Preheat your oven for a fall favorite with this crowd-friendly recipe for Caramel Apple Bread Pudding.
Labor Day may be a distant memory, but the San Diego sunshine is still in full force (sorry, east coasters, but it’s the norm around these parts!). So while the temperatures may suggest otherwise, I declare it is, finally, fall food season!
Fall is my absolute favorite time of year when it comes to cooking. We get to bust out all the trendy pumpkin favorites and transform apples into everything from apple dumplings and apple tarts to apple fritter rings (a brunch must!), and my personal favorite, apple pie egg rolls.
But would it really be fall without a good ol’ caramel apple?
My go-to recipe for the classic sweet-on-a-stick became an instant favorite around here when I shared it back in 2016, but it seemed it was time for a new spin on the beloved marriage of sticky sugar and juicy fruit.
Caramel Apple Bread Pudding brings home all the classic caramel apple flavor without the stick-to-your-teeth’ness of the traditional treat. It’s loaded with tangy Granny Smith apples, pillowy brioche bread and a vanilla custard that will make your taste buds swoon.
A final drizzle of caramel atop this warm treat will have you ditching the sticks (and floss) and grabbing a spoon for what’s guaranteed to become a fall dessert favorite.
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Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 8 cups brioche bread, cubed
- Whipped cream or ice cream, for serving
- Homemade or store-bought caramel sauce, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan with the butter and set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the apples and lemon juice.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, vanilla extract, cinnamon, allspice, salt, sugar and brown sugar. Add the brioche bread to the bowl and fold until the bread is well coated then fold in the apples.
- Pour the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish, including any remaining liquids, and spread it into an even layer. Cover the dish securely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 1 hour or up to overnight.Â
- When ready to serve, remove the baking dish from the fridge, discard the plastic wrap and bake it until it is set and golden brown on top, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow the bread pudding to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving with whipped cream or ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.
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Recipe by Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
This tasted very good, but I was a little disappointed in the consistency. I used challah bread, as suggested, but perhaps it was too fresh. I mixed the bread cubes into the egg mixture, and the bread cubes essentially disintegrated. Next time, I would use a firmer bread (french, sour dough or croissants) and rather than mix the bread cubes into the egg mixture, I would place them in the baking dish and pour the egg mixture over that. Also, I baked this for 45 minutes, as it wasn’t done with any less time, especially after being refrigerated. The spice amounts are perfect, so with a few corrections, I will make this again!
Hi Jane! Chances are the bread was too fresh so it got soggy. Stale/dry bread is best!
With our own very productive, small orchard, we have lots of great apples here. With a sudden influx of house guests, big breakfasts and evening treats before the fire meant a few surprises. Even folks that insisted they did not care for any kind of bread pudding, went bananas over this gorgeous mix of apples and bread. No one could resist it’s homey, cosy charm. Each batch was eaten so fast, there was no chance to take any pictures. Hope when our company is gone, it may be possible to snap a shot.
Wonderful take on beloved bread pudding and apples.
Love this, Jenn! I’m so thrilled everyone enjoyed the recipe!