This delicious eggnog bread pudding is the perfect dessert for Christmas or the holiday season. Sliced sweet bread, eggnog and dried cranberries are baked as a casserole, and served with custard, whipped cream or ice cream.
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Bread pudding is a traditional recipe where bread cubes are soaked in eggs and milk, and baked in the oven. It's kind of like a baked French toast casserole, served as a dessert, often with a warm sauce on top.
Why you'll love it
- Easy Christmas bread pudding recipe
- Great way to use up leftover brioche bread
- Add any fruits or berries that you like
- Popular with kids and adults alike
- Can be prepared in advance
- Suitable for freezing
Looking for Christmas dessert recipes? Try my Puff Pastry Apple Pie or Brandied Pears.
Ingredients
French brioche bread: I like to use brioche, but you can really use any sliced white bread or sweet bread. Sweet bread rolls or buns also work well. See the Variations section below for other bread suggestions.
Eggnog: Use your favorite eggnog, or try my vegan eggnog recipe. I prefer to use a non-alcoholic variety.
Eggs: Allow the pieces of bread to stick together to form the casserole.
Vanilla extract: Adds a lovely vanilla flavor. Optional.
Dried cranberries: A perfect addition to a holiday dessert. Can be omitted, or substituted with other dried fruit.
Raisins: Optional, but highly recommend addition!
Sugar: Completely optional, but makes the bread pudding a little sweeter. Substitute with maple syrup or honey if you prefer.
Oat milk: I like to use oat milk, but you can really use any milk that you like. Whole milk is a great alternative, but soy milk, almond milk or skim milk also works. You can even substitute with more eggnog.
Instructions
You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
One: Cut the bread into 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide cubes. You can also rip the bread into similar sized pieces.
Two: Combine eggnog, milk, egg, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Whisk to incorporate the ingredients evenly.
Three: Add the bread pieces, raisins and dried cranberries to the liquid ingredients, and stir to combine. Leave the mixture to rest for at least 10 minutes, or overnight.
Four: Pour the bread and eggnog mixture into a 9-inch square casserole dish, or an oven safe baking dish of a similar size. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 F / 190 C for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
💡 TIP! You can use any casserole dish that is big enough to fit the bread pudding. Keep in mind that the pudding will rise a little while it bakes, so your dish needs to have extra space.
Top tips
- Give the bread enough time to really soak up the eggnog to make the bread pudding more flavorful.
- The exact baking time can vary depending on many factors, like the make and model of your oven, and the thickness of your casserole dish. Check that the pudding is cooked by inserting a fork, skewer, or toothpick into the middle. It should come out clean when the bread pudding is baked.
- Customize the flavor of the pudding to suit your preferences.
- Don't over mix the eggs. The wet ingredients should only be just combined.
Serving suggestions
Serve this easy eggnog bread pudding as a dessert at Christmas, Thanksgiving or anytime in December. It's packed with seasonal flavors, and a great option for a holiday sweet dish.
I love to serve this bread pudding with vanilla custard, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream. You can also serve it with any other sauce that you like, or simply enjoy it plain.
Pair it with a cup of Eggnog Coffee, Instant Pot Mulled Wine or Instant Pot Apple Cider for a sweet holiday breakfast or afternoon treat.
Variations
Other types of bread: Any white or sweet bread can be used in this recipe, including leftover donuts, sweet bagels, sliced white bread, bread rolls, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon raisin bread and others.
Add-ins: Mix in any add-ins that you like. Dark chocolate chips, orange zest, cranberry sauce, dried apricots, dates, marzipan chunks, pecans, walnuts, or Honey Roasted Almonds are all excellent options.
Added flavors: In addition to tasty add-ins, you can add cinnamon, gingerbread spice, orange extract, cocoa powder, or by using chocolate milk instead of regular milk.
Equipment
To make this eggnog dessert recipe, you will need a large bowl and a whisk to prepare the bread pudding eggnog mixture.
Additionally, you will need a baking dish to bake the dessert. I use a 9-inch square dish, but any oven safe dish that comfortably fits the ingredients will work.
Storage
You can store any leftover eggnog bread pudding in a refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze it for up to 6 months. Defrost frozen bread pudding in a refrigerator overnight.
The dessert can be served cold, but it tastes much better warm! I like to warm mine up in a microwave, or by baking it in an oven at 400 F / 200 C for about 5 minutes, until it's warm throughout.
This dish can also be prepared in advance. You can bake the bread pudding a few days or weeks early, and reheat it when you want to serve it.
Alternatively, you can also prepare the eggy bread cube mixture, and leave it in a refrigerator overnight. Then, you can transfer it to an oven, and bake it when you're ready.
Frequently asked questions
Any sweet bread or white bread is great for bread pudding. Sliced white bread, leftover baguettes, brioche bread, sweet bagels and raisin bread are great options.
Sometimes. You can buy or make eggnog with or without alcohol, depending on what you prefer. Both versions will work in this recipe.
You might also like these recipes
- Blueberry and White Chocolate Muffins
- Puff Pastry Mince Pies
- Sultana Scones
- Eggnog Coffee
- Vanilla Sponge Cake
- Healthy Orange Loaf Cake
- Banana and Date Loaf
- Fall Fruit Salad
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Eggnog Bread Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups cubed brioche bread (or other sweet white bread)
- 2 cups eggnog
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F / 190 C.
- Cut the bread into 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide cubes. You can also rip the bread into similar sized pieces.
- Combine eggnog, milk, egg, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Whisk to incorporate the ingredients evenly.
- Add the bread pieces, raisins and dried cranberries to the liquid ingredients, and stir to combine. Leave the mixture to rest for at least 10 minutes, or overnight.
- Pour the bread and eggnog mixture into a 9-inch square casserole dish, or an oven safe baking dish of a similar size. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Video
Notes
- Feel free to add any add-ins that you like, such as chocolate chips, dried fruit, pecans, walnuts, orange zest or cranberry sauce.
- Serve bread pudding warm with whipped cream, ice cream or vanilla custard on top.
- Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.
- Make ahead option: Prepare the eggnog bread mixture the night before, keep it refrigerated overnight, and bake it when you're ready to serve the dish.
Nutrition
Food safety tips
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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