkle them over the bread.
2️⃣ Make Custard
- In a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Pour custard evenly over bread cubes.
- Press gently so bread soaks in custard.
- Drizzle melted butter on top.
3️⃣ Bake
- Bake 40–45 minutes, until pudding is set and top is golden.
- Check with a knife — it should come out clean or slightly custardy.
4️⃣ Make Vanilla Sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine milk, cream, and sugar over medium heat.
- Whisk until sugar dissolves.
- Optional: mix cornstarch with a little cold milk and add to pan to thicken slightly.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
5️⃣ Serve
- Cut bread pudding into squares.
- Pour warm vanilla sauce over each serving.
- Optional: sprinkle with cinnamon or powdered sugar.
Tips for Grandma-Style Magic
✔ Use day-old bread — it soaks up custard better
✔ Don’t overbake — pudding should be soft, not dry
✔ Add a splash of bourbon, rum, or brandy for extra flavor
✔ Leftovers can be reheated in the oven or microwave with sauce
💡 Serving Idea:
- Perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an indulgent treat.
If you want, I can also give you a simpler 1-bowl version or a slow-cooker bread pudding for hands-off baking.
Do you want me to do that?
