Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe

Bread and butter pudding is a classic British recipe that is simple to make and perfect for using up bread! 

If you’re looking for an easy comfort recipe – it’s essentially a bread turned into a pudding, with the help of custard and dried fruit. It’s deliciously sweet and soft on the inside, and crispy golden brown on top.

What’s not to love? 

Bread and Butter Pudding

This iconic British recipe dates back to the early 11th and 12th centuries where it was often made to avoid food waste, namely stale bread. The bread was simply soaked in milk, eggs and a sweetener and turned into a pudding.

Not much has changed to this day, although there are now many variations of the humble bread and butter pudding, including; 

• Brioche Bread and Butter Pudding
• Croissant Bread and Butter Pudding
• Panettone Bread and Butter Pudding
• Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding

The variations can be endless, depending on the type of bread you have available to use up.

You can also vary up the dried fruits you include, for example, you can try substituting the sultanas for raisins of dried cranberries.

What You Need For Bread and Butter Pudding

You can make bread and butter pudding with or without cream. The cream will give it a thicker more creamy consistency that is richer in taste. Below are the ingredients for making it without cream;

Bread and Butter Pudding Without Cream:

• 8 to 10 slices of bread
• 750ml full-fat milk
• 4 medium-sized eggs, beaten
• 20g butter
• 50g raisins or sultanas
• Nutmeg grated (optional)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g granulated sugar
• 50g chopped almonds (optional topping)

Bread and Butter Pudding With Cream:

• 8 to 10 slices of bread
• 600ml full-fat milk
• 200ml double cream
• 3 medium-sized eggs, beaten
• 20g butter
• 50g raisins or sultanas
• Nutmeg grated (optional)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g granulated sugar
• 50g chopped almonds (optional topping)

How To Make Bread and Butter Pudding

1. Preheat the oven 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Remove the crusts from the bread and cut into triangles or squares.

2. Spread each slice with butter (you can also spread each slice before slicing to make it quicker!)

3. Lay the bread, butter side up, in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle the raisins (or other dried fruit) and some ground cinnamon and grated nutmeg over the top. Reserve a little of each to sprinkle over the top at the end. Repeat with further layers until the bread is all used up.

4. Quick method without cream: in a bowl, mix the beaten egg, milk, butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together.

Alternatively, to make a thicker, traditional custard mixture you can also boil this mixture in a saucepan. On a low heat warm the milk, cream and vanilla essence until it is hot but doesn’t boil. In a bowl, add the sugar and the beaten eggs and whisk until pale. Pour the milk and cream mixture in and stir well.

5. Then, pour the milk mixture/custard over the layered bread.

6. Sprinkle the any additional dried fruit, ground cinnamon, grated nutmeg and a sprinkle of sugar over the top. 

7. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the egg is set and the top is golden brown. 

8. Bread and butter pudding is best enjoyed straight away, served with ice cream, custard or cream!