homemade vanilla sauce

Satisfy your sweet tooth using basic kitchen ingredients with this Easy Bread Pudding Recipe! This sweet and creamy dessert takes stale bread and turns it into a decadent, comforting treat.

Easy Bread Pudding 

stale bread (french, challah, brioche, regular sliced)

milk

eggs

(207 grams) sugar

tbsp butter, melted

tbsp vanilla extract

cinnamon

tsp nutmeg

butter

sugar

heavy whipping cream

Grease an 8&#215;8-inch casserole dish and set aside.

Cut bread into 1-inch chunks and spread evenly in the bottom of the casserole dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread, getting all the bread wet from the mixture.

Let the bread sit for 20-25 minutes to soak up the milk and egg mixture.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Bake for 50-55 minutes. It should be jiggly, but set. The center should rise fully, so if it hasn&#8217;t yet, it might need a little more bake time. Remove from oven when done.

While the bread pudding cooks, make the vanilla sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on low heat, then add the sugar, cream and vanilla extract.

Slowly cook over low heat while stirring until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Remove the sauce from the heat and serve warm over the bread pudding.

ha! I didn't realize how much I miss this dessert until I saw your recipe, thank you! Saving this for the weekend a nice memory for me, thank you!

This was amazing! I've never tried making bread pudding because I thought it would be really difficult. It was always my go to dessert to order if we went out to a restaurant. This was better than any restaurant!!!

This homemade vanilla sauce is wonderful over ice cream, bread pudding, breads, and much more.&nbsp;

Homemade Vanilla Sauce

brown sugar

all-purpose flour

butter (softened)

vanilla extract

whipping cream

cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Whisk together sugar, flour, egg, butter and whipping cream.  Bring to a low boil in a saucepan on top of the stove.  Cook on low about 5 minutes until sauce thickens to the consistency you like. Remove and stir in vanilla extract.  Sprinkle on nutmeg or cinnamon to taste.  Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

I made it yesterday using panettone and cutting some of the sugar. It came out perfect, browned on top and the mustard perfectly set. Thanks for a great recipe

This was the absolutely perfect pudding to make at home ! So warm, delicious and comforting. The best part is my 7 year old could make it and he had so much fun cutting up the bread pieces and mixing the ingredients!

Your recipes are really clear and easy to understand - and the food photography is amazing!

He has already selected the next thing he wants to try from your website (the funfetti cake :)).

Yummy! My son had made some buttermilk bread that was getting stale so I used that. So easy to make and it's delicious! The vanilla sauce is soooo good on it! Didn't have to change anything! Saving this recipe for sure!

I made this yesterday afternoon for my two year-old grand daughter and myself. We ate a little and then a little more and then she said more and we ate some more.  She kept grinning and eating. We loved it!

I decided to try this tonight! So good! I tweaked it a bit. I don’t like sweet things so I used just a bit under half cup of sugar. I also used 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup whole milk. I added raisins (soaked in water for 15 minutes to plump them up, then drained them and immersed them in 4 tbsp of rum. Let that sit for 15 minutes. Also added a handful of toasted pecans. And voila it was a hit. I used a glass dish so I reduced the temp to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and baked for 1 hr 5 mins. I have added this recipe to my collection. Thanks so much for sharing such a simple, yummy recipe.

I make bread pudding often but I’d never thought to add nutmeg- it really made a difference!  Also liked that the recipe didn’t call to heat the milk which made it really quick and easy. Used almond milk with no problems.

Hi Lindsay
I just made your wonderful bread pudding and it is so good reminds me of my mom’s. I will be making this again thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. 
Sincerely, Isabel

Excellent descriptions and explanations throughout, but, based on the introduction, I was really frustrated reading through the entire article, wondering why I wasn't seeing QUANTITIES of the ingredients, until I finally reached the end of it. An extra sentence or phrase in the intro would have been a big help.
Since my wife is such an excellent home chef (20+ years learning from cooking shows on PBS!), she may have expected that in an online recipe, but I didn't.

OMG! HANDS DOWN THE BEST BREAD PUDDING I'VE EVER HAD! WILL DEFINITELY BE STORING THIS IN MY PERSONAL RECIPE BOOK :)

Second time in a month! So delicious , totally makes me remember my dad’s recipe. Fighting over the yummy crispy edges.

