This Air Fryer Bread Pudding is wonderfully soft inside with a golden crisp top and is perfectly sweet. It is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients and is perfect served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Easy Bread Pudding
It is a classic dish that is fairly easy to make with basic pantry ingredients and is perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert and holidays. It is the ultimate use for leftover bread. Although, any type of bread like sandwich bread, burger/hot dog buns, leftover dinner rolls can be used, this recipe is scrumptious made with soft Italian, French, Brioche or challah.
What is bread pudding?
It is a classic comfort dessert or brunch dish made with cubed bread (mostly made with stale leftover bread) soaked in egg custard and baked until golden brown. It is soft, creamy and tastes divine!
Why this recipe works?
- Small batch (when compared to traditional oven baked recipes)
- Air fryer helps in crisping the top yet maintaining a soft inside
- Easy pantry ingredients
- Customizable
- Delicious without bread pudding sauce
- Great for breakfast/brunch/Snack/Dessert
Best bread for bread pudding
Any type of WHITE bread that you have around will work! We recommend soft Italian or French bread but it can certainly be elevated by using buttery breads like Brioche or Challah. That being said, supermarket sandwich bread, burger or hot dog buns, dinner rolls are all great options.
What are not recommended? Sour dough / Whole wheat / whole grain breads / other heavier ones like rye / pumpernickel / cheesy / savory breads / crusty French baguettes (refer notes if using this).
Do you need bread pudding sauce?
This recipe is delicious served with vanilla ice cream that you do not need to make a seperate sauce to go with it. However, if you wish to serve with sauce, then we recommend this recipe from thespruceeats.com
Pro Tips for Success
Use room temperature milk, cream and eggs, if possible
If using cold milk, cream and eggs ---> then whisk all custard mixture together (except butter), and then slowly mix in HOT melted butter. This helps butter not clumping up when mixed into the cold custard.
Recommended bread - Soft Italian / French / Brioche / Challah <--- all these can be found in the bakery section of your supermarket.
To use white sandwich / burger buns / hot dog buns / dinner rolls --------> place cubed bread on a baking sheet and let it air dry for a few hours before baking.
To use crusty baguette - Assemble the pudding and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight before baking. This helps to soften the bread and absorb the egg custard.
Beat eggs before mixing - We prefer to lightly beat the eggs before mixing with milk. This helps the eggs to be thoroughly combined.
Can I skip raisins? We highly recommend not to! They add a wonderful sweet/tart texture to the pudding. However if you wish to, then increase sugar by a tablespoon.
Variations
- Mix and match spices like ground nutmeg / Cardamom / Cloves
- Add chopped toasted pecans / walnuts / sliced almonds /
- Stir in chocolate chips
Main ingredients
This recipe uses simple ingredients that you already have on hand:
Bread - We recommend soft Italian, French, Brioche or Challah bread
Dairy - A combination of whole milk and cream is used
Eggs -2 large room temperature eggs (preferably)
Butter - Melted salted or unsalted butter (skip salt if using salted butter)
Raisins - Golden or dark raisins
Sugar - Regular white sugar
Flavorings - Vanilla extract and ground cinnamon
How to make?
Prep bread - Cut bread into ¾-inch cubes
Egg Custard - Whisk together beaten eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract and cinnamon.
Layer - Spread half the bread and raisins in a greased 6-inch cake pan, Pour half the egg custard over it and repeat process with remaining half.
Bake - Bake in a pre heated 350 degree air fryer for about 15 minutes, until the top is deep golden and custard is set.
How to serve?
It can be served warm or room temperature.
For breakfast / brunch - Sprinkle confectioners sugar on top and serve with fresh fruits.
For dessert / snack - Serve bread pudding warm with a scoop of vanilla ice ream / sweetened whipped cream / strawberries and cream / maple syrup / Chocolate sauce / Caramel sauce for an easy dessert.
How to store leftovers?
If you happen to have leftovers, then cover the cooled pan with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Can you freeze air fryer bread and butter pudding?
Yes! Tightly wrap cooked and cooled pudding, freeze for up to one month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, scoop into a microwave safe dish and microwave until heated through.
Can I make bread pudding in advance?
You can prep the day before, refrigerate and bake the next day. We recommend bringing the pudding to room temperature before baking.
FAQs
Yes! Since this is a small batch recipe, it tends to get over right away at our home. However, if you happen to have leftovers, then wrap well and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Transfer pudding into a microwave safe dish and microwave until warm.
Stale bread helps in better liquid absorption and also gives a wonderful texture to the pudding!
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Air Fryer Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed white bread cut into ¾-inch cubes, refer notes for bread choices
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
Egg mixture
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream or use whole milk
- 5 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For serving
- Confectioners sugar for dusting
- Vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Add eggs into a bowl, whisk to combine, add remaining egg mixture ingredients (except butter) and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Stir in HOT melted butter (this helps in butter not clumping up when mixed with cold milk).
- Grease a 6-inch round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray, spread half the bread cubes, sprinkle half the raisins on top and pour about half the egg mixture evenly on top. Repeat process with remaining bread, raising and egg mixture. (Using the back of a spoon, gently press the bread into the liquid).
- Pre heat air fryer to 350°F for 15 minutes. When hot, place the baking pan inside the air fryer basket and bake for about 15 minutes (the top will be deep golden brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes clean).
- Rest for a few minutes, dust the top with powdered sugar. Serve topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third party calculations, should be considered estimates and not be construed as a guarantee. Varying factors such as product types, brands purchased, produce, the way ingredients are processed and more change the nutritional information in any recipe.
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Creese
That's Bread & Butter Pudding. Quite different from Bread Pudding
Maria Doss
Hi Creese, Thank you for the info, Maria
Josephine B
Hi Maria, there's a bit of confusion between this being a "Bread and Butter Pudding" or a "Bread Pudding". American's seem to use this style of cubing the bread and "pouring" the butter with milk in the custard process, but English style is where the BREAD SLICES ARE BUTTERED and quartered then laid into the dish prior to pouring the milk mixture (custard) over the bread and sultanas before baking.
NO MATTER HOW it's made (American or English) it's still a DAMN GOOD DESSERT and I'm an Australian with English, Irish, Swedish, French and German ancestors, I don't care which way it's made so long as it's with ice cream. YEAH!
Maria Doss
Thank you for the detailed explanation hun, have a great day - Maria
Donna
Couldn't this recipe be doubled (baked in a larger pan of course) and baked in a convection oven, which is just a larger air fryer?
Maria Doss
Totally!