Vegan Bread Pudding

This Vegan Bread Pudding may not be the most glamorous looking dessert, but I guarantee that it will make your taste buds sing. Warm, gooey, sweet, maple cinnamon spiced, it’s everything a cozy, comforting dessert should be.

Bread ~ I prefer a loaf of French bread or vegan brioche over a loaf of sandwich bread, but really any bread will work. Just be sure to use stale bread!

I like to just leave the loaf on the counter, uncovered, the night before I plan to make this vegan bread pudding. By morning, it’s dried out, which is what we want so it soaks up all the delicious custard.

Cut the bread into 1 ½-2 inch cubes using a sharp serrated knife.

I use about half of a large 16 oz loaf to get 6-7 cups of bread cubes. Depending on how fluffy your bread is, you may need more or less of the loaf to get the same amount.

Milk ~ Use an unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk. I typically use almond milk or oat milk, but soy milk, coconut milk, or cashew milk will work as well.

Sweetener ~ Organic cane sugar sweetens this vegan pudding. I like to add a bit of pure maple syrup, too, because the flavor works so well, kind of like my Vegan French Toast Casserole.

Spices ~ Cinnamon and a pinch of salt is all you need. You can add a pinch of nutmeg and/or clove, as well, if you enjoy those flavors.

Vanilla ~ Pure vanilla extract makes everything better.

Cornstarch ~ Cornstarch is going to thicken the vegan custard to that the pudding sets up and isn’t watery. Be sure to whisk the cornstarch with a bit of cold milk to get out all the lumps before adding it to the pot of hot liquid.

Extras ~ Feel free to add some diced apples or pears, dried fruit like raisins or cranberries, or some chopped nuts as a topping for some crunch.

Add the remaining milk, sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt to a sauce pot on the stove. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.

Add the cornstarch slurry and whisk well until thickened. The mixture should coat a spoon. Take off the heat and add the vanilla.

This vegan custard mixture is so good, it’s almost good enough to drink!

If you love pudding, you’ll love these:

• Vegan Vanilla Pudding
• Overnight Chocolate Chia Pudding
• S’mores Pudding Bowl

Prep ahead: You can prep the dish about 12 hours before. Keep covered in the fridge and bake when ready. If it sits too long, however, the bread will get too mushy and fall apart.

Another option is to assemble and bake the dish a day in advance and then reheat the whole thing when ready to serve.

Fridge: Leftover vegan bread pudding can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Freezer: You can also freeze it! Be sure to cool it completely first. Use an air-tight container or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. It should keep well for 2 to 3 months.

Reheat: If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a 350°oven until warm throughout, about 20 minutes.

~ Use stale bread! Let the bread sit out on the counter uncovered the night before you plan to make this vegan bread pudding.

~ You need 6 to 7 cups of bread cubes. It doesn’t have to be exact, but less than that will make the pudding too runny and more will make it too dry. I typically use about half of a large 16 oz French loaf. Depending on how fluffy your bread is, you may need a little more or less to get the same amount.

~ To prevent clumping, whisk the cornstarch with some of the cold milk before adding it to the warm custard mixture.

~ Once you combine the bread with the vegan custard, let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes to soak.

~ Use a deep baking dish, about 2 quarts. The custard will bubble up when baking and you definitely don’t want it splattering over the sides making a sticky mess. If you are worried about splatters, you could even put the baking dish on top of a rimmed baking sheet.

~ Switch up the flavors and texture by adding diced apples or pears, fresh berries, dried raisins or cranberries, extra spices like nutmeg, cloves, or even pumpkin pie spice, or a crunchy topping of chopped nuts.

~ For a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free loaf of bread.

~ For a crispier top, place the baked pudding under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes until browned and crispy on the edges of the bread cubes.