Rich, sweet, and generously studded with plump little berries, this blueberry bread pudding will knock your socks off. And it's also incredibly easy to prepare. All you have to do is leisurely soak some brioche cubes in a simple custard, stir in the berries, and let your oven do the rest. The tender brioche, now ornamented with fruit and permeated with the heady scent of vanilla and cinnamon, then magically rises up like some sort of deliciously bejeweled bread pudding crown. And underneath that golden top, the texture is pillowy as a cloud. If you really wanted to pull out all the stops here, you could anoint each helping with a little crème anglaise. But there's really no need...a scoop of this blueberry bread pudding is perfectly exquisite all on its own.
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Ingredients for Blueberry Bread Pudding
- brioche
- whole milk
- eggs
- sugar
- pure vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon
- fine sea salt
- blueberries
- salted butter
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Blueberry Bread Pudding
Cut the brioche loaf into rough cubes.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Then add the milk and vanilla.
Stir the cinnamon and salt into the sugar, and then add this to the bowl as well. Whisk everything together until the sugar has dissolved and the custard mixture is well combined.
Add the brioche cubes. Then gently stir them into the custard mixture until all of the bread has been coated.
Set aside and allow the brioche to soak up the custard mixture for at least 15 minutes.
In the meantime, heat the oven to 350℉ and use one tablespoon of the butter to thoroughly grease the baking dish.
After the brioche cubes have had their soaking time, add the blueberries. Then give the whole mixture another gentle stir to evenly distribute the berries.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Then dot the remaining two tablespoons of butter over the top, breaking it up into small bits.
Cover the baking dish very lightly with foil, allowing room for the pudding to expand. Bake for one hour.
Then remove the foil and continue to bake for about 15 more minutes or until the center is fully set and the top is golden brown.
Allow to cool briefly. (The pudding will deflate quite a bit after being removed from the oven, but don't panic...this is normal!) Serve warm.
Hint: If at all possible, opt for wild blueberries here rather than the domestic variety. Since the brioche and custard mixture is gently sweet, the intensity of wild berries (with their tangy balance of bright tartness and deep sweetness) provides a lovely contrast that works just beautifully in this dish.
Equipment
You will need a 13x9 inch baking dish to bake this blueberry bread pudding. Ideally, choose one on the taller side, about 3 inches deep. If your baking dish isn't quite this deep, I recommend placing a large cookie sheet underneath while baking, just in case of any buttery blueberry drips when the pudding expands.
Storage
Blueberry bread pudding can be stored in the refrigerator, either in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap, for 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently in the oven just until warm.
Top tip
While you can technically make bread pudding with any old sort of bread, brioche (or challah) provides vastly superior results. Brioche is rich and tender enough to absorb the custard mixture far better than most other (and typically drier) varieties of bread, which ultimately results in a velvety soft (rather than dry and chewy) pudding texture. That said, your brioche should still be stale! And to ensure even absorption, be sure to stir those bread cubes into the custard mixture until they are thoroughly coated, and then allow them to soak for the full recommended time.
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📖 Recipe
Blueberry Bread Pudding
Equipment
- 13x9 inch baking dish (choose a deep one)
Ingredients
- 1 loaf, about 16 ounces, brioche (must be stale)
- 4 cups whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (preferably wild)
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, divided
Instructions
- Cut the brioche loaf into rough cubes.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Then add the milk and vanilla. Stir the cinnamon and salt into the sugar, and then add this to the bowl as well. Whisk everything together until the sugar has dissolved and the custard mixture is well combined.
- Add the brioche cubes. Then gently stir them into the custard mixture until all of the bread has been coated. Set aside and allow the brioche to soak up the custard mixture for at least 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, heat the oven to 350℉ and use one tablespoon of the butter to thoroughly grease the baking dish.
- After the brioche cubes have had their soaking time, add the blueberries. Then give the whole mixture another gentle stir to evenly distribute the berries.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Then dot the remaining two tablespoons of butter over the top, breaking it up into small bits.
- Cover the baking dish lightly with foil, allowing room for the pudding to expand.
- Bake for one hour. Then remove the foil and continue to bake for about 15 more minutes or until the center is fully set and the top is golden brown.
- Allow to cool briefly. (The pudding will deflate quite a bit after being removed from the oven, but don't panic...this is normal!) Serve warm.
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