Brioche Bread Pudding Recipe: 4 Tips for Making the Dessert

Brioche bread pudding is a sweet casserole made of day-old brioche—a buttery yeast bread that originated in France—soaked in a mixture of dairy and sugar, and baked until it is custardy on the inside. Serve this creamy dish with fresh fruit as a breakfast or brunch food, or pair it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a warm rum sauce for a decadent dessert.

Cooks of all levels can craft this rustic dessert with relative ease. Follow these tips to make endless varieties of brioche bread pudding:

1. 1. Adjust the dairy. Many bread pudding recipes call for both milk and cream, but feel free to adjust the dairy to suit your preferences. For a richer dish, swap some of the milk for additional cream, or leave out the cream altogether for a lighter result. Use a non-dairy alternative like oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, or coconut cream for a dairy-free dessert.
2. 2. Use stale bread. Like French toast, stuffing, and croutons, home cooks should use stale or day-old bread to make bread pudding, which holds its structure better than fresh bread during the soaking and baking process. If all you have is fresh brioche, quickly dry it out in the oven by arranging your bread cubes on a baking sheet and baking them on low heat for ten minutes until crisp.
3. 3. Experiment with additions. Alter the texture of your brioche bread pudding with dried fruit (like dried cranberries, figs, or apricots), chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts), or chocolate chips. Fold in fresh fruit—like blueberries, raspberries, and sliced peaches—or add fresh orange zest or lemon zest. For a boozy kick, soak the dried fruit in brandy or bourbon before adding it to the pudding.
4. 4. Serve with a sauce. For a show-stopping dessert, serve your brioche bread pudding with a drizzle of caramel sauce, butterscotch, rum sauce, maple syrup, chocolate sauce, crème anglaise, or a layer of cream cheese frosting.