Coconut heaven in one sweet, comforting bite! This bread pudding is a delightful, warm dessert that is loaded with coconut flavors throughout. It’s made with a creamy coconut cheesecake layer in the middle and extra coconut on top.
Coconut Cheesecake Bread Pudding
When I think “Mother’s Day recipes,” the first thing that always comes to my mind is coconut recipes. Most people will have a completely different association but I associate Mother’s Day with coconut because of my mom. My mom loves coconut and anything with coconut in it. So for Mother’s Day and her birthday, I make her something coconutty.
My mom’s birthday falls on the same week as Mother’s Day and every few years, her birthday actually falls on Mother’s Day. That kind of double holiday deserves an extra special dessert. I always try to make her a cake that will knock her socks off and make sure to include coconut in it.
Some of the best cakes she liked include Coconut White Chocolate Cake and Pina Colada Cheesecake. When my sister was little, we made her a Coconut Cheesecake together and I think that may have been her favorite one. Not because it was the best coconut cheesecake every, but because we made it together.
After all, that’s what matters to moms most. Not how well her Mother’s Day present is or not how delicious her breakfast is bed was, but the thought and effort that went into it.
Since I’m an adult now (no matter how unwillingly), I feel like the bar for my efforts is a lot higher. So I have a new recipe for her birthday/Mother’s Day this year that is guaranteed to blow her away. I am planning a TRIPLE coconut cheesecake.
…Stay tuned!
When I first started thinking of new Mother’s Day recipes to share this year, I decided to focus on brunch. Over the last few years, I’ve shared many breakfast in bed ideas that any mom would love to wake up to including Bananas Foster Pancakes and Strawberry Crescent Rolls.
This year, I made an awesome coconut bread pudding and some brunch cocktails that I will share later. This coconut bread pudding is every coconut lover’s dream. It even has a special creamy, coconut cheesecake filling.
Don’t be surprised at me saying that bread pudding can be a brunch recipe, it totally can! It can be dessert, breakfast, brunch, or whatever you want. If you think about it, it’s not any different from a French toast casserole because it combines stale bread pieces with an egg and cream. Besides eggs, cream, and bread base, the flavoring ingredients can vary to make the bread pudding sweet or savory.
So yes, don’t worry if you feel like eating a slice of bread pudding for breakfast. After all…it has a lot of eggs in it!
HOW DO I MAKE A BREAD PUDDING:
I always start preparing my bread pudding at least 24 hours before I need to cook it. Bread needs to get stale first so prepare it ahead of time.
Start by cutting the baguette into small cubes.
Then, spread bread cubes evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Try not to crowd the bread much so it will harden evenly.
Let bread get stale and harden for about a day. (You can even leave it for 2 days.)
You also have the option of preparing the bread pudding and leaving it overnight to soak. It’s an option because you can bake it right away, after putting it together, or covering it and leaving it in the fridge overnight. Whichever option you choose, it will be amazing.
If you are serving bread pudding as a dessert, I suggest adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of warm bread pudding.
HERE ARE SOME MORE BRUNCH RECIPES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
Ham Egg and Cheese Hash Brown Breakfast Muffins
Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
Spinach Artichoke Crustless Quiche
Coconut Cheesecake Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 lb baguette
- 5 eggs
- 12 oz cream of coconut
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 7 oz sweetened coconut flakes (more if you wish)
Cheesecake filling:
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 oz cream of coconut
- 1/4 cup sugar
Instructions
Bread:
- Start by preparing bread at least 24 hours ahead. Bread needs to get stale first.
- Cutting the baguette into small cubes. Spread bread cubes evenly in a large rimmed baking sheet. Try not to crowd the bread much so it will harden evenly.
- Let bread get stale and harden for about a day. (You can even leave it for 2 days.)
Bread Pudding:
- Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 9×13 casserole dish.
- In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, melted butter, cream of coconut, milk, and sugar. Whisk well and set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and cream of coconut. Beat with a mixer for a couple of minutes, until soft and smooth.
- Place cheesecake mixture into a piping bag (or a zip-lock bag). It will be easier to spread the cheesecake over bread using a bag.
