Gluten Free Bread Pudding

If you've ever wondered what to do with leftover gluten free bread, this easy recipe for gluten free bread pudding is the answer. You'll never waste another crumb!

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Why this recipe works

Since gluten free bread is such a commodity, bread pudding is a great way to repurpose leftover gluten free bread that has gone stale. Once it's stale, it's ready to absorb the mixture of milk, eggs, and sugar.

Baked custard is made with just a few simple ingredients (eggs, milk and/or cream, and sugar). Here, we're adding large chunks of dry bread to the mixture and baking it covered to steam the custard and let the bread absorb flavor, and then uncovered to brown it.

The best bread pudding is rich and creamy, and not too sweet. The pieces of bread should be crisp on top and tender all the way through, and not at all mushy. With the right simple ingredients, in the proper balance, bread pudding is deceptively easy.

Ingredients explained

The full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below. Here's an explanation of the role each ingredient plays in making tender bread pudding with tons of flavor and crisp edges.

• Gluten free bread: Provides the structural base of the bread pudding. It must be a yeasted bread, ideally a loaf of gluten free bread, which is the easiest to cut into 1 1/2-inch square cubes that can absorb the custard mixture without falling apart during soaking or baking. If it's fresh, you'll first dry it in the oven. If it's already stale or dry, you can skip that step.
• Eggs and egg yolks: The whites in the whole eggs provide structure and leavening to the custard created by mixing them with the yolks, milk, cream and sugar, and bind the mixture together. The yolks provide richness, creamy texture and golden color.
• Cream: Adds creamy richness to the custard mixture.
• Milk: Adds moisture that is thin enough to soak into the bread, making the inside of the bread tender after baking. Since there's more than double the amount of milk than there is cream, it really balances the richness of the cream.
• Sugar: Provides the only sweetness to the custard, helps the mixture brown in the oven, and helps lock in moisture.
• Vanilla: Adds depth of flavor; for more, use vanilla bean paste instead.
• Salt: Brightens and enhances other flavors; balances sweetness.

How to make gluten free bread pudding (step by step photos)

1. Cube and toast the bread

Cut your bread into cubes and feel the cubes, especially those from the center of the loaf. To ensure that the bread soaks up the custard liquids, you'll need to dry out any moist cubes.

Dry out the bread by baking it in a single layer on a baking sheet at 300°F for about 30 minutes. The cubes should feel dry to the touch when you squeeze them lightly. Then set it aside to cool to room temperature so it doesn't begin to cook the custard mixture when you combine everything.

2. Make the custard mixture

In a large measuring cup for easy pouring (or a medium mixing bowl), place together the whole eggs, egg yolks, most of the sugar (reserve 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top before baking for extra browning), salt, vanilla, milk and cream.

This is the custard mixture. Begin with all room temperature ingredients, and whisk until very smooth, or there will be clumps of overcooked egg yolks in the baked custard.

3. Combine the bread and custard

Arrange the toasted and cooled bread cubes in a large, greased casserole dish, and pour the raw custard mixture over the top. Pour slowly and deliberately so the top of each of the cubes of bread is wet by the liquid.

Let the mixture sit for at least 1 hour for the bread cubes to absorb as much liquid as possible. The liquid won't be deep enough to fully submerge all of the bread, so stir the mixture occasionally to ensure every piece of bread has absorbed enough custard. Stir gently so you don't break any of the cubes, which will become increasingly fragile as they sit.

Sprinkle the top of the mixture evenly with the reserved 2 tablespoons of sugar for sweetness at the top of every bite, and some bonus browning in the oven.

4. Bake and serve

While you're preheating your oven to 350°F, place a large oven-safe baking dish on the bottom rack and carefully fill will hot water. This will create a more gentle baking environment than a hot, dry oven for a smoother custard that doesn't burn and harden on the edges. That's why we use the same technique when making gluten free cheesecake.

Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and bake on the center rack for 1 hour. The custard will have steam-baked almost all the way through. Uncover, and finish baking until done.

The custard is set enough for a knife inserted into it to come back mostly clean and the top is nicely browned from more direct exposure to oven heat. If it isn't set yet but is starting to brown too much, lower the oven temperature to 325°F. Then let the dish set at room temp for about 15 minutes so the custard firms up a bit, and serve warm.

Expert tips

Pick the right bread

You'll need cubes of bread that are small enough to soak up custard and large enough to hold their shape really well during baking. If you've collected odds and ends of thin packaged gluten free bread, and not chunky, I recommend making those into homemade gluten free breadcrumbs.

Homemade bread

When I make bread pudding, it's usually from leftover homemade bread (my favorite is our basic gluten free bread recipe). Either it's already been sliced thickly or was unsliced, so I'm able to cut the bread into the perfect 1 1/2-inch cubes.

Store-bought bread

The “Heritage” line from Canyon Bakehouse brand gluten free bread is thicker, larger slices which would work well here. The other type of bread that I really like for bread pudding is packaged gluten free bagels. Since the packaged gluten free bagels from Trader Joe's are relatively inexpensive but tend to go stale quickly, I freeze them, and defrost them once I have enough for bread pudding.

Make sure the bread cubes are dry

If your bread isn't dry enough, like when making gluten free stuffing, it will already have too much moisture to absorb the flavored liquid in the rest of the dish (here, the custard). If your bread is in an unsliced loaf, cut into the center and squeeze it lightly. It shouldn't feel at all wet and shouldn't give much to your fingers.

If the bread is not dry enough, cut it into 1 1/2-inch cubes and toast in a single layer on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for about 30 minutes, or longer. You won't be able to dry it out completely without overbaking it and ending up with croutons, but you can remove enough of the bread's moisture for it to absorb the custard mixture.

Try reducing the sugar

There's only 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar in this whole recipe, which is a relatively small amount for a sweet dish. If you'd prefer a less sweet dish, you can reduce the sugar by up to one half, to 1/4 cup (50 g) total. Any less than that and the dish will be bland and will dry out too quickly. To make the recipe sugar-free, try using Lakanto brand granulated sugar replacement.

Ingredient substitutions

Dairy free

In place of the dairy milk, use your favorite unsweetened, plain nondairy milk with a thickness similar to dairy milk. For the heavy whipping cream, use canned coconut milk.

Be careful to select gluten free bread to cube that's dairy-free. And don't use butter, of course, to grease the casserole dish. I find that cooking oil spray is most effective, anyway.

Egg free

I've never tried making a custard without any eggs. If I were to try it, my first attempt would be to try replacing the 5 egg yolks with 5 tablespoons of softened butter (or 7.5 tablespoons neutral oil) and 5 tablespoons of warm water. You'll need to whisk very vigorously to create a creamy emulsion. Then try adding 4 tablespoons of aquafaba (the liquid from a can of unsalted chickpeas) to replace the 2 egg whites.

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Gluten Free Bread Pudding Recipe

5 from 5 votes

By Nicole Hunn

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Resting time: 1 hour hr

Yield: 8 servings

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This easy recipe for gluten free bread pudding is rich and creamy, with tender pieces of gluten free bread and crisp edges.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 16 ounces (1 pound) gluten free bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• ▢ 2 (100 g out of shell) eggs, at room temperature
• ▢ 3 (75 g) egg yolks, at room temperature
• ▢ ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, divided
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 2 cups (16 fluid ounces) milk, at room temperature
• ▢ ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract or flavoring

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Instructions 

Prepare the bread

• If your bread is already dry and stale, proceed right the instructions under the heading "Make the custard mixture."
• If your bread is fresh, once it’s cut into cubes, scatter the cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven at 300°F for about 30 minutes, or until the cubes are beginning to dry out.
• Set the bread cubes aside to cool to room temperature.

Make the custard mixture

• In a large (at least 32 fluid ounce), spouted measuring cup, place the eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar (reserving about 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar for later), and salt, and whisk until very smooth.
• Whisking constantly, add the milk and cream in a steady stream until well-combined. Add the flavoring or extract, and whisk to combine.

Assemble the bread pudding

• Grease a porcelain casserole dish of at least 6 cups (48 ounces) capacity lightly with butter or cooking oil spray, and place the bread cubes in an even layer inside of it.
• Add the custard mixture, pouring it carefully so each piece of bread is moistened.
• Allow the mixture to sit, stirring very occasionally, for at least one hour to allow the bread to begin to soak up the liquid.
• Alternatively, cover the baking dish and refrigerate it up to overnight.

Bake

• When you’re nearly ready to bake the bread pudding, place an oven-safe pan with at least a 4 cup (32 fluid ounce) capacity on the bottom rack, and fill it with lukewarm tap water.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Sprinkle the top of the bread pudding evenly with the reserved 2 tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar.
• Place the baking dish, covered with only aluminum foil (removing any plastic wrap if refrigerated, covered), and place it on the top rack of the preheated oven.
• Bake, undisturbed, for 50 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake the bread pudding until a sharp knife inserted in the center of the pudding comes out mostly clean and the top is golden brown and the edges caramelized (another 25 to 40 minutes).
• If the bread is browning too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 325°F to finish baking. Remove from the oven and allow the pudding to sit for about 15 minutes before serving warm.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (of 8) | Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 355mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 737IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Storage suggestions

Let any leftover bread pudding cool to room temperature, then store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To refresh, sprinkle with lukewarm water to return some moisture to the dish, and warm in a 300°F toaster oven. Be sure to reheat it slowly to prevent the custard from breaking or separating.

For longer storage, you can freeze in a sealed container for about 1 month, but the custard may break. Let defrost to room temperature while still covered, then refresh as above.