Traditional Bread Pudding with Vanilla Custard

This Classic Bread Pudding with Vanilla Custard is the ultimate cozy dessert. Cubes of day-old bread soak up a velvety vanilla-spiced custard before baking into a golden, comforting treat. Paired with a warm vanilla sauce, it’s a nostalgic favorite everyone can appreciate.

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Classic Bread Pudding with Vanilla Custard

Ingredients

For the Bread Pudding

Ingredient	Amount
Day-old bread, cubed	6 cups
Whole milk	2 cups
Heavy cream	1 cup
Large eggs	4
Granulated sugar	¾ cup
Vanilla extract	1 tbsp
Ground cinnamon	½ tsp
Ground nutmeg	¼ tsp
Salt	¼ tsp
Raisins (optional)	½ cup
Unsalted butter, melted	2 tbsp

For the Vanilla Custard Sauce

Ingredient	Amount
Heavy cream	1 cup
Milk	½ cup
Sugar	¼ cup
Vanilla extract	1 tbsp

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Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare the dish:
   Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Make the custard mixture:
   In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth and combined.
3. Add dairy:
   Pour in the whole milk and heavy cream, blending until the mixture is uniform.
4. Layer the bread:
   Spread the cubed bread evenly in the prepared pan. Add raisins on top, if using.
5. Soak with custard:
   Pour the custard mixture over the bread, pressing the cubes down gently so they fully absorb the liquid.
6. Add butter:
   Drizzle the melted butter across the surface.
7. Rest before baking:
   Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes to ensure the bread is well-soaked.
8. Bake:
   Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is browned and the center is set without excessive wobble.
9. Prepare the vanilla sauce:
   While the pudding is in the oven, warm the heavy cream, milk, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture thickens slightly (avoid boiling). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
10. Serve:
    Dish out the bread pudding while warm and ladle the vanilla custard sauce over each serving.

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If you’d like, I can also create:
✨ A shorter, quick-reference version
✨ A more gourmet, bakery-style rewrite
✨ A slow cooker or air fryer variation