Wonderful warm apple treat, better than apple pie! Comforting apple bread pudding made with easy homemade apple pie filling. Serve it hot and with some vanilla ice cream on top for the ultimate taste experience.
APPLE BREAD PUDDING
Yes, it truly IS a heavenly apple treat!
“Better than apple pie” is a pretty strong claim to make, but I’m sticking by it. As wonderful as a good ol’ apple pie can be, especially the Dutch kind with crumble on top, this is just better. Taking two delicious and comforting desserts and putting them together is what makes this extra special.
As soon as I took the first bite this warm, apple filled bread pudding, with melting vanilla ice cream, my whole body melted into the chair with delight. Hubs and I raced to finish the piece we were splitting and then sat there, enjoying the taste and love it left behind.
The next morning, I couldn’t wait to have some more so I had a slice of this divine apple pie bread pudding for breakfast. Hey, it has eggs and milk, it can totally count as breakfast food!
MORE BREAD PUDDING RECIPES TO TRY:
Coconut Cheesecake Bread Pudding
Ham Leek and Cheese Bread Pudding
Cranberry Bread Pudding with Honey Maple Whiskey Sauce
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Apple Pie Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 14 oz French bread stale
- 1 3/4 lb gala apples
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 1/2 Tbsp flour
- 2 tsp apple pie spice
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 5 eggs
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 2 1/4 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp apple pie spice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Optional: ice cream for serving
Instructions
- About 24 hours before preparing this bread pudding, cut bread into 1/2 inch cubes and spread it out on a large baking sheet. Leave it out to get stale for about a day.
- Apple Pie Filling:
- Peel, core and dice apples.
- In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and stir well with a whisk. Add 3/4 cup of brown sugar and stir well.
- Add diced apples, apple pie spice and water, stir and cover. Cook over medium heat until the apples are soft, stirring occasionally. (10-15 minutes.)
- Take off heat and strain through a strainer, saving the juices. You will be using the juice to top off cooked bread pudding.
- Let the cooked apples cool a bit.
- Bread Pudding:
- Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
- Spread stale bread in the baking dish evenly. Spread apples all over the bread evenly. Move it around a little to let some apples get between the bread.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla extract, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, apple pie spice, and cinnamon.
- Pour egg mixture all over the bread and apples. Press down on bread lightly and put in the oven.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. You can check for doneness by touching in the center, if it feels dense and firm, the eggs are cooked.
- Pull bread pudding out of the oven and pour saved juices from cooking apples all over the bread pudding.
- Serve bread pudding warm and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Bobbi says
Made this for Thanksgiving. It was awesome! I got a couple bags of baguette slices from day-old-bread section. Put them on a tray for a day to dry out then broke in half. I used Fuji apples (my favorite). It was so moist and yummy! Will definitely make again. Thanks for sharing.
LyubaB says
Bobbie, I am so happy you liked it! 🙂
K says
I made this for a family gathering, and everyone loved it. I thought the results were mixed. The only conscious change I made was using more cinnamon and a bit of nutmeg because I didn’t have apple spice. I also added the juice of one orange to the sauce. When I put the dish together, I added two more apples (diced but uncooked) because it seemed to need more. I thought the custard looked skimpy, too, but put the dish in the oven because I was pressed for time. (I used the exact amounts listed in the recipe.) A half-hour later, I decided to add more custard – one egg, a cup of milk and a splash of vanilla. Of course, that meant a longer cooking time. The moral of the story, I suppose, is that you don’t need to be fussy about the recipe. It will take just about anything you throw at it. But like a previous poster, I didn’t think the (gala) apple taste came through. I’ve made better “plain” bread puddings with fewer steps. But, based on the reception, I’ll keep trying. If I’d had time, I planned to add toasted pecans to the top. … Thank you for the recipe. Turns out everyone loves bread pudding.
LyubaB says
I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
Poppy says
This looks great! Thinking about making it for Thanksgiving. I’ve always made bread with challah, and have loved the results. Would challah be interchangeable for the french bread? Thank you
LyubaB says
Hi, Poppy! Yes, you can change french bread for challah! 🙂
LyubaB says
Hi, Debbie! Sorry the ads were in your way! Unfortunately I do not control where they put them on my page but I will look further into it.
Debbie says
Too many ads and pop ups on your page. Makes it hard to view the recipes.
Diane says
Can this sit over night in the frig and bake it in the morning for breakfast?
LyubaB says
Hi, Diane! You can make this the night before and you can also refrigerate the apple syrup separately and warm it up the next day to top off the cooked bread pudding.
Jan says
Can I use canned apple pie filling in this recipe?
Sakky says
Jan, Holbrook reworded right out of my mouth. I e was about to ask the sesame question.
LyubaB says
Sorry for that late reply ladies! Yes, you can use the canned apple pie filling 🙂
Bren says
I made this using left over biscuits I needed to use up and 2 can of apple pie filling. Also added raisins. It was so yummy!!
LyubaB says
So glad you liked it, Bren!
Amy says
Do you cut the crust off the bread or cut the bread into squares as is? Also, if I make this the day before Thanksgiving, do I leave it out on the counter overnight and reheat before serving, or do I refrigerate overnight? Thank you!
lyuba says
Hi Amy!
Nope, I don’t cut the crust off. Just chop the whole thing into pieces.
You can refrigerate, definitely. You can just save the topping for after reheated or reheat the whole thing. I would probably cover the pan in foil and reheat with foil on top, otherwise you might have too crunchy top.
I hope you enjoy it!!
Laura says
I had mixed results from this recipe. On one hand, it’s the only bread pudding I’ve ever made that wasn’t too mushy! The texture was perfect, however the flavor was very bland because the galas I got were not very flavorful. I will make this again but will opt for a zippier flavored apple.
lyuba says
Hi Laura!
You can definitely use any apples you like. Try mackintosh, those have amazing aroma. Or, any you like really 🙂
Thank you!
MArilyn says
Made this lush bread pudding last night did not use stove top at all beat everything in blender and forgot the flour ,put apples on bottom and bread on top more apples on top and poured mixture over it and baked turned out beautiful and tasted wonderful . thanks for the recipe
lyuba says
I’m so happy you like it, Marilyn! Even with the couple of changes, I’m happy it worked well for you 😀
Ashley says
Hi! Do you think Italian bread would work with this recipe?
lyuba says
Hi Ashley!
Yes, I often use Italian bread in bread puddings. 🙂
I really hope you like it!
bernard says
At 86 years old, i’m cooking for my loverly wife of 62 years [ she said it was now my turn to be a slave to the cooker ]
this is the sort of cooking that I cherish —-Two in One, thanks a Bunch.
Bernard C B