Quite possibly the easiest dessert to make for a large group. Serve walnut chocolate chip bread pudding with caramel sauce with an extra sweet decadence!
The best kind of the dessert is one that is suitable any time of day. This chocolate bread pudding is that dessert! Serve with a scoop of ice cream for special occasions. The contrasting warm pudding paired with cold ice cream is an unbeatable combination.
Bread pudding is a popular choice for potlucks, brunches, and holiday gatherings. For good reason! One, it is simple and easy to make. Two, it is a versatile dish that can be dressed up or down for any occasion. And three, there is a comforting quality to sharable desserts!
Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
You’ll need a handful of ingredients: bread, sugar, eggs, milk, and cream.
Use any bread you have! Brioche, challah, and French bread are the most popular choices. Croissants, thick Texas toast, and even hot dog buns work. This white chocolate strawberry pudding is a go-to during the grilling season when extra hot dog buns are norm.
Bread pudding is a great way to use up leftover bread. Actually, stale bread is best for pudding! Day old, stale bread is better at soaking up the liquid mixture.
Use a combination of milk and cream. Or, use half and half. For a very rich pudding, skip the milk and go all in with heavy cream.
Recipe Variations
Bread pudding is simply day old bread soaked in custard, baked to perfection. This is just one variation of many, countless bread pudding combinations. Swap out the chocolate chips for peanut butter chips, dried fruit, or other nuts.
Banana Chocolate Bread Pudding: Slice up two medium or large ripe bananas. Toss the sliced bananas along with the chocolate chips and walnuts like this banana rum bread pudding. Or, fan out sliced bread with bananas like Banana Foster bread pudding.
Chocolate Bread Pudding: Dissolve two tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder with the sugar, eggs, milk, and cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bread pudding can be assembled ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before heating.
Bake bread pudding according to recipe instructions. Cool to room temperature. Then, tightly wrap in plastic wrap and secure with aluminum foil. Keep in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a 300°F oven for about 30 minutes until warmed throughout.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to three days. Gently reheat in the microwave for 15-20 second intervals. Or, warm up in a low oven setting until warm, about 10-15 minutes.
Related Desserts
- Chocolate Swirl Bread Pudding
- Apple Bread Pudding
- Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
- Almond Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
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℉. 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.
- If the bread is soft, lightly toast before use. Spread cut bread in a single layer on baking sheet tray. Bake in 350℉ for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted and dry.
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Where is the recipe for the caramel sauce?
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!