Seasonal Bread Pudding Recipe

Preheat & prepare pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish (or similar 3-quart dish) and set aside.

If your bread is not day-old, spread the cubes on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8–10 minutes until just dry but not browned. Place the cooled cubes into the prepared baking dish.

In a medium bowl, toss the diced apples or pears with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the orange zest to lightly coat; scatter the fruit evenly over the bread cubes. Sprinkle the fresh cranberries and chopped toasted nuts evenly over the top.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and sugar is mostly dissolved. Whisk in the remaining 0.25 teaspoon cinnamon and the nutmeg.

Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread and fruit, pressing gently on the bread with the back of a spoon so cubes soak up the liquid. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15–20 minutes so the bread fully absorbs the custard (or refrigerate up to 2 hours).

If the dish looks dry on top after resting, gently stir a little to move saturated pieces to the top or drizzle up to 2 tablespoons additional milk over dry spots.

Dot the top of the soaked pudding with the melted butter and sprinkle with turbinado sugar for a slight crunch.

Place the baking dish on a sheet pan (to catch any overflow) and bake in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 40–50 minutes, or until the custard is set around the edges and a knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. If the top is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest 10–15 minutes. The pudding will firm up as it cools.

Serve warm, sprinkled with extra toasted nuts if desired and drizzled with maple caramel sauce or warmed caramel. Leftovers refrigerate up to 4 days; reheat individual portions in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 10–12 minutes or microwave until warm.