- Spread half of the bread in the casserole dish. Squeeze cheesecake mixture all over the bread, try to cover everything evenly.
- Spread remaining bread over the top of the cheesecake mixture.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture all over the bread. Press down on bread all over, to ensure that the eggs is spread evenly all over the dish and bread is soaked.
- Spread the coconut flakes over the top and bake for 45-50 minutes.
- Note: If you notice that coconut flakes are getting too dark on the top, cover the top of the bread pudding with a sheet of foil, press it gently, and continue baking.
KleeAnn says
Hi the cream of coconut? I’m not sure what you mean. I got some coconut milk but it says it’s unsweetened/ first pressing what does that mean? Will that work. I got everything to make it and I am starting to make it right now but I got lost with not knowing what to do about the cream of coconut milk thing need to know asap.
Kristin Clark says
I cannot find a baguette that is bigger than 14oz. Could I use a French bread loaf instead or Texas toast bread?
LyubaB says
Yes, you can use french bread, Cuban Bread, or Italian bread. You could also get 2 baguettes and use the other half of it for french toast or something else the next day.
kevin says
This bread pudding stopped me dead in my visual tract. definitely have to try. This is so sinful.
LyubaB says
Haha! Sinfully good!!! I hope you like it, Kevin!
LyubaB says
Hi, Gloria! Cream of coconut is to coconut milk what condensed milk is to regular milk. It is made by combining coconut cream with lots of sugar. You can usually find it in the Asian food isle.
Gloria Holberton says
Where your recipe calls for cream of coconut what is this?
Bunny Hengstenberg says
Made this today and it tasted great, however I found it to be too dry
Baked at correct oven temp and only 40 min
Susan fliegelman says
Hello do you mean the cream of coconut.. like the coco Lopez …the sweetened kind. or the coconut cream?
LyubaB says
Hi, Susan! Yes, I use cream of coconut!
Teena says
Yrs but the 15 oz can is actually less then 12 so buy 2 cans.
Glenna Murdock says
I, too, thought there were no instructions. This is because you have to scroll WAY down the page, past recipes and ads for many different things to FINALLY get to the directions.
LyubaB says
Sorry, about that! But I have no control on where they place the ads.
Misty Ziegler says
💁OH my stars & garters……this looks AWESOME!!! That being said I cannot wait to make this! I am a true 2 the core ‘coconut head’ & this sounds heavenly!
Very Appreciative,
Misty Ziegler
😁psst: thanks 4 sharing!!!!
LyubaB says
Aww Thanks, Misty!
Carolyn says
Oh my, it does sound wonderful. I, to, am a coconut head and cream cheese as well. I would have never thought of this, thank you for sharing, can’t wait to make it. If family behaves, I may share lol.
LyubaB says
Hi Carolyn,
I think you will really like it! Sharing is optional 😉
Adele Aiken says
this looks great – I could see the recipe easily – must have been a fluke. How many cups of cubed bread do you suppose you get from one loaf?
LyubaB says
Hey, Adele! A 1-pound loaf of bread makes about 10 to 12 cups of cubed bread. Hope that helps 🙂
Dottie says
Hi Lyubab😊 I was just going to ask the same question 😂 I’m a Coconut Freak and I can’t wait to taste this!! I’ll let you know how it turns out, and thanks 😊👍 Feel free to email it to me if you have time?
Beth says
Like Tonya I cannot see the recipe. Could you send me a cut and paste copy of the Coconut Bread Pudding recipe to my email address?
lyuba says
Oh my goodness, that is so strange!! I will send you the recipe to the email that you have listed here. Sorry about that!
Tonya says
What amounts of everything else do you use??
It lists the baguette but no amounts of anything else..
lyuba says
Hi Tonya!
I’m not sure if I’m seeing what you are seeing. The amounts are there in the recipe. Here is a link to a printable version, maybe it will show up for you better that way. Otherwise, email me and I can copy and paste the recipe for you! https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/wprm_print/19281
Dottie says
Hi! The Recipe is there near the end, just keep scrolling instead of reading the life story!