Can you make bread pudding ahead of time

This condensed milk bread pudding is the most comforting dessert. The recipe is incredibly easy to whip up, can be prepared overnight, and only calls for a few simple ingredients. Everyone will love this bread pudding, and you will love how easy it is!

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Bread pudding with sweetened condensed milk

With just a little prep and a few easy ingredients, condensed milk bread pudding is a simple and fantastic recipe. The dish tastes like you have spent a lot of time putting it together when it could not be simpler to make and really only takes minutes!

I love the recipe because you can prep everything the night before. The next day, all you have to do is pop the bread pudding into the oven and let it bake. It’s a great dessert for busy holidays or as the main dish for brunch.

Drizzle warm slices with vanilla sauce and serve them with ice cream for a decadent dessert. Or enjoy it for breakfast and brunch like a baked French toast casserole. It has so much great flavor, and I know you’ll love bread pudding with condensed milk!

If you’re a fan of bread pudding, check out our hamburger bun bread pudding and Nutella pretzel bread pudding next.

What is condensed milk bread pudding?

Condensed milk read pudding is a simple dessert where stale bread is soaked in a mixture of brown sugar, eggs, and sweetened condensed milk, and then baked until golden. It has a crisp exterior and a rich, custard-like inside similar to French toast.

Can I use condensed milk for bread pudding?

Absolutely! Condensed milk adds richness, creates a soft texture, and introduces a subtle toffee note. Since condensed milk is sweetened, it also allows you to cut back on sugar.

Ingredients

Let’s go over each ingredient you’ll need to create the best raisin bread pudding with condensed milk. Since this recipe keeps it simple, you probably have most of the ingredients already stocked in your pantry. See the recipe card below for specific measurements.

• Bread: The recipe requires stale, day-old plain white bread or sweet bread. Feel free to use your favorite brand of bread for this dish. You can find more tips about choosing the best bread for bread pudding in the FAQ section.
• Sweetened condensed milk: You are truly missing out if you have never tried using condensed milk for bread pudding. It’s perfectly rich and creamy and has a delicious flavor. Traditional bread pudding custards use regular milk, but condensed milk increases the richness.
• Eggs: The base of the rich bread pudding custard is plenty of eggs to help bind all of the bread together.
• Brown sugar: This recipe calls for brown sugar, but you could also use white sugar.
• Butter: Melted butter gives the dish a rich, buttery taste. Salted and unsalted butter are both fine, so use whatever you have on hand.
• Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds that delicious vanilla aroma you know and love in bread pudding.
• Cinnamon: You can’t have bread pudding without plenty of warm, spicy cinnamon.
• Raisins (optional): This is an optional ingredient, but raisins add another layer of sweetness and flavor to the bread pudding that I think you will enjoy. Of course, if you really don’t like raisins, simply omit them.

How to make condensed milk bread pudding

This condensed milk bread pudding recipe is so delicious, and you’ll love how quickly it comes together! From start to finish, it takes about one and half hours, with most of that time spent on soaking and baking.

Step 1: Prep

• Adjust a baking rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4.
• Lightly grease a 9 in x 13 in / 23 cm x 33 cm baking dish with melted butter.

Step 2: Mix liquid in ingredients

• Pour the sweetened condensed milk and hot water into a large mixing bowl. Whisk until the condensed milk has dissolved into the water, and everything is well incorporated.
• Add the eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon and whisk to combine.
• Stir in the bread cubes and raisins (if using).
• Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, so the bread has time to moisten and soak up the condensed milk-egg mixture.

Step 3: Bake bread pudding

• Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
• The bread pudding is done when the top looks golden brown and crispy, and a skewer or knife inserted in the center comes out clean (without liquid egg mixture).

Step 4: Serve

• Slice the bread pudding into individual portions. Optionally, brush the top with a bit of extra melted butter.
• Serve your bread pudding warm, topped with sauce, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, compote, or fresh fruit. Enjoy!

How do you know when bread pudding is done?

The bread pudding is done when it’s puffed up, and the top looks golden-brown. To check doneness, insert a knife in the center. If it comes out clean and the internal temperature has reached 160°F / 70°C, the dish is ready.

The baking time is usually 30 to 40 minutes. But since every oven heats differently, the baking time might be longer or shorter for you.

Tips for the best bread pudding

Go ahead and get familiar with the tricks and tips below. They’ll ensure your condensed milk bread pudding becomes a success!

• Use a whole loaf instead of pre-sliced bread. This allows you to cut larger bread cubes that hold up better than the thinner sliced bread.
• Dry fresh bread. If you have fresh bread, cub the bread and place it on a lined baking sheet (tray). Roast in a 200°F / 100°C / gas mark 1/2 oven for 10 minutes until the bread pieces feel dry to the touch but are still pale in color. Then continue with the recipe as indicated.
• Soak the raisin. For extra flavor, soak the raisins in orange juice, whiskey, or bourbon for 1 to 2 hours beforehand. This is totally optional, though. You can also use other dried fruit like apricots, cranberries, or cherries.
• Add mix-ins. Feel free to add 1 cup chocolate chips, almond slithers, chopped pecans, or other nuts to your bread pudding.

