Vegan Bread Pudding

Why We Love This Recipe

• You could never tell it's vegan. Truly. This bread pudding is insanely decadent and tastes just as delicious as any non-vegan treat you'd have at a restaurant.
• Holiday favorite: This vegan bread pudding makes a great dessert for Christmas, New Year's, Mother's Day or even Thanksgiving! It's easy to throw together and it's perfect for serving to a crowd.
• Twist on a classic: We took a classic, warm and gooey bread pudding and made it vegan. It's just as tasty, sweet, and delicious as the original. We also add in dried fruit, pecans and a splash of bourbon for flavor and texture.
• Easy to make: Simply make the vegan custard, stir everything together and bake. Just don't forget to use stale bread – that's key for creating the right texture in bread pudding.
• Vanilla bourbon sauce: This vegan bread pudding is honestly delicious on its own, but the warm vanilla bourbon brown sugar sauce for serving really takes it to the next level!

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan bread pudding:

Here's what you'll need to make the vanilla brown sugar sauce:

Ingredient Notes

• Bread: We typically use a loaf of French bread in this vegan bread pudding. (Challah or brioche work well if you are not vegan). It's essential to use stale bread for this recipe so we like to purchase ours a day prior to making and leave it on the counter. You can even slice it into cubes the night before making this recipe so it dries out even more.
• Bourbon: We use a splash of bourbon in both the bread pudding and the sauce for extra flavor (it really makes a difference!). Since it's not the focus of this dessert, don't worry about reaching for that expensive bottle on your shelf. If you don't have bourbon on hand, spiced rum or whiskey works just fine!
• Dried fruit: For this vegan bread pudding, feel free to use whatever unsweetened dried fruit you prefer. We love using raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots, dates, etc.
• Cornstarch: You can also substitute with arrowroot starch.
• Dairy free milk vs dairy free creamer: Creamer is generally quite a bit thicker than nondairy milk. It's more similar to heavy cream, which makes the custard nice and thick. We don't recommend using all milk as the custard may not be thick enough and your bread pudding could end up soggy.
• Pecans: Feel free to substitute with walnuts, almonds or pumpkin seeds. You can also leave them out for a nut free version.

Instructions

Prep: If your bread is fresh, cube the bread, spread it out on a baking sheet and leave it uncovered for several hours or overnight. It shouldn't be completely dried out, but it should be slightly stale so it holds up to the custard.

Prep: In a small bowl, stir together the dried fruit, bourbon and orange juice. If you have the time, let the dried fruit sit for up to 24 hours to absorb the liquid. If you don't have the time, even a few hours will work. Don't discard any liquid that hasn't been absorbed – it all gets added to the bread pudding.

Preheat oven to 350˚F and lightly grease a 10-inch skillet. 

Add the butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the cornstarch and ½ cup of the milk. Whisk until smooth.

Add in the remaining milk, creamer, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk well to combine.  

Bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat, then reduce to medium low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until thickened. 

Add in the dried fruit (with any bourbon and orange juice that didn't get absorbed) and pecans and stir well. 

Add bread cubes to a large bowl, then pour the custard mixture over the bread and stir well to coat. Let sit for 30-40 minutes, stirring 3-4 times, to make sure the bread fully absorbs the custard. 

Transfer to the prepared skillet and bake for 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and slightly caramelized. 

While the bread pudding is in the oven, add all ingredients except vanilla and bourbon to a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk well until butter is melted. 

Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook until slightly thickened. It shouldn't be too thick – it should have the consistency of a sauce (not a caramel). Remove from heat and whisk in the bourbon and vanilla extract. 

Serve warm over the bread pudding. 

Tips and FAQs

• Soaking the fruit: To keep the fruit moist and soft in the bread pudding, we soak it in the bourbon and orange juice for up to 24 hours before making this recipe. If you don't have time, even an hour or two will do the trick. Just make sure not to discard any of the soaking liquid – it all gets added to the bread pudding!
• Let the bread pudding sit before baking: 30-40 minutes of resting time allows the bread to soak up all of that delicious custard. If you skip this, your bread pudding will likely be very dry in spots, and soggy in others.
• For a non alcoholic version, sub the bourbon with more orange juice.
• Change it up by substituting the bourbon with spiced rum.
• The best bread: We recommend using a hearty and sturdy bread for this recipe that will stand up to the sauce. French bread is best for a vegan option, but brioche is also great if you're not vegan.
• Wait to add the bourbon and vanilla to the sauce until it's done cooking. Otherwise, the alcohol will completely cook out of the sauce.
• Storage: While this vegan bread pudding is best served hot, you can always keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. If possible, store the vanilla brown sugar sauce separate from the bread pudding.
• Reheating leftovers: Reheat in the microwave for 45-60 seconds, or reheat the entire pan in a 350˚F oven until warmed through.
• Freezer storage: Freeze bread pudding without the sauce on top for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat.

More Sweet Treats to Enjoy

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