This Crock Pot Bread Pudding Recipe makes a home-cooked dessert favorite even easier to prepare! Don't worry; it's still as delicious as the classic bread pudding you love. Each bite is soft and fluffy and perfectly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. Even better, it cooks in the crock pot in just a few hours creating a hot, sweet treat ready to finish off any meal.
Are you looking for easy desserts to serve a group or just your family? This bread pudding is a classic dessert that's been around for years but we're making it easier by using the slow cooker instead of the oven.
It's the perfect end to just about any meal and made all the better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In our house we love it for dessert after family favorites such as garlic chicken and potatoes, pizza casserole, or BBQ chicken sandwiches.
If you love making desserts in the slow cooker you've got to try this crock pot lava cake or Crock Pot Cherry Cobbler next. It's another tasty twist on a classic dessert.
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Why You'll Love This Crock Pot Bread Pudding Recipe
- Classic Dessert. Almost everyone loves this old-fashioned dessert with its custard-like texture and sweetly spiced flavor.
- Don't Waste Old Bread. Since it uses stale bread, it's a great way to use up old bread.
- Simple and Easy. This dish uses simple ingredients you may already have on hand and takes only a few steps to prepare.
- All-Occasion Dessert. It's for family dinners, potlucks, or dinner parties.
Ingredients
- Italian bread: Use stale bread cut into 1-inch pieces. You can also try this with challah, sourdough, or another hearty bread.
- Large eggs: Eggs are necessary to create the custard that soaks into the bread and gives it the light and fluffy texture.
- Milk: Regular whole milk adds flavor and moisture to the custard and to the sauce. You can swap it for a non-dairy milk if you need it to be dairy-free.
- Granulated sugar: Regular sugar sweetens the dessert but you can also use brown sugar in a pinch. It may change the darken the color of the sauce and the pudding if you use brown sugar instead but it does have a more complex flavor that works well.
- Butter: Butter has a rich flavor it contributes to the bread pudding mixture and the sauce while also adding some moisture and fattiness to the pudding. I would not try substituting it with oil as you will lose the salty, richness it gives the dessert.
- Spices and Flavoring: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract add natural sweetness and warmth to the bread and custard as it cooks.
- Flour: You will need just a bit of all-purpose flour to thicken the sauce.
See the recipe card below for the full list of the ingredients and their exact quantities.
Flavor Variations
- Change the Sauce: While vanilla is warming and fragrant and makes a great sauce for the dish you can also experiment with different extracts to create a variety of flavors. Experiment with rum, coconut, or banana -- they're some of my favorites.
- Fun Bread Swap: Use a cinnamon raisin bread or mix in some leftover muffins for a flavorful and delicious dessert.
- Add Dried Fruit: Raisins often make an appearance in some bread pudding recipes. Try it with raisins, golden raisins, dried cranberries, or even chopped dried apricots.
- Add Different Spices: Allspice, pumpkin spice, and apple pie spice are all tasty additions to the cinnamon and nutmeg or you can use them instead.
- Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free bread for the bread pudding and swap the flour for a gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch to thicken the vanilla sauce.
For another crock pot twist on a classic dessert, try my crock pot cinnamon rolls.
How To Make Bread Pudding in the Crock Pot
- Step 1: Add the bread. Prep your 6-quart slow cooker with a generous amount of non-stick cooking spray and add the cubes of bread.
- Step 2: Mix the custard. Add the eggs, milk, sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl. Whisk them together until well combined.
- Step 3: Add to slow cooker. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and gently fold them together until all the bread is coated.
- Step 4: Cook. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to low and cook 3-4 hours. Just before the bread pudding is done, make the vanilla sauce. Pour it over the bread pudding before serving and enjoy.
Time Saving Hint
For easy cleanup, use a slow cooker liner. It's the best way to prevent the bread pudding from sticking to the slow cooker.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers after it's fully cooled for up to 4 days in an air-tight container.
- Freezer: The sauce will not freeze well so when freezing, do not pour the sauce over the bread pudding. Freeze the leftovers without the sauce wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Make another batch of vanilla sauce when you're ready to serve it again.
- Reheat: The easiest way to reheat is to microwave individual servings at 30-second intervals until warm. You can also place the leftovers in a baking dish and heat covered at 300° F for 12-15 minutes or until heated as desired.
Serving Suggestions
Crock pot bread pudding is an easy dessert that makes a delicious end to any meal. It's perfect for serving a crowd and you can keep it warm in the slow cooker during serving.
Top your bread pudding with a generous dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. It's the final touch that makes this dessert even more decadent and delicious.
It's the perfect end to a home-cooked meal with heart dishes such as my shepherd's pie and this easy crock pot pot roast! Bread pudding is a popular Southern dessert, so enjoy it with this Cajun chicken pasta or slow cooker red beans and rice.
Expert Tips
- Use Stale Bread. Bread pudding is best with stale bread. Because it's slightly dried out it doesn't become overly mushy when cooked with the custard. If you don't have stale bread, leave your bread cubes out for a few hours to dry out.
- Easy Cleanup. A crock pot liner is the best way to keep the pudding from sticking to the bottom and sides. Non-stick spray may not do the trick and you may find needing to work harder to get your crock pot clean.
- Test for Doneness. Your bread pudding is done when you inset a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean.
- Let the Bread Soak First. Be sure to give the bread a few minutes to soak up the custard mixture before cooking it.
Recipe FAQs
Bread pudding is a rustic dish made with stale bread, and a custard base of eggs, cream, and some form of fat. It can be sweet or savory depending on the other ingredients used.
Italian, French, challah, and other thick, hearty breads are excellent for bread pudding. More than the type of bread, the biggest key is to use stale or leftover bread.
Stale bread soaks up the custard mixture more easily and holds its shape more readily while cooking. If you don't have stale bread you can toast your bread cubes in the oven or leave them out overnight on a tray.
More Easy Crock Pot Desserts
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Slow Cooker Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 8 cups Italian bread cut into 1-inch pieces
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray and add bread crumbs.
- Add eggs, milk, sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread and gently fold until all the bread is coated.
- Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce the heat to low and cook 3-4 hours. Just before the bread pudding is done, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. While whisking, slowly add in milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Pour over bread pudding before serving and enjoy.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
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