Easy Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

This Easy Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce tops a moist and tender bread pudding with decadent caramel sauce for the perfectly sweet dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Bread Pudding, Bread Pudding Sauce, Caramel Sauce, Stale Bread Recipes, Waste Reduction

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Melt your butter on the stove or by microwaving on high in 20-second intervals, stirring in between until completely liquefied. Set melted butter aside to cool.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Cut your bread into cubes, about 1-inch long on each side, and set aside.
10 slices stale bread
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and your cooled melted butter.
2 large eggs, 2 cups milk, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Fold in your cubed bread and stir to coat. At this point, it should be a wet mixture with a little excess liquid.
Transfer the bread mixture to a baking dish. You can use a 13.5-inch oval, an 11.5-inch square, or a 13 x 9-inch rectangular casserole dish. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top starts to turn golden brown.
Pour caramel sauce over top while it's still warm and allow it to sink into the bread pudding as it cools. You can use storebought caramel sauce or whip up the homemade caramel sauce below while your bread pudding is baking.
⅓ cup caramel sauce

Meanwhile, heat the milk either over the stove on low or in a microwave-safe glass (I just use my Pyrex measuring cup) for 45 seconds, until you see steam coming off the milk.
⅓ cup milk
Add the sugar to a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Stir very occasionally until the sugar starts to form clumps.
¾ cup granulated sugar
Once the sugar starts to clump, continuously stir with a rubber whisk or spatula until it liquefies and starts to brown. Continue to stir to ensure it does not burn.
Turn the stove off but keep the saucepan or pot on the burner. Continue to stir and slowly add the warm milk to the sugar. When you add the milk, it will vigorously bubble. Be careful of hot splatter!
Once the milk is integrated into the caramelized sugar, add the butter and continue to stir until butter is melted and mixture is smooth.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Remove from heat and stir in salt.
¼ teaspoon salt

This Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Extra caramel sauce will last up to 3 weeks.
For more great ideas on how to breathe new life into stale bread, check out these amazing stale bread recipes.