This has been on my list to make FOREVER, and I’m excited to share it with you today! If you’re baking Amish Friendship Bread regularly, this bread pudding recipe is super simple and easy to make.
I used the original cinnamon-sugar loaf, but you can turn almost any Amish Friendship Bread recipe into a delicious bread pudding. It looks and smells amazing when it comes out of the oven, and makes a great dessert centerpiece or weekend brunch treat. Bake it in a casserole dish or individual ramekins–it’s really up to you!
What exactly IS bread pudding?
Bread pudding has a long history. It was once known as a “poor-man’s pudding.” It’s since become a trendy dessert staple on many gourmet menus, especially in New Orleans. It’s usually made with bread which has gone stale and hard, which means nothing gets wasted.
Traditionally, bread pudding is made by soaking chunks of bread in a mixture of egg and milk. Then it’s put into the oven where it becomes a baked custard. You can use any kind of bread, savory or sweet. It also works well with any frozen Amish Friendship Bread you may have forgotten about in the freezer and need to find a delicious way to repurpose.
I cut my slices into bite-sized cubes, about 1-2″ each. Amish Friendship Bread usually stays moist for days and acts more similar to cake or a quick bread rather than a traditional loaf of bread. Because of this, I’ll sometimes give my leftover Amish Friendship Bread a little extra help. If it’s still moist, spread the cubes on a baking sheet. Toast at 350° F (or 180° C) until crispy on the outside, about 10 minutes. If I know I’ll be making a bread pudding in the future, I’ll store a bag of cubes in the freezer so it’ll be ready when I’m ready.
If you prefer to make your bread pudding in small ramekins, bake for 40-45 minutes instead of an hour until a lovely golden brown. A knife inserted into the middle should come out sticky with no runny egg mixture.
Any of these Amish Friendship Bread recipes will make a terrific, flavorful bread pudding and any pre-existing add-ins (like raisins, currants, or chocolate chips) make the end result even more delicious:
For adult company, serve with a vanilla hard sauce. For little kids, a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is perfect. Enjoy!
Amish Friendship Bread Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 6 cups Amish Friendship Bread cut in cubes and toasted
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs slightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup raisins reconstituted in water or whiskey, then drained
- ½ cup pecans chopped
Whiskey Sauce (for the grown-ups)
- ½ cup condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons whiskey
Vanilla Sauce (for the kiddos)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (or 180° C). Grease a 2-quart baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine Amish Friendship Bread cubes, sugar, spices, and raisins in a large mixing bowl. Toss to mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread cube mixture and fold in pecans. Stir until everything is moistened, adding additional milk if necessary. Put aside for 10 minutes.
- Bake until the top of the bread pudding is browned and set in the middle, about 50 minutes. Cover with foil after 30 minutes to prevent over-browning.
- A knife inserted into the middle should come out sticky with no runny egg mixture. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- ENJOY!
To make the whiskey sauce
- Place condensed milk and whiskey into a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Microwave for five seconds, stir well, then microwave for an additional 3 seconds.
- Stir well, then pour over warmed bread pudding.
To make the vanilla sauce
- Whisk brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, 1 egg, melted butter, milk, and salt in a heavy saucepan until smooth.
- Heat over medium heat, whisking until the sauced has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract and remove from heat.
- Pour over warmed bread pudding.
Notes
Are you supposed to add 1 egg to the vanilla sauce? It’s not in the ingredients but it is in the instructions….kind of confusing