Bread and Butter Pudding

Deliciously decadent and blissfully easy, this bread and butter pudding recipe is a sheer delight!

Eat it hot or cold, and please the whole family! Crispy on top and spongy in the middle, this classic, comforting pudding is a delightful dessert or afternoon tea sensation, perfect at any time of the year.

Why you'll love this bread and butter pudding recipe

It's crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside.
The whole family will love it!
It can be made ahead of time.
It's a great way to use up stale bread.

Equipment needed

There are a few important kitchen items you'll need before you start making this bread and butter pudding recipe:

Chef's knife – every kitchen needs one of these
Baking dish – this is baking your bread and butter pudding
Mixing bowl – you'll need this for whisking up your egg mixture
Balloon whisk – again, an essential piece of equipment for whisking your egg mixture

How to make bread and butter pudding

Assemble all the ingredients before starting.

Ingredients for Bread and Butter Pudding on a table.

First, figure out how many bread slices you'll need and cut accordingly to fill a whole casserole dish.

Slather each slice on both sides with butter and apricot jam.

Pack the slathered slices as you go and sprinkle with chopped apricots when finished.

Prepare the custard in a big bowl.

Soaking bread slices in custard om a dish.

Drench the bread slices with the custard and let it soak for an hour. Bake until crispy and golden. Serve with custard or ice cream. Enjoy!

Top tip

Allow the egg custard mixture to soak into the bread for at least an hour. This way, you'll get the best flavour and texture for your bread and butter pudding.

What to serve with bread and butter pudding

Sides

Ice cream

This bread and butter pudding is heavenly when served with a scoop or two of your favorite ice cream. It will be the perfect pairing for vanilla, chocolate, summer fruit... whatever your go-to flavor!

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Custard

This is the classic old-school dessert to serve with a generous pouring of custard. Delicious! You could even use an alternative custard, like my pink custard, for instance!

Fresh fruit

Sliced banana, scattered berries, whole strawberries... whatever your favorite kind of fruit, throw it on top and dig in!

Variations and substitutions

You can remove the bread crusts from the sliced bread if you prefer. If you remove the crusts, don't throw them away – blitz the remaining bread crusts into breadcrumbs and freeze them for use at a later date.
If you can't find vanilla paste, replace it with half a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Add a pinch of nutmeg in place of cinnamon if you haven't got any.
You can use whole milk or semi-skimmed milk. For those who don't consume dairy, almond milk, soy milk, and oat milk are good alternatives. You can also replace the butter with a suitable nut butter.
I recommend using demerara sugar, although any type of sugar will do. You can also use white granulated sugar.
You can squeeze lemon juice into the egg mixture for a zesty twist. Even better, add some grated lemon zest.
Fancy an alternative tipple? If you're making this in the autumn or winter, at little bit of Baileys would be perfect. Or even better... Amarula! Which reminds me, have you ever tried Amarula cheesecake? Oh. My. Word.
Replace the brandy with another type of tipple, such as rum, bourbon, or whisky, if you prefer.
Add dried fruit to the base of the baking dish for a little secret fruity surprise! Add sultanas, raisins, toasted pecans, or other fruits or nuts to this bread pudding recipe.
Stale brioche is an excellent alternative to bread.
Give this a delicious Italian twist and use panettone in place of bread! Perfect, especially at Christmas!
Chocoholics might want to add a few chunks of chocolate to the custard mixture.
You can use any type of conserving in place of an apricot. You can even use marmalade, which would add a delightful fruity bitterness, especially delicious if you're adding chocolate!
Add a dusting of icing sugar on top for extra sweetness!

Top tips

Soak your stale bread in custard for at least an hour. If you want it to be special and have the time, leave it to soak for 24 hours.
Don't forget to butter the baking dish before layering your pieces of bread! This is a very important step that many people miss. It stops the bread from sticking to the bottom of the dish.
Keep an eye on your bread pudding as it cooks. After about 30 minutes, check how brown it is on top. Place a layer of aluminum foil on top if it's quite brown. This will prevent the top from burning.

What's the best way to use up stale bread?

Bread and butter pudding!

Why is stale bread best for bread and butter pudding?

Bread and butter pudding is always better when you use stale bread. That's because the drier the bread, the more custard it absorbs.

How long do you cook bread and butter pudding?

For best results, cook for 45 to 50 minutes at 180°C/fan 180°C/ 350°F/gas mark 4.

How do you know when bread and butter pudding is ready?

Insert a toothpick into the top of the pudding. If it comes out clean, it's done.

Another way to tell when bread and butter pudding is done is by gently pressing down on the top of the pudding in the center. It needs a little longer if you see custard oozing out of the top.

Can bread and butter pudding be made ahead of time?

Yes. This is an excellent 'make before' dessert. Assemble the bread in the baking dish, add your custard, then cover with foil and keep in the fridge overnight. This will allow the custard to soak into the stale bread, and you'll get even better results once baked!

What type of brandy should I use?

Any decent brandy should do the trick. I recommend Three Barrels brandy, which is great value for money.

You can also use rum, bourbon, or whisky if you prefer.

bread and butter pudding served with ice cream.

Other delicious dessert recipes

Fancy making some more classic comforting pudding recipes? Take a look at these!

Cornflake tart – a proper old school British dessert, those who grew up in the 70s or 80s will no doubt remember this one!
Black forest gateaux – a delightfully decadent dessert, once tasted this one is never forgotten!
Pink custard – pair up your cornflake tart with another beautiful blast from the past. This pink custard is like the classic custard of yesteryear, only a heck of a lot healthier!
Chocolate orange cupcakes – it’s hard not to fall head over heels for these utterly divine cupcakes. Just one taste and you’ll be begging for more!
Apricot cobbler – another old school canteen classic, this fully flavoured fruity cobbler will make you feel like a kid again. Classic comfort food at its very best.
Cherry crumble pie – this melt-in-your-mouth cherry pie is packed full of flavour and will tingle your taste buds until you’ve eaten every last crumb.
Rhubarb dump cake – so simple, yet so very satisfying, this rhubarb dump cake is a fruity retro pudding that you’ve got to try. Fresh and tangy and full of flavour, if you’re a fan of rhubarb you can’t afford to miss it.

📖 Recipe