Apple bread pudding is a delicious fall twist on a classic dessert recipe! If you’re in the mood for a yummy apple dessert recipe, you’ll love apple bread pudding made with brioche bread!
Apple Bread Pudding Recipe
Bread pudding is such a delicious dessert that seems a little bit fancier than it actually is. This simple dessert is so easy to bake, yet full of flavor!
Table of Contents
This apple bread pudding recipe is made using brioche bread. However, you really could use any bread. I am partial to the brioche bread available at Trader Joe’s. It makes the perfect base for dishes like this.
The brioche bread is also what I use in my stuffing recipe! It’s truly one of my favorites!
This bread pudding recipe is a fall inspired version of the classic. Made with diced fresh apples, it is full of flavor. I love making this recipe each fall whenever we have apples on our trees. It seems that we get apples just about every other year. Many have said this is a normal cycle for apple trees!
As you can see, our apple trees have given us heaps and heaps of apples this year! It makes me want to make lots of apple recipe! Here are some of my favorites:
What is Brioche Bread?
Brioche is a type of pastry made with eggs and butter, and in the case you haven’t tried it, I highly suggest it. I love using brioche as a base for homemade stuffings, it has the best flavor!
It’s making my mouth water just thinking about it! I typically use brioche as the base in my homemade stuffings – I mix it with loads of butter, celery, bacon, and raisins!
Make It Your Own
Bread pudding is traditionally made with some sort of stale bread, often brioche! I used Martha’s recipe as a base for this apple bread pudding, but reduced the milk by a cup since I prefer a less cake-like bread pudding.
I wanted to note that this would be great with walnuts added into the apple mixture! I simply don’t care for nuts in baked desserts, so I opted out of adding them, but if you love the crunch, just add a 1/2 cup of walnuts into the bread & apple mixture before baking!
Ingredients for Bread Pudding
- Brioche Bread – I love the bread from Trader Joes
- Milk
- Eggs
- Brown Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Apples – You’ll need about 5 whole apples to yield the perfect amount for this recipe
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Butter
- Powdered Sugar
How to Make Apple Bread Pudding
- Start by peeling and dicing the apples. You’ll want about 4 cups of diced apples.
- Melt 1 stick of butter in a large skillet or pot. Once the butter is melted, add the apples, a few dashes of cinnamon, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer on low heat for fifteen minutes.
- While the apples simmer, cut the brioche into 1″ cubes. Reserve in a large bowl.
- Next, warm 3 cups of milk in a sauce pan on low heat. Do not boil milk – pull it off right before it begins to boil. You want to scald the milk without boiling.
- While the milk warms, and apples continue to simmer, whisk together 4 eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. salt, a few healthy dashes of cinnamon (about 2 tsp. depending on how much you like the spice!), and 1 tsp. vanilla in a mixing bowl.
- The milk should be warm “scalded” by now, remove it from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Pour the milk into the whisked egg mixture. It’s important to not boil the milk else it will cook the eggs. Whisk as you pour so that the mixture is thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Remove apples from the heat. Pour the apples into the reserved bread, stir together until thoroughly combined.
- Now you’ll put it all together: pour the milk/egg mixture into the bread/apple mixture and stir well. Allow the mixture to soak for 5-10 minutes, or until the bread absorbs the majority of the liquid. The mixture will be pudding-like.
- Pour the pudding into a large greased baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes, or until baked through and golden brown. Note: If the pudding becomes golden brown before it is baked through, simply cover and cook until it is cooked through.
- Finish with a glaze or syrup, and enjoy!
I have to say, with the new blog design, I am having so much fun blogging again. It’s like we are all next-door neighbors getting together to chat each day. Thank you so much for being readers & supporters of Boxwood Avenue – let me know if you try any of these recipes!
The Recipe
Apple Brioche Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1.5 loaves brioche bread
- 3 cups + 1 tablespoon milk – divided
- 4 eggs
- 1/4 cup + 1/2 cup brown sugar – divided
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp + 1 tsp vanilla extract – divided
- 4 cups about 5 whole apples – peeled & diced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- cinnamon to taste
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Cook the apples: Start by peeling and dicing the apples. You’ll want about 4 cups of diced apples.
- Melt 1 stick of butter in a large skillet or pot. Once the butter is melted, add the apples, a few dashes of cinnamon, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer on low heat for fifteen minutes.
- While the apples simmer, cut the brioche into 1" cubes. Reserve in a large bowl.
- Next, warm 3 cups of milk in a sauce pan on low heat. Do not boil milk – pull it off right before it begins to boil. You want to scald the milk without boiling.
