This recipe reminds me of a warm sunny day.
Yeah, I wish! It’s currently 10 degrees outside right this very moment. I’m starting to crave fresh fruit and cold things, like ice cream. Well, let’s be honest…always craving ice cream but I want to indulge on a hot day, not a cold day.
I must say that the fresh lemon and blueberries in this bread pudding has helped me come out of the winter blues. I love using FRESH berries in baking, and of course, lemons brighten everything up.
Bread pudding is a recipe that I have had on my list for a loooooong time. I absolutely love it at restaurants and everyone on Chopped seems to make it. Do you watch that show? I’m addicted. So, I figured if everyone else is making it, I was going to take a stab at it too.
It’s so easy. The hardest part is waiting for the fresh bread to dry out a bit…I mean it takes a whole day! That’s a long time when you’re craving something.
I’m telling you, after your bread hardens a bit, in no time you will have bread pudding.
Cut bread into pieces. Mix eggs, milk, sugar, lemon zest, and almond/vanilla extract (this is your custard mix) in a bowl. Add bread and fresh blueberries. Pour into a baking dish and bake.
I had some extra blueberries so I made a quick sauce while I waited. Super easy and the color is amaaaaazing. The blueberry sauce would also be good in oatmeal, over vanilla ice cream, or mixed into Greek yogurt.
What are your warm weather cravings?
- 1 large loaf of day old french bread
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups skim milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- zest of one small lemon
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- Sauce/Topping
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut day old french bread into 1 inch cubes; set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk the eggs. Add whole milk, skim milk, vanilla, almond, lemon zest and sugar. Whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Add cubed bread and gently mix until all the bread has soaked up the custard. Lastly, add the 2 cups of fresh blueberries, lifting some of the bread pieces to evenly distribute the blueberries over the entire dish. Let sit for 15 minutes then transfer to a buttered baking dish and bake for 50-60 minutes (mine took 55 min.)
- While bread pudding is baking, make the sauce. Add blueberries, sugar and water to a sauce pan. Bring to a gentle boil then turn down heat and simmer for a few minutes until blueberries start to break down and a sauce forms. Take off heat, pour into a bowl to cool.
- After bread pudding is done baking, let cool for 30 minutes. Top with sauce, whipped cream or ice cream.
Source: Stuck on Sweet
Katy Mayeaux
Is this recipe really correct? There are no blueberries in the base bread pudding at all? Only in the sauce?
Jessica Erin
There are! 2 cups. It’s in the recipe!
Cynthia J Benton
It’s in the list of ingredients but not in the recipe itself
Jessica Erin
Hi Cynthia – can you tell me which ingredient you’re talking about?
Dan Foster
Step 3 includes no mention of the 2 cups of blueberries that should be added before baking:
“In a large bowl whisk the eggs. Add whole milk, skim milk, vanilla, almond, lemon zest and sugar. Whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Add cubed bread and gently mix until all the bread has soaked up the custard. Let sit for 15 minutes then transfer to a buttered baking dish and bake for 50-60 minutes (mine took 55 min.)”
Jessica Erin
I’ve updated. thank you!
Jessica
How do you think this would come out if I subbed almond milk for the skim milk and canned coconut milk for the whole milk? My hubby can’t have dairy and I’d like to make this for him. I think the fat contents of each should still balance out the consistency. What do you think?
Jessica Erin
Hi Jessica! I haven’t tried the recipe with those ingredients but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let me know how it turns out!
Christie - Food Done Light
Bread pudding is my favorite type of dessert. Love that you mixed whole and non-fat milk. I beat that makes a delicious consistency.
Jessica Erin
It does! It’s not too creamy or watery, just perfect!