The easiest dessert to make when serving a crowd. Walnut chocolate chip bread pudding is topped with caramel sauce.
The countdown to Thanksgiving is on! Normally, I’d be freaking out by now.
How many guests are coming over? Does anyone have any food allergies? How many side dishes should I make?
But this year is a little different. It’s definitely going to be strange celebrating the holidays without my dad. All these end of the year festivities won’t be the same without him.
But of course, the show must go on and we WILL survive the holidays.
Anyway, this year is also different because we’ve been invited to so many Thanksgiving dinners!
I’m not one to attend a dinner party without bringing dessert.
This walnut chocolate chip bread pudding is my go-to dish.
Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
Bread pudding is one of my favorite desserts, but I only make it for special occasions (preferably ones that involve sharing food with a lot of people).
For the holidays when stress is high, there are too many cooks in the kitchen, and there is just too much going on, bread pudding is heaven sent.
It’s a dessert that can easily feed a crowd and is super easy to make.
What is bread pudding?
Bread pudding is simply day old bread soaked in custard, baked to perfection, and drizzled with sweet goodness. This is just one variation of many, countless bread pudding combinations.
Most bread puddings are super soggy and drenched in custard. I like to keep mine a little drier on top because I prefer the crunch from the exposed toasted bread.
You can always soak the finished bread pudding with caramel sauce…or whiskey.
I can’t get enough of this version. It tastes like a chocolate chip cookie that I can eat with a spoon. Win-win!
What kind of bread to use for pudding?
Any and all breads can be used for bread pudding: baguettes, brioche, croissants, even doughnuts!
Usually day-old bread (lightly stale) is preferred because it is better suited to soaking up the liquids.
This white chocolate strawberry bread pudding is made with leftover hamburger buns.
#BlogsgivingDinner
Thanksgiving is all about spending time with loved ones and sharing a delicious meal together.
Thanks to Meghan from Cake ‘n Knife and Susannah from Feast + West, the food blogging community has come together this week to share Thanksgiving inspired dishes to make sure your holiday is a success.
The idea is based on an old-fashioned potluck dinner party. Each blogger is bringing one or more dishes to the party, so be sure to stop by each one and get some ideas for your own Thanksgiving meal.
We’ll be posting to social media with the hashtag #blogsgivingdinner and you can see the entire menu in Part 1 and Part 2 of the recipe round-up.
Walnut Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound brioche, day old, cut into 1 ½-inch squares
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 4 large eggs, room temp
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cup whole milk, or 2% milk
- ¼ cup bourbon of choice *
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
- caramel sauce, as needed
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, brown sugar, eggs, cream, milk, bourbon, salt, and vanilla. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
- Spread bread in 9 x 12-inch pan. Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Toss to combine until well distributed. Pour liquid mixture over bread. Gently push bread down to ensure it get coated with liquid. Cover pan and let chill in the fridge for at least one hour, or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the liquid has set and the top pieces of bread are toasty. Let bread pudding sit for 10 minutes to slightly cool. Serve bread pudding warm with caramel sauce.
Notes
- Brioche is recommended, but you can pretty much use any bread. Any and all breads can be used for bread pudding: baguettes, brioche, croissants, even doughnuts! Usually day-old bread (lightly stale) is preferred because it is better suited to soaking up the liquids.
- Bourbon adds a touch of warmth and flavor. Dark rum or flavored liquor such as Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur) or Amaretto (almond liqueur) are other options.
- Adding alcohol is optional. If you omit alcohol, sub in with additional milk or heavy cream.
How many side dishes to make? The answer is so many. So so many.
for some reason i tend to forget about bread pudding for dessert (i usually don’t have any responsibilities for thanksgiving besides dessert and maybe mashed potatoes, plus my family doesn’t host, so i have allll the freedom). but i always make cinnamon raisin french toast bread pudding for christmas morning! i think everyone would vote me off the island if the usual didn’t make an appearance, but i’ll sneak in a pan of this too; we’re all big walnut fiends, and no one ever complained about chocolate and caramel (:
Oh…goodness….I am so sorry about your dad, Maryanne! He really sounds like a heavenly man and a kind soul. I pray your grief will be turned into joy whenever you think of him, in due time, as you heal. If I knew you in person or were right there with you, I’d give you a huge hug, girl. I hope you still have a sweet Thanksgiving despite your loss. <33
Thank you so much Ellie! I really appreciate it. I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving! :)
I’m always on for bringing desserts to parties, too. This bread pudding looks amazing, though!! Beautiful!
This bread pudding looks so warm and comforting. This is one of my favorite winter desserts!
This post wins so many things: Best DISHES, best BREAD PUDDING, prettiest dessert to share with a crown. LOVE.
Oh this looks amazing! Bread pudding is never first on my list for dessert, and when I have it, I always remember why it’s so awesome! Thanks for the recipe and the reminder! Love the dishes – what a wonderful family memory to have and to hold.
This looks like the ultimate breakfast!! I think I’ll make this for Christmas morning! Amazing.
It’s always so hard to celebrate the holidays when an important family member passes away – sending you warm thoughts. And warm thoughts of this bread pudding – yum!
Thank you so much Jenny! I wish you a happy Thanksgiving! :)
My favorite dessert in the world is a chocolate chip bread pudding at my favorite restaurant, true story! I need to try this!
I’ve made this a few times now, both with bread and just recently some overbaked/very dry cake, and it was really great. I loathe raisins and this is such a versatile recipe- sometimes I’ll only use milk if I have no cream, sometimes peanuts or almonds instead if I have them, I’ll sometimes throw in a handful of white chocolate chips to sweeten it up, occasionally I’ll omit the bourbon depending on how I feel… it’s turned out wonderful every time!
My tips for this recipe would be to never omit nuts because that crunch is really important, and don’t skip the ‘soak’ time before popping it into the oven, especially if your bread/cake material is really dry. I have shortened it to about half an hour when I’m in a rush though- still turned out awesome!
Where is the recipe for the caramel sauce?