Serving suggestions

Bread pudding with condensed milk is truly delicious the way it is, but you can choose to dress the dish up with a delicious topping. And I have a couple of tasty serving options for you:

• Sauce: We love it drenched in this tasty vanilla bread pudding sauce. Chocolate or caramel sauce would also be delicious.
• Maple syrup: You can never go wrong with a hefty drizzle of real maple syrup or honey.
• Powdered sugar: Sprinkle on a bit of powdered sugar right before serving.
• Fresh fruit: Top the dish with fresh fruit or berries.
• Whipped cream: Add a good helping of whipped cream to an individual slice.
• Ice cream: Last, but certainly not least, is a big scoop of ice cream. It’s the perfect finishing touch for a warm dessert!

Storage instructions

How to store bread pudding with condensed milk

Store leftover bread pudding in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will last 4 to 5 days. Ensure the bread pudding has fully cooled before placing it in the storage container. To avoid a soggy texture, store the bread pudding and sauce separately.

Can you freeze bread pudding?

Yes, you can freeze baked bread pudding for longer-term storage. Again, it’s best to freeze bread pudding without sauce and remove any extra sauce before freezing. Otherwise, the dish could end up mushy. Follow these easy steps:

1. Wait until the bread pudding has cooled, then cut into individual portions.
2. Wrap each portion into plastic wrap (cling film). Wrapping protects the bread against freezer burn and drying out.
3. Place in a freezer-safe container or zip-lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
4. Leave to deforest in the fridge overnight.

How to reheat bread pudding

Warming in the oven is the best way to reheat condensed milk bread pudding. For quicker results, you can also use the microwave, which works best for individual portions. Just be very careful not to overheat and dry out the bread pudding.

• Oven: Put the bread pudding in a baking dish and cover with foil. The foil protects the bread pudding from drying out. Warm in a preheated 350°F / 180°C / gas mark 4 oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Microwave: Place the bread pudding on a microwave-safe plate and microwave at 50% power in 30-second bursts until heated through.

Making condensed milk bread pudding ahead

The sweetened condensed milk bread pudding recipe is one of those simple desserts you can prep ahead of time, and then finish off when you’re ready to serve. On the day before, mix the custard mixture, add the bread, and pour everything into the greased casserole dish.

Cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap (cling film) and store overnight in the refrigerator. Let the bread pudding warm on the counter while the oven preheats. Then just bake it up before serving for a quick make-ahead dessert or breakfast.

Variations

When I created this, I wanted a simple bread pudding. So, I opted to use only condensed milk and water for the liquid portion of the recipe. Of course, there are a couple of ways to make bread pudding with condensed milk. Let’s take a moment to talk about those.

Evaporated milk bread pudding

To make evaporated milk bread pudding, use the same ingredients listed in the recipe card above, but replace the condensed milk with 2 1/2 cups of evaporated milk. You’ll also want to increase the amount of brown sugar and add 1 cup.

Bread pudding with evaporated milk and condensed milk

For bread pudding with evaporated milk and condensed milk, simply replace the hot water with 1 1/2 cups of evaporated milk.

Tres leches bread pudding

And to prepare tres leches bread pudding, mix the custard with one 12-oz can of evaporated milk, 1 cup condensed milk (not the whole can), 1 cup regular milk or half-and-half, and 3/4 cup brown sugar.

FAQ

What is the best bread for bread pudding?

Day-old, stale plain or sweet breads are perfect for bread pudding. A whole, unsliced loaf is ideal. You can tear the bread yourself and end up with a custardy inside and crusty surface.

Sliced bread and toast are fine as well. Since the slices are thinner, toss them gently in the custard mixture, so they don’t fall apart and turn to mush.

• Plain white bread, for example, pre-sliced or unsliced loaf, rolls, and even hamburger or hot dog buns
• Brioche, challah, and other buttery breads
• Sweet-flavored breads like raisin bread or quick breads
• Stale leftover cake like vanilla pound cake or coffee cake

Breads to avoid

There are also a few breads that I wouldn’t recommend for this recipe. They might still work, and you can use them if you’d like, but the results aren’t that great.

• Dried out, hard bread – Although slightly stale bread is ideal, too stale bread that’s completely dried out and crumbly or is rock hard solid, will not work. It will either disintegrate into breadcrumbs or not soak up the mixture.
• Heavy breads like pumpernickel, heavy rye bread, or focaccia are too dense for bread pudding.
• Very chewy, crusty bread. Crusty artisan bread such as sourdough works okay, yet the texture won’t be as soft and custardy.
• Savory and seeded breads work in savory bread pudding but may not be the best choice for a sweet recipe like this condensed milk bread pudding.

Do you eat bread pudding warm or cold?

You can enjoy it both ways! It’s impossible to resist a warm slice of bread pudding drenched in vanilla sauce. However, it’s also delicious chilled.

How do you prevent soggy bread pudding?

First, make sure your bread is dry enough. If the bread isn’t dry enough, it won’t soak up enough of the custard mixture, resulting in mushy bread pudding. The bread doesn’t need to be crisp or toasted, but it needs to be dry enough to absorb the liquids.

Second, give the bread pudding enough time to soak up the custard. Allowing the bread to sit for a while ensures that it can soak up all liquids properly.

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