Bread and butter pudding is one of those ultra-comforting, nostalgic desserts that also happens to be super simple to make. And you can even make a wonderful, rich version of this dish without using cream!
My recipe amps up the richness by incorporating a couple of egg yolks along with whole eggs and whole milk, omitting the need for cream. It’s relatively hands-off and not a particularly technical recipe, so as long as you can slice and butter bread this is something you can make!
How to Make Bread & Butter Pudding Without Using Cream
It’s no surprise that bread and butter pudding will start with bread. I like using an enriched bread like challah or brioche (like I would in French toast) as I think it holds up the best.
However, you can make this with just an ordinary loaf of white bread. The only thing I wouldn’t recommend is a really crusty loaf of sourdough or something with a really pronounced flavour, like a rye or 100% wholemeal loaf.
That out of the way, go ahead and grease your baking dish and slice your bread into several thick slices. Then, spread each piece with a thin layer of butter (both sides!) and shingle half of the pieces along the bottom of the dish.
Scatter the buttered bread with some raisins or sultanas (aka golden raisins) and then shingle the remaining bread on top, topping with more raisins.
Now, go onto making the custard. This, again, is very simple.
For this, all that you need to do is whisk together some milk, eggs, egg yolks, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. The warm spices in this really make it so cosy – perfect for a winter (or even Christmas) dessert. Whisk all of this until it’s well combined and no streaks remain.
Then, carefully pour the egg mixture over the bread. Press down on the bread to submerge it, if needed, and let the mixture soak into everything for about 10 minutes.
After that time is up, move the dish to a 180°C/350°F oven and bake until the custard is set and the bread is golden, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
When serving, I like to top it with vanilla ice cream, but it’s great with custard or even on its own.
Bread & Butter Pudding Without Cream
Ingredients
- 450 g (1 lb) white bread like challah or brioche, day-old, cut into 2cm (½in) slices (see note 1)
- 50 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter softened, plus more for greasing the pan
- 100 g (⅔ cup) raisins or sultanas
- 3 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 75 g (⅓ cup) brown sugar
- 500 ml (2 cups) whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg freshly grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Thoroughly grease a 33×23 cm (13×9 in) baking dish. Spread each slice of bread with a layer of butter on both sides. One piece at a time, shingle half of the bread slices over the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle over half of the raisins. Repeat with the rest of the bread and raisins.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the egg mixture over the buttered bread and raisins. Allow to soak for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Move to the oven and bake until golden and set, about 20-30 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving, topped with custard or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- I prefer using an enriched white bread for this recipe, like challah or brioche; however, any kind of soft white bread will do. I recommend avoiding crusty or artisan types of bread.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Making a traditional bread and butter pudding without using cream is so simple and it turns into one of the most satisfying desserts around.
Are you after a bread and butter pudding recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
