The Old-Fashioned Apple Dessert I'm Been Making for Over 15 Years
Move over, apple pie: The center of my dessert spread this Thanksgiving is apple bread pudding. It’s so good I ate it straight from the pan the first time I made it, and then I had seconds. I was drawn in by the plush, custard-soaked chunks of challah that make bread pudding so irresistible, but it was the soft, buttery brown sugar and cinnamon apples that kept me going back for more. This dessert is a fun spin on a classic, and I love that it can feed the whole table. It’s perfect served simply with a little dusting of powdered sugar, but sometimes I like to take it a step further with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle of caramel sauce.
Why You’ll Love It
It’s everything you love about classic bread pudding, but better. It has that just-sweet-enough vanilla custard you’d expect from the classic version, plus some serious apple pie filling vibes, thanks to brown sugar and warm spices.
You can get a head-start. There are only 20 minutes max of prep work, but if you want to get a jump on dessert, toast the bread and make the apple mixture up to a day ahead to make assembly even faster.
Key Ingredients in Apple Bread Pudding
Apples: Sweet-tart baking apples, such Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady, are the best choices here because they hold their shape well and have great flavor.
Unsliced challah bread or brioche bread: Either of these soft, eggy breads are perfect for bread pudding. Dry the cubed bread in the oven first, which keeps the dessert from getting soggy.
Milk or half-and-half: A fuller-fat dairy is the way to go with this dessert, so if you’re using milk, you’ll want to stick with whole milk.
Whole eggs and yolks: This combo makes for a rich, full-flavored custard.
Spices: To really evoke the flavor of apple pie, use a mix of ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Apple pie spice would also make a nice substitute.
How to Make Apple Bread Pudding
Dry the bread. The cubed bread is spread onto a baking sheet and baked until dried but not browned, then set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, sauté the apples. Cook cubed apples in a mix of butter, brown sugar, and spices until they begin to soften.
Make the custard and assemble. Whisk together the custard in a large bowl. Gently stir in the bread and apple mixture.
Bake and cool. Transfer to a buttered 9×13-inch baking dish (pour any extra custard over top) and bake until the top is puffed, golden-brown, and the pudding is set. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Apple Bread Pudding Recipe
Classic bread pudding meets apple pie filling.
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes
Serves 8 to 12
Ingredients
1 (about 1-pound) loaf unsliced challah or brioche bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 9 cups)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground or grated nutmeg
3 medium sweet-tart apples (such as Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady), peeled, cored, and diced (about 4 cups)
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
3 whole milk or half-and-half
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
Vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, for serving (optional)
Instructions
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Heat the oven to 300ºF. Place 1 (1-pound) loaf cubed challah or brioche in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until the bread is dry but not browned, about 20 minutes. Set aside until mostly cool. Meanwhile, make the apple filling.
Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1 pinch kosher salt. Continue to stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Add 3 peeled and diced medium apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are beginning to soften and the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside until mostly cool. Meanwhile, increase the oven temperature to 350℉. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with unsalted butter.
Whisk 4 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks in a large bowl to break up. Whisk in 3 cups whole milk, 2 tablespoons vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt until combined.
Gently stir in the bread and press the bread down slightly to soak up the custard. Stir in the apple mixture. Let sit for 15 minutes, gently stirring once halfway through, to allow the bread to soak up the custard. Transfer to the baking dish, arrange into an even layer, and pour any excess custard over the top.
Bake until puffed, golden brown, the bread pulls away from the edges of the pan, and the custard is set, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce if desired.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The bread can be toasted up to 1 day ahead. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature. The apple mixture can be cooked up to 1 day ahead. Let cool completely, then refrigerate in an airtight container. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before assembling the bread pudding.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven until warmed through.
Further Reading
The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About
