Doughnut Bread Pudding Recipe

Prepare doughnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a 9x9-inch or 8x10-inch baking dish. Slice each Krispy Kreme® doughnut into thirds horizontally (or roughly tear into bite-size pieces) so you have about 24 pieces total. Place the pieces in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.

If using chocolate chips as pockets of melt, scatter them evenly among the doughnut pieces before pouring custard.

Make custard

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and heavy cream and warm over medium heat until small bubbles form at the edge (do not boil), about 4–6 minutes. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Tempering: Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Continue adding the warm milk in a thin stream, whisking, until about half of the milk is incorporated. Then pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, stirring constantly.

Cook briefly (optional): Return the saucepan to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the custard slightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the melted butter.

Pouring custard: Immediately pour the warm custard evenly over the doughnut pieces in the baking dish, pressing the doughnut pieces gently so they soak but retain some shape. Let the dish sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes to allow the doughnuts to absorb the custard and for any chocolate chips to settle into the custard.

Bake

Place the baking dish in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven and bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, or until the custard is set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center (it will continue to set as it cools). If the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 8–10 minutes.

Cool: Remove from oven and let the pudding cool for at least 15 minutes. For cleaner slices, cool 30–45 minutes. The center should be custardy but not liquid.

Finish and serve: Dust the top with powdered sugar just before serving. Warm caramel or vanilla sauce and drizzle over individual portions, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Storage: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Rewarm individual portions in the microwave (20–30 seconds) or in a 325°F (160°C) oven until warmed through.