Pecan Pie Bread Pudding is a mixture of tasty brown sugar pecan pie mixed with vanilla flavored bread pudding, delicious and easy to make!

I’m going to go ahead and tell you something you might think is weird, but my family is not that in to sweets and desserts. We do NOT have a second stomach for desserts. But this Pecan Pie Bread Pudding was SO GOOD that everyone loves it! That’s how good it is.

A little side story – My mom’s fave is pecan pie, and my boyfriend’s fave is bread pudding. So for Thanksgiving, I thought it would be perfect to make Pecan Pie Bread Pudding served with ice cream. I did not expect that it would be such a hit with the entire family!

The pecan pie sweetness goes together with the vanilla flavored bread pudding so well. Then, you add some vanilla or butter pecan ice cream on top? I’m drooling just thinking about it.

One thing to note before you make this recipe – you’re going to want to make sure you have day old french bread!

What is Bread Pudding?

Bread pudding is a dessert made with bread and is actually in many different countries’ cuisines around the world – there are various versions in Europe, America, and also Asia.

Usually made with stale or day old bread, with milk or cream, eggs. Other ingredients can be added to make it either sweet or savory – for example, pecans and vanilla!

Bread pudding used to be known as the ‘poor man’s dessert’ as it was a way to use stale bread, but nowadays it is a popular delicious dessert.

In fact – you WANT to use stale bread or day old bread to make this dessert, because it helps the bread absorb all the deliciousness that makes it bread pudding!

What does bread pudding taste like?

This highly depends on the ingredients you use in the bread pudding. We use vanilla extract so it is sweet with a hint of vanilla. For this recipe, we also make a pecan pie topping – so it tastes like a pecan pie!

Where does bread pudding come from?

Since bread pudding can be found in so many countries, it may be hard to nail down exactly where bread pudding originated.

Most food historians believe bread pudding came from Europe in early 11th and 12th centuries. It was very popular in England in the 13th century.

How to make bread pudding from scratch?

Making bread pudding is incredibly easy! There’s really only 3 steps – mixing the pudding mixture, soaking the bread, and then baking.

Dry Out Bread for Bread Pudding

Now as mentioned, this dessert is known for using up stale bread so you don’t let it go to waste, however, you can dry it out on purpose by cutting the bread in to 1 inch cubes and then leaving it out over night, or you can also dry it out in the oven.

To dry it out in the oven: First, preheat your oven to 350°F. Cut the bread to 1 inch cubes, and arrange in a single layer on a sheet pan. Do not add oil or cooking spray. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the bread is dried but not browned.

Mixing the pudding

Mix together the pudding ingredients – for this recipe, we will be using milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract.

Soaking the bread

Now, soak the bread in the pudding mixing for about 15 minutes – occasionally stirring to make sure all the bread pieces absorb the pudding content.

Bake!

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until firm in center, and the bread pudding on top is slightly browned.

Does bread pudding need to be refrigerated?

Yes, bread pudding will need to be refrigerated, or else it may go bad! The worst is if it grows mold, so definitely make sure to pop it in the fridge if you’re going to save it for later!

Now, you do want to eat the bread pudding warm – so you will want to reheat it when you take it out and eat later.

How to reheat bread pudding?

There are two ways to reheat bread pudding. You can do it in the oven or the microwave! Usually if there’s a lot left and a lot of people wanting to eat it, I use the oven, but if it’s just 1-2 people then we scoop it out and microwave.

To reheat in the oven, just pop it in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes covered. Uncover the last 2-3 minutes to get a crispier top.

To reheat in the microwave, you can just pop it in the microwave in a microwave safe dish, for about 1-2 minutes.

How to make Pecan Pie Bread Pudding?

First gather your ingredients:

• 8 oz day old French bread, cut in to 1 inch cubes
• 2 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup raw pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla extract (we’ll call this the pudding mixture).

In a oven safe casserole dish, add bread and pudding mixture and allow it to soak for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the bread is able to soak as much pudding mixture as possible.

In a small sauce pan, on low heat, add butter, brown sugar and pecans until it all melts and mix well. Remove from heat, and spoon in to the bread pudding casserole. You don’t need to mix it up too much.

Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until the the top is slightly browned and the center is firm.

Remove from oven and serve with ice cream!

If you like pecans btw, also check out my Keto Chocolate Caramel Pecan Clusters recipe here!

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