When the flavors of apple pie come together with classic bread pudding what you get is this unbelievably good Apple Pie Bread Pudding! Full of cinnamon spiced fresh apples and plump raisins, it’s custardy in the middle and finished with a creamy butter and brown sugar sauce. Just top it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’s the perfect quick and easy dessert that holiday season!
Easy Apple Pie Bread Pudding Recipe
Bust out the apples. It’s the holiday season and time for apple pie to take the stage on your table. Yet, this year what if your classic apple pie was transformed into a delicious apple pie bread pudding!?! With all the yummy apple pie flavors folded into the soft custard-like center. That’s what we’ve got here and it’s incredible!
This spin on apple pie and bread pudding is the best parts of both of the yummy desserts. And just like classic bread pudding, it is simple to make. You don’t even have to make an apple pie filling or pie crust! You just add fresh apples right in with the bread. Super easy!
So give this recipe a try! You can serve it as a dessert topped with ice cream, for brunch, or even as an indulgent holiday breakfast! Apple pie bread pudding is sure to satisfy and impress!
Why You’ll Love This Apple Pie Bread Pudding
- Easy Dessert! This is a fantastic dessert recipe for novice bakers. You can whip this yummy apple bread pudding together in under an hour using just basic ingredients.
- Apple Pie Twist! When apple pie meets bread pudding it’s absolute deliciousness with all the cinnamon apple flavors inside a soft bread custard dessert.
- Crowd Pleaser! Move over old-fashioned apple pie! Your family and friends will be wowed with this dessert at holiday dinners this year.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Bread Pudding
- Eggs – Helps to bind the bread pudding together and make it fluffy.
- Plain Yogurt – Full-fat plain yogurt works best. Make sure the yogurt doesn’t have any added sugar.
- Milk – Whole milk is ideal, but any type of milk will work including non-dairy varieties such as almond milk.
- Vanilla Extract – Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. You can also use vanilla bean paste if you prefer.
- Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon is used to add some classic apple pie taste to the pudding.
- Brown Sugar – Adds sweetness and helps to develop the apple flavor.
- Apples – I like to use Granny Smith apples for their firm texture and tartness. But you can use any kind you like. Just keep in mind that firmer varieties will hold their shape better.
- Raisins – Always added to classic bread pudding. Use fresh raisins for the best texture.
- Bread – My top choice is soft and buttery brioche. Yet, any type of bread will work. Some good options other than brioche are french bread and challah.
Sauce
- Butter – Always use unsalted butter to control the added salt.
- Heavy Cream – Add richness to the sauce and thickens it too. Milk will not work.
- Brown Sugar – There is naturally a bit of molasses in brown sugar, which adds some depth to the sauce.
How To Make Apple Pie Bread Pudding
This recipe is super simple! You only need one baking dish, one bowl, and a saucepan. You don’t even have to precook the apples and any type of bread will do.
Preheat the Oven And Prep The Dish
To start, prepare your oven by preheating it to 350°F (177°C). Then spray a 9×13 inch baking dish or casserole dish well with nonstick cooking spray. You can also grease it with oil if you prefer.
Make The Wet Apple Mixture
First, you need to make the wet mixture that coats the bread cubes. Whisk the eggs, plain yogurt, milk, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Next, add 1 teaspoon of the ground cinnamon and 1⁄2 cup of the brown sugar and whisk again until fully combined. Then stir in the apples and raisins.
Add The Bread
Now let’s add the bread so it starts looking like apple bread pudding! Gently fold the cubes of bread into the apple mixture. Yet, as you do this, you want to make sure that you don’t squish the cubes. However, the bread does need to be fully soaked. Then pour the bread and apple mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Top The Bread Pudding
To finish the pudding, mix the remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar together with the remaining 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the bread pudding making sure to coat the entire surface.
Bake The Apple Pie Oatmeal
Once the bread pudding is assembled, put the baking pan into the oven and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes or until it’s golden brown on top and it springs back up when you press it. Then remove it from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for a few minutes before serving.
Make The Sauce
While your bread pudding is baking away in the oven, make the sauce! To do this, add the butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar to a medium saucepan. Now, bring the mixture to a boil over medium-low heat and simmer the sauce, stirring from time to time for about 5 minutes or until it thickens. Then remove the sauce from the heat.
Serve And Enjoy
With the bread pudding baked and sauce made, grab a few plates and get ready to serve. First, pour the warm sauce evenly over the bread pudding. Then cut the apple pie bread pudding into squares and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
How do You Know When The Bread Pudding Is Done?
When it’s ready the apple bread pudding will be golden brown on top and spring back up when you press it. If there is liquid coming up when you press then it isn’t quite done yet.
Why Did My Bread Pudding Come Out Soggy?
This happens when you either didn’t bake it long enough or the ingredients are off. Most commonly it’s due to too much liquid and not enough bread. This is why it’s so important to accurately measure all your ingredients for the most success.
Expert Tips
- Use firm apples. Crisp and firm apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Fuji are the best picks to make this apple bread pudding recipe. Softer varieties of apples do not maintain their shape as well when cooked and can sometimes turn to mush.
- Fully emerge the bread. Coat the bread well in the egg and milk mixture so that it absorbs plenty of moisture and bakes properly. Yet, try not to smash the cubes when doing so.
- Cover with foil. If your bread pudding starts to brown too much before it’s done in the middle, lay a piece of foil over the top to keep it from burning.
Storage
Leftover apple pie bread pudding will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. To rewarm it, just put it in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 5 to 10 minutes. You can also put it in the microwave on medium power for a few minutes.
It’s also possible to freeze bread pudding for about 3 months if you wrap it really well in plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container. Then just allow it to thaw out at room temperature or in the fridge for a few hours before reheating it in the oven.
Other Delicious Desserts To Try
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Apple Pie Bread Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
- ¾ cup brown sugar divided
- 3 large apples peeled, cored and cubed, such as granny smith
- ½ cup raisins
- 8 cups bread cubed, such as brioche (about 1 bread)
Sauce
- 1 cup butter unsalted
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and ½ cup of the sugar.
- Stir int he apples and raisins. Gently fold in the bread cubes making sure the bread is fully soaked. Pour the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Combine the remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar with the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the bread pudding.
- Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add the butter, heavy cream and brown sugar to a sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium-low heat.
- Turn the heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens, should take about 5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the bread pudding and cut it into squares. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Tips & Notes:
- Use firm apples. Crisp and firm apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Fuji are the best picks to make this apple bread pudding recipe. Softer varieties of apples do not maintain their shape as well when cooked and can sometimes turn to mush.
- Fully emerge the bread. Coat the bread well in the egg and milk mixture so that it absorbs plenty of moisture and bakes properly. Yet, try not to smash the cubes when doing so.
- Cover with foil. If your bread pudding starts to brown too much before it’s done in the middle, lay a piece of foil over the top to keep it from burning.
- Leftover apple pie bread pudding will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. To rewarm it, just put it in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 5 to 10 minutes. You can also put it in the microwave on medium power for a few minutes.
- It’s also possible to freeze bread pudding for about 3 months if you wrap it really well in plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container. Then just allow it to thaw out at room temperature or in the fridge for a few hours before reheating it in the oven.