I have been a bread pudding fan as long as I can remember, and have made it a personal mission to convert friends and family to be the same. This recipe has been my ally in that mission. My wife and sister have declared this as my best bread pudding ever.
I take a few liberties with the recipe in that I soak dried cherries in 1/4 cup of liquor (so far dark rum or amaretto), then incorporate the fruit and a little liquid into the pudding and the remaining liquid into the sauce. Also, I use half and half instead of milk and then include the remaining 1/2 cup of cream from the sauce recipe to account for using a whole challah loaf, slightly more bread than the recipe calls for.
Thank you for sharing this recipe with those of us who are fans of this often under appreciated dessert.

Absolutely decadent! I used a long French bread loaf. Let it sit on the counter all day to get stale. Soaked in the liquid for a good hour then popped it in the oven. I had to cover it with tin foil after about 30 mins while the insides baked so it wouldn’t get too brown. It was easy to tell when it was ready as the dough poofed up. The vanilla sauce was sooo good.

OH MY GOODNESS! This is so delicious!!! Made this over the weekend using left over dinner rolls .. My family LOVED it ! I did use half sugar, half brown sugar..  This is definitely a keeper !! Thank you !!

I made this recipe for the first time for one of the Christmas dinner desserts. It was so very good. My family turned their nose up at the idea of bread pudding, but I got them to try it. Every single one loves it. My granddaughter says it’s now going to be a family tradition to all holiday dinners!! Thank you.

I started making bread in my bread machine this year and hate throwing away the ends because of the hole the paddle makes. I found this recipe and froze my leftover pieces in a bag until I had enough. My family was over the moon with it! I didn’t get to make the vanilla sauce this time so we used a little whipped cream but I will next time. Thank you so much for this great recipe!

Best  bread pudding I have ever had! My husband loved it too especially the sauce ❤

Yummy! Great way to use up leftover hot dog or sub buns (there always seems to be some left over). The extra couple minutes on top rack at 400 degrees makes a big difference- best bread pudding ever

Delicious recipe, I made the mini version due to only having 2 cups of bread cubes. Just used 1/3 of everything and baked for about a 1/2 hour. Also went with a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of vanilla sauce. Will definitely make again, ty

I have made this recipe twice, and it’s easy and delicious!
I used leftover hamburger buns and followed the recipe with the exceptions of 1/2 cup heavy cream instead of all whole milk and the addition of 1/2 cup raisins.
I made the sauce in the microwave; very fast and easy with no worry of burning or undissolved sugar…
The best part is that I was introduced to a dessert that everyone loves, and I usually have all the ingredients in my cupboard.
Thanks so much for sharing!

This recipe was just what I was looking for! I didn't do the vanilla sauce and I can't have refined sugar, so I used a combo of honey and coconut sugar (about 3/4 cup total). Absolutely delicious! Next time I think I'll sprinkle pecans on half for myself too. Thank you!

Very tasty and easy, but super sweet.  I cut the sugar by a quarter cup, but will only use a half cup next time.

I need to find a receipt of this to make a double batch. I thought it once had a scale for 2 in the past and I cant seem to find it. Cant you direct me??

Yum!  I made this today for my bread pudding loving husband and it is delicious!

Great recipe! I had a stack of pancakes leftover from a big family breakfast. Used this easy and super delicious recipe to use up the pancakes. Yum! Best part, all of the ingredients are in your kitchen already. Will make again.

I have never liked bread pudding but I tried to make it myself for the first time using this recipe. I am SO glad I did! It is fantastic and the glaze is very delicious. I added the optional rum to the bread and glaze and it was also great.

I’ve made this bread pudding several times, and it’s easy to make and quite decadent when mini chocolate chips and pecans are added.
The vanilla topping is delicious, and when I made the bread pudding this time (today), I heated the ingredients in the microwave,
Thanks for a great recipe!

This is just what I was looking for!! So good. I only had 2% milk so i replaced 1/2 c.with heavy cream and it worked okay. This is a great basic and eady recipe. You won't be disappointed. Thanks Lindsay!

I loved it! I could eat the whole Pyrex by myself. So crunchy, so gooey and delicious! Not too sweet, not missing anything.

