A quick and easy recipe for bread pudding, made with day-old croissants or bread, and topped with a silky, maple crème anglaise sauce.
You might also like caramel apple crumble with bourbon toffee sauce, rhubarb crumble and custard, and orange vanilla custard.

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What is Bread Pudding?
Bread pudding is a simple dessert dating all the way back to the early 11th and 12th centuries. It was also known as “poor man’s pudding” as it was a popular way for lower class people to use up leftover stale bread with other inexpensive ingredients like milk, cream and eggs. The stale bread soaks up the custard mixture, and as it bakes, it puffs up a bit with crisp browned bits of bread on top and rich, creamy custard underneath. You can add spices, liqueurs, dried fruit, nuts or chocolate, and it’s often served with a sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
So Easy to Make. This dessert is quick and easy to prepare at the last minute, is served warm, and looks so lovely spooned into pretty little bowls, or baked in individual ramekins.
Uses Leftover Ingredients. Do you have half a loaf of French bread sitting around? Instead of making French toast, consider turning it into this delicious bread pudding.
Versatile. From the different types of bread you use, to the spices, liqueurs, dried fruits and nuts, you can make this recipe your own.
High Altitude Tested. I develop all the recipes on my site for Denver’s altitude of 5,280 feet. If you’re at a lower or higher elevation, please see my FAQs for guidance on adjusting recipes for your altitude.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- Eggs. Adds richness, as well as helps the custard thicken and puff up as it bakes.
- Whole Milk + Cream. The fat in whole milk and cream makes a rich, flavorful custard.
- Sugar. I used light brown sugar, but you can also use plain granulated sugar to sweeten the custard.
- Spices. A blend of vanilla extract and freshly grated nutmeg add wonderful flavor.
- Liqueur. You don’t have to add liqueur, but it adds a nice touch of flavor. I’ve used both orange liqueur and bourbon in this recipe, and they’re both great.
- Croissants. Make sure the croissants are a few days old so they soak up more of the custard.
TIP: In addition to croissants, you can make this recipe with many types of bread, including brioche, Challah, French bread, white sandwich bread, and even corn bread.
Crème Anglaise
- Whole Milk + Cream. A combination of whole milk and heavy whipping cream makes a rich, creamy sauce. Lower fat dairy products just won’t be as delicious.
- Egg Yolks. Gives the sauce richness and helps to thicken it just a bit.
- Pure Maple Syrup. Adds sweetness and maple flavor. You can also use granulated sugar or light brown sugar instead of the syrup.
- Vanilla Extract. Flavor.
Instructions
Bake the bread pudding.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Set 6 ramekins on a baking sheet and spray each lightly with non-stick baking spray, or use an 8-inch baking pan instead of the ramekins.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and liqueur until well combined. This is the custard that the bread will soak up.
- Tear the croissants into half-inch pieces and drop into the custard mixture. Stir until the croissants are soaked, then divide between the ramekins.
- Bake the bread pudding for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown, puffed and set. let cool for 5 minutes, then serve warm with the creme anglaise.
Make the crème anglaise.
- While the bread pudding is baking, you can make the sauce to serve it warm.
- In a saucepan, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth. Cook over medium heat, while whisking constantly, until the mixture is steaming and just starting the bubble around the edges.
- Remove from the heat and keep refrigerated until needed. Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce.
TIP: The crème anglaise is not thick like pudding, but is more of a “pourable custard” that’s served as a sauce. To make it a touch thicker, you can add 1 tablespoon corn starch, but this is not a typical ingredient. It will be thinner when warm, and a little thicker after chilling. You can also make it up to 2 days in advance and serve the sauce chilled with the warm puddings.
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate and Bourbon. I’ve made this recipe with chocolate chips scattered throughout the pudding, and bourbon instead of the orange liqueur, and it’s fantastic.
- Dried Fruit. Raisins would be great in this recipe, as well as chopped dried apricots, or even dried apples. The dried fruit gets soft and plump as it bakes and soaks up the custard.
- Spices. Besides nutmeg, I love cinnamon, cloves or cardamom to spice up bread pudding.
- Nuts. A sprinkling of pecans adds texture and crunch. You could also add pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts.
Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!
Frequently Asked Questions
Should bread pudding be served hot or cold?
I like it best served hot from the oven, but you can also eat it chilled.
What kind of bread is best for this recipe?
Use any kind of leftover or stale white bread. Croissants, of course, but also leftover brioche, challah, French bread and even just plain white sandwich bread. I’ve also made bread pudding with leftover corn bread, which is delicious.
How much bread should I use if I don’t have croissants?
Use about 4 cups of cubed bread to replace the 3 large croissants.
How long will the leftovers keep?
Kept in the refrigerator, the pudding will keep for up to 4-5 days.
What’s the difference between custard and crème anglaise?
The two are very similar with ingredients like milk, cream, egg yolks and vanilla, but crème anglaise is known as a “pourable custard” that’s thin enough to pour or spoon onto cake or fruit. Custards will usually contain corn starch to thicken them to the consistency of pudding, especially if used for filling a custard pie, like coconut cream pie or banana cream pie. I don’t add corn starch to my crème anglaise, but you certainly can if you want a thicker consistency.
What size ramekins did you use?
6-ounce ramekins.
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Croissant Bread Pudding
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- 6 (6-oz) ramekins (or an 8 inch baking pan)
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 3 large eggs
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, or cinnamon
- 2 tbsp orange liqueur or bourbon
- 3 large day-old croissants
Creme Anglaise
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Bread Pudding
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Set 6 ramekins on a baking sheet and spray each lightly with non-stick baking spray, or use an 8-inch baking pan instead of the ramekins.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg and liqueur until well combined. This is the custard that the bread will soak up.
- Tear the croissants into half-inch pieces and drop into the custard mixture. Stir until the croissants are soaked, then divide between the ramekins.
- Bake the bread pudding for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown, puffed and set. let cool for 5 minutes, then serve warm with the creme anglaise.
Creme Anglaise
- While the bread pudding is baking, you can make the sauce to serve it warm. You can also make it up to 2 days in advance and serve the sauce chilled with the warm puddings.
- In a saucepan, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth. Cook over medium heat, while whisking constantly, until the mixture is steaming and just starting the bubble around the edges.
- Remove from the heat and keep refrigerated until needed. Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce.
What could I replace the liqueur as I do not use alcohol in food?