Eggnog Bread Pudding

Name: Eggnog Bread Pudding
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 8 cups bread ({cubed}); 4 cups eggnog; 3 eggs; 2 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 1 tsp vanilla; 2 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tsp butter

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Imagine waking up to the amazing scent of this delicious Eggnog Bread Pudding baking in your oven. Spoil your family (and yourself!) with this special make-ahead breakfast.

a white dish with eggnog bread pudding topped with raspberries

Indulgent breakfasts like this eggnog bread pudding are even better when you realize you can prepare them the day before. Popping this incredible dish into the oven will make your house smell amazing, with absolute minimum effort on your part.

Whether it is our Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Pecan Rolls, Croissant Bread Pudding, Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls, or Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole, having a delicious breakfast ready to heat and serve makes you a ninja at efficiency.

Ingredients

This recipe uses:

Eggnog – surprise!
Bread – I love brioche for this, but another enriched bread, like challah or Japanese milk bread, is a great substitute for brioche.
Eggs – room temperature, please and thank you.
Ground cinnamon
Ground nutmeg
Butter – salted or unsalted is fine.
Brown sugar – just a wee bit since eggnog is already sweetened.
Vanilla

How to Make Eggnog Bread Pudding

*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.

You’ll start by tearing or cutting the bread into pieces that are ~1 inch big. Now, if you have a day or so to prep, you can leave the bread on baking sheets out at room temperature for 12-18 hours.

If you’re pressed for time, place the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 300˚F for 20 minutes, rotating the tray in the oven after 10 minutes.

challah cubes on a baking tray and in a pie plate.

Once the bread has dried or been toasted, it’s time to make the custard. Combine eggnog, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and brown sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk vigorously to combine, or use an immersion blender.

Transfer the stale (and cooled) bread cubes to a buttered 9-inch deep pie dish or a deep 8×8 baking dish. Slowly pour the eggnog mixture over the bread cubes, gently pressing the cubes into the extra liquid in the dish.

2 photos of custard being poured over challah cubes in a pie plate.

Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate it for a minimum of 1 hour, but ideally overnight.

Bake covered at 350˚F for 10 minutes on the middle rack. Remove foil and bake for another 35 minutes, or until the top of the bread pudding is lightly browned and all liquid has been absorbed.

How to Store and Reheat

Storing Leftovers: Store leftover eggnog bread pudding in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Reheating Leftovers: You can reheat the bread pudding in the microwave or bake it in a 350ºF oven until it’s warmed through. I also love to reheat it in my air fryer at 350˚F for 3 minutes, but only if I have it in a small oven-proof dish.

Freezing Leftovers: Freeze fully cooled leftovers in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed tightly over the top of the bread pudding. Wrap the container in foil or transfer it to a large freezer-proof bag. Reheat from frozen or thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do you need to use stale bread for bread pudding?

Fresh bread will cause the bread pudding to become a soggy hot mess. Lightly toasted or stale bread absorbs the liquid of the custard, infusing each bite with loads of flavor.

My preference is to lightly toast the bread in the oven to guarantee the perfect texture. Simply spread the bread on two baking sheets and bake at 300˚F for 20 minutes, switching the placement of the pans at 10 minutes.

Is bread pudding good the next day?

Absolutely! Just like soup, bread pudding actually improves after a day or so. It’s a wonderful make-ahead breakfast or dessert for that very reason.

Should I freeze bread pudding before or after baking?

If you’re looking to meal prep this recipe for future meals, you can freeze it before or after baking it.

If you freeze it after baking it, allow it to fully cool before covering it with plastic wrap. This will prevent a build-up of condensation which can cause freezer burn longterm.

What to Serve With This Recipe

Spoon blackberry syrup or strawberry syrup over the finished bread pudding, sprinkle with homemade powdered sugar, or serve it alongside oven-baked bacon, make head scrambled eggs, and cast iron potatoes for a complete breakfast.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

I used brioche bread because it is incredibly rich and buttery. Challah, french bread, homemade honey wheat bread, no-knead dutch oven bread, Hawaiian rolls, or even croissants work great. Just make sure whatever you use is either stale and/or toasted prior to combining with the custard.
Don’t mix the bread cubes with the custard. This can lead to lots of crumbs in your finished product. Rather, put the bread in the baking dish and slowly pour the custard over the bread. I also gently press the bread cubes into the liquid using a fork before refrigerating.
For best results, cover tightly with foil or beeswrap and refrigerate overnight before baking, but if you’re in a rush, 1 hour is the minimum resting time.
Mix the eggs really well to avoid clumps of baked “scrambled” eggs in the dish. I like to use an immersion blender in our mixing bowl to make sure everything is perfectly smooth and combined.

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maple syrup being poured over a plate of bread pudding

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