Is there a typo in your recipe? You have 1 1/2 Tablespoons of vanilla. Shouldn't that be teaspoons?

I made this recipe GLUTEN FREE by using 5 Udi's defrosted hot dog buns instead of stale bread. I let it soak overnight then baked it the next morning for our family Christmas gathering. It was amazing! Everyone loved it so I'll definitely be making it again. Thank you!

Best Bread Pudding eveeerr!!!
I made it and it was just divine. I incorporated Walnuts, Pistachios and dried coconut slices with mine, in addition to everything else in your original recipe. I also added Cardamom seeds (extracted and crushed), which just lifts the dish to a Holy status in terms of flavor. Oh, and I substituted plain sugar with Jaggery (refined Sugarcane extract), I had it lying around in pantry. ☺

This was divine! Everyone loved it, though some would have preferred less spices. I followed the recipe as written for a 9x13 in. pan. I added a handful of raisins and a handful of dried cranberries but reduced the sugar some, as we usually tend to prefer less sweetness. A good thing too, as this was served with good-quality maple syrup. The combination was delicious, much like French toast. This was a wonderful way to use stale hot dog buns.

Made 2 batches, one for home and one for family. It was a phenomenal hit with everyone! They were having 2 and 3 servings, that’s how delicious this bread pudding is. 
Don’t hesitate to try this recipe. But make it exactly as written and you'll  be the star when you bring this out onto your table! 
Thank you for formulating a fantastic tasting bread pudding!

The absolute best! I cannot tell you how much my family loves this recipe. We have been using this recipe for literally any holiday gathering. My grandaddy and I also use this recipe in lieu of having a birthday cake. Question though! I am wanting to put a Thanksgiving twist to this and add some apples.... Any suggestions of doing this? Not sure if I need to do fresh or dried apples and/or if I should adjust any measurements in that case. Any advise is appreciated!

This recipe was a big hit for my dad’s 90 th birthday party. I added sliced apples to your exact recipe with a little extra cinnamon and baked in a Bundt pan. I made 2 and shaped one Bundt into a 9 and the other into an 0 and topped with ziplock piped purchased caramel dip. I love how it was easy to make, sliced to serve, and was the most raved about dessert in terms of taste!

My hubby loves this! It'll be his bday cake from now on!!!! Plus it's super easy and oh so tasty!!!

This pudding was by far the best bread pudding I've made, and I've made a few! It was so light and fluffy, the spices gave it character, and the unctuous vanilla sauce brings it to a new level of deliciousness. I did halve the amount of sugar in the pudding itself since the sauce was very sweet, and I used raw sugar in the sauce which gave it a caramel like character. This is definitely a keeper!

I do love this recipe, a long with all the suggested variations. Bread pudding is one of my holiday favorites and I've played with many recipes over the years. Have you ever used half-and-half instead of milk? Mostly just curious why milk seems the preferred way to go, I would think half-and-half would help it be more "custardy".

Simple and easy recipe. It came out great! Note: I'd run out of cinnamon/nutmeg so subbed Speculaas Spice mix from King Arthur. I even made the vanilla sauce (for the first time ever). What a lovely snack on a winter's day!

This is so awesome, I used homemade vanilla bean paste. In the sauce oh talking about a good flavor.

My sister was visiting from California and made a dessert with the simple easy ingredients that you mentioned! What a great surprise how good this was! She is picky and absolutely loved this recipe. Will definitely make this again. Thanks.

This bread pudding was delicious. I doubled the recipe and baked it in a deep 9 x 13 baker. I also used half and half instead of milk. It turned out beautiful.

This recipe was easy to make. I had to use evaporated milk since I had no regular milk. I added dried cranberries because I love cranberries. The first time I made this I used raisins and both were enjoyed by everyone.

Easy and delicious dessert
I’ve made it  several times with whatever bread I happen to have n need to use up
If I have raisins n nuts , I throw those in. A great basic recipe to keep on hand!

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Top 3 homemade vanilla sauce recipes from across the web

The most viewed homemade vanilla sauce recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Easy Bread Pudding

Homemade Vanilla Sauce

Easy Bread Pudding

The most viewed homemade vanilla sauce recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine