Apple Raisin Bread Pudding

From the kitchen of Carly

Toasted cinnamon raisin bread soaks up a silky custard while caramelized apple slices add natural sweetness and soft texture. Golden and comforting, this bread pudding bridges breakfast and dessert with the kind of warmth that makes any morning feel special.

Apple Raisin Bread Pudding

Bread pudding with a real backbone. Golden Delicious apples cooked down until they're almost melting, plus the chew of cinnamon raisins in the bread, means you get texture beyond just custardy softness. The trick is letting the custard soak before baking, which binds everything together without overcooking the eggs. It's warm, not hot, so the apple flavor stays bright.

Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 8 slicecinnamon raisin bread, quartered
  • 1 lbGolden Delicious apples , peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
  • 1/2 cupplus 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 cuphalf-and-half
  • 6 largeeggs

Instructions

  1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375°F.

  2. Spread the bread pieces in a single layer on a large 17- by 13-inch baking sheet and toast until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let them cool on the sheet and keep the oven on.

  3. While the bread cools, toss the apple slices with 3 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl until evenly coated. Tip them into a dry 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat and cook about 15 minutes, swirling the pan and turning the slices occasionally, until they are tender and pale golden.

  4. Layer the toasted bread and cooked apples together in a 2-quart soufflé dish or a 2-inch-deep baking dish, roughly 8- by 12-inch oval.

  5. In a bowl, whisk the half-and-half, eggs, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined, then pour the custard over the bread and apples. Give it 15 minutes to soak at room temperature.

  6. Set the baking dish inside a water bath and bake until the edges are set but the center still trembles slightly when you gently shake the dish, 50 minutes to 1 hour for a soufflé dish or 35 to 40 minutes for a shallow dish. Transfer to a rack and let the pudding cool to warm, about 1 hour; it will continue to firm up as it sits.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Toast the bread first. Dry bread soaks up the custard properly without turning to mush. Fresh bread will fall apart.
  • Cook the apples in a dry skillet without added butter or oil. Their own moisture releases and they caramelize slightly, concentrating their sweetness and sharpness.
  • Bake in a water bath and pull it when the center still jiggles a little. The pudding sets fully as it cools, so overbaking makes it tough and rubbery.
  • Use a shallow baking dish for a quicker, firmer pudding (35 to 40 minutes) or a deeper soufflé dish for a creamier, more custardy result (50 minutes to 1 hour).

Variations

  • Swap Golden Delicious for Honeycrisp if you want more crunch and a sharper bite.
  • Use challah or brioche instead of cinnamon raisin bread for a richer, less spiced pudding that lets the apples take the lead.
  • Add a splash of rum or brandy to the custard mixture for a deeper, boozy warmth.
  • Use Granny Smith apples with regular white bread and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract for a cleaner, more tart version.

Make ahead and storage

Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes until warmed through. It's best served warm, not cold, and doesn't freeze well because the custard becomes grainy.