- While the milk warms, and apples continue to simmer, whisk together 4 eggs, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. salt, a few healthy dashes of cinnamon (about 2 tsp. depending on how much you like the spice!), and 1 tsp. vanilla in a mixing bowl.
- The milk should be warm "scalded" by now, remove it from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Pour the milk into the whisked egg mixture. It’s important to not boil the milk else it will cook the eggs. Whisk as you pour so that the mixture is thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- The apples should be cooked at this point, remove them from the heat. Pour the apples into the reserved bread, stir together until thoroughly combined.
- Now you’ll put it all together: pour the milk/egg mixture into the bread/apple mixture and stir well. Allow the mixture to soak for 5-10 minutes, or until the bread absorbs the majority of the liquid. The mixture will be pudding-like.
- Pour the pudding into a large greased baking dish. Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes, or until baked through and golden brown. Note: If the pudding becomes golden brown before it is baked through, simply cover and cook until it is cooked through.
- Finish with a glaze or syrup, and enjoy!
- For the glaze: In a small mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, and a splash of vanilla. Stir well and drizzle over the top of the pudding!
I LOVE bread pudding and brioche is my favorite too! I can’t wait to make this!
xo Michael
Your apple streusel cake looks too good to eat!!! So happy to be sharing this fun series together!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe, Chloe. Also, thank you so much for placing your recent blog entries at the top of your home page. Frankly, I find it really frustrating with so many bloggers making you scroll down past a bunch of other content to get to the actual blog posts. Cheers, Ardith
Thank you so much for stopping by and always saying hello! :) I hope you enjoy making a few of these recipes! I made the bread pudding again tonight and one of the pans was gone within 15 minutes! I also am hoping to try Julie’s baked apples! Have a great week, -Chloe
This looks amazing, Chloe! Can’t wait to try it!
Hugs, Jamie
Mmm. Bread pudding made with brioche? Sounds like heaven to me! Thanks for the recipe!
Ok, my mouth is watering! You’ve done it again, my friend! Wow! Definitely making this! xoxo
Oh thank you! And to you too! So delicious!
You always share the best recipes. This sounds so delicious and your photography makes me feel like I’m right there making the bread pudding with you. I’m loving your new blog design, too, by the way!
Right back at you sister!!! And thank you!!!
This sounds really delicious…now if only my oven weren’t broken right now! Just curious, is there a reason for warming the milk?
You can absolutely skip it!! It just adds a bit of that classic bread pudding flavor to the recipe. I was unsure of why to warm it as well – but when I did, I knew right away: it tasted exactly like classic bread pudding (which is traditional to warm the milk and pull it off right before it begins to boil).
**I adapted this recipe from Martha’s classic bread pudding – in her recipe it calls to warm the milk :)
I am absolutely making this amazing dish this weekend! Is there any way to have it as a printable recipe? When I try to do it, the recipe breaks into the photos. :) Thanks for sharing these amazing and comforting dishes xo
Hi Katie! It’s printable now!!! :) Thanks for the helpful tip!!!
Oh my goodness this looks amazing! I could probably eat the whole thing.
I really think the prep time and cook time of the brioche bread pudding might be off just a bit. 25 hours to prep and 35 hours to cook seems a bit high. LOL!
lol!!! Thank you!!! Have updated :)
love new recipes. looks devine !
I know some people are put off by the prep time. All I can say is, I’ve made this recipe four times already. I’m shocked that my friends and family left me the plate. I doubled the recipe this thanksgiving and it was literally devoured I made it for a Biker BBQ and I could have gone home with at least two Harley’s. EVERYONE eats a second piece. It’s well worth the effort, because as one of my oh so skinny friends of mine said, It’s drop dead delicious
Paula, your comment is one of my favorites of all time. Thank you so much! That makes me so happy and excited to be a small part of your fun parties and gatherings. Thank you, thank you! Hugs, Chloe
Has anyone tried this with apple pie filling they canned? Also what if I reduced the eggs to 2?
Hi Sara! Your own canned apple pie filling will be perfect for this!!! I think you’ll be fine with 2 eggs – it’s just acting as a binding agent. It’ll still be delicious! Let me know how it turns out!
One more thing – reduce the loaves to just 1 instead of 1.5 :)
what do i do if the mixture looks to wet
If you have more bread, stir it in to absorb some of the liquid. It will bake up, your may need to increase the bake time a little. If it starts to brown too much you can cover it til it’s baked through. Enjoy!