Apple Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel

This Salted Caramel Apple Bread Pudding combines crisp Granny Smith apples, sweet red apples, golden raisins, and cubes of French bread baked in a rich vanilla custard. The apples are first sautéed with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, then the remaining buttery syrup is transformed into a silky homemade salted caramel that gets drizzled over the warm bread pudding before serving.

Ingredient Notes

• French Bread: Day-old French bread is ideal because it absorbs the custard without becoming mushy. You can also use brioche, challah, or Italian bread for a richer texture.
• Granny Smith Apples: These tart apples hold their shape during baking and balance the sweetness of the caramel. If unavailable, Pink Lady apples are a great substitute.
• Sweet Red Apples: Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji apples add natural sweetness and a softer texture. Feel free to use your favorite sweet baking apple.
• Golden Raisins: Soaking the raisins in hot water plumps them up, making them juicy and tender. Regular raisins or dried cranberries work well if you don’t have golden raisins.
• Eggs: Help bind the custard and create that classic bread pudding structure as it bakes.
• Whole Milk: Adds creaminess to the custard while keeping it light enough to soak into the bread.
• Heavy Cream: Enhances the richness and makes the pudding extra velvety.
• Brown Sugar: I have used light brown sugar that provides deep, caramel-like sweetness that complements the apples and spices.
• White Sugar: Adds extra sweetness and balances the flavor of brown sugar.
• Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds classic warm spice that pairs perfectly with apples and caramel. For extra depth, use Saigon or Ceylon cinnamon.
• Ground Nutmeg: A small amount of nutmeg adds warmth and complements the cinnamon without overpowering the dessert. Freshly grated nutmeg offers the best flavor.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds a sweet, aromatic note.
• Salt: A pinch enhances and balances the sweetness of the dish.
• Unsalted Butter: Butter softens the apples and adds rich flavor while forming the base of the caramel sauce. If using salted butter, reduce the added salt slightly.
• Flaky Sea Salt: Flaky sea salt finishes the caramel with a sweet-and-salty contrast that makes each bite irresistible. Maldon or another flaky finishing salt works especially well.

Variations of this dessert

• Pear gingerbread: Make a different version of this bread pudding using pears instead of the apples, add some freshly grated or ground ginger to the spice mix for that gingerbread flavor.
• Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free bread.
• Dulce de leche: Replace the salted caramel with dulce de leche.
• Pumpkin: A different seasonal take on bread pudding that uses pumpkin pure and pumpkin spice.
• Rum raisin: Soak the raisins in rum for an adult version of bread pudding.

How to serve this Apple Bread Pudding

This bread pudding works great as a dessert, but you can also serve it for a holiday breakfast or brunch. For a proper dessert serve it warm topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Other topping options include a warm creme anglaise or vanilla custard sauce, honey creme fraiche sauce, or whipped mascarpone cream. For a lighter take or afternoon snack, you can serve it simply on its own, warm or cold, with a cup of coffee or tea.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make bread pudding ahead of time?

Yes! You can assemble the bread pudding up to 24 hours in advance, cover it tightly, and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.

What is the best bread for bread pudding?

Day-old French bread is perfect because it absorbs the custard while still holding its shape. Brioche or challah are great alternatives if you prefer a richer, more buttery bread pudding.

Can I freeze bread pudding?

Yes. Let it cool completely, wrap it tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.

Can I leave out the raisins?

Yes. If you don’t like raisins, simply omit them or replace them with chopped pecans, walnuts, or dried cranberries for a different texture and flavor.

Can I use store-bought apple pie filling?

Yes, you can use store-bought apple pie filling if you’re short on time. Replace the homemade apple mixture with about 2 (21-ounce) cans of apple pie filling, chopping any large apple slices into bite-sized pieces. Keep in mind that the flavor will be sweeter, and you’ll miss out on the homemade salted caramel made from the buttery apple pan juices, which gives this bread pudding its signature rich flavor.

Apple Bread Pudding (with Salted Caramel)

This comforting Apple Bread Pudding is made with Granny Smith apples, sweet red apples, golden raisins, and cubes of French bread baked in a rich vanilla custard and served with a silky homemade salted caramel.

No ratings yet

Print Pin Your Questions and Comments

Course: Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American, North American

Keyword: Apples, Bread pudding, Comfort food, Salted caramel

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Soaking time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Bread Pudding

• 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (preferably day-old stale bread) 16 ounces or 450 grams
• 2 cups whole milk 480 ml
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 large eggs at room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 grams
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ? teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup golden raisins
• Hot water for soaking raisins

Cinnamon Apples

• 2 Granny Smith apples peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 2 red apples, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 60 grams
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed 110 grams
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Salted Caramel

• Remaining syrup from cooking the apples
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup heavy cream, room temperature 60 ml
• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

To serve:

• Vanilla ice cream or
• Whipped cream

Instructions

• Cut the French bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread the cubes on a baking sheet and let them dry overnight, or bake at 300°F (150°C) for 10–12 minutes until lightly dried but not browned.
• Place the golden raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 15–20 minutes until plump. Drain well and set aside.
  

To make the Cinnamon Apples:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the diced Granny Smith and red apples along with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  
• Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften but still hold their shape. Stir in the vanilla and remove the skillet from the heat.
  
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apples to a bowl, leaving the buttery syrup behind in the skillet for the salted caramel sauce.

To make the Salted Caramel Sauce:

• Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter to the remaining apple syrup and stir until melted.
  
• Slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking constantly. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce becomes smooth and slightly thickened.
  
• Remove from the heat and stir in the flaky sea salt. Set aside the caramel for serving.
  

To make the Custard and to assemble the Bread Pudding:

• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, heavy cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
  
• Add the bread cubes, half of the cooked apples, and half of the drained golden raisins to the custard.
  
• Gently fold everything together until the bread is evenly coated.
• Let the mixture sit for 15–20 minutes, gently pressing the bread down once or twice so it fully absorbs the custard.

To bake the Apple Bread Pudding:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Transfer the mixture to a buttered 9×13-inch baking dish, spreading it into an even layer.
  
• Spread the remaining cooked apples and raisins on top.
  
• Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the custard is set. A knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean, and the internal temperature should reach about 170–175°F (75-80°C).
  
• Let the bread pudding rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.
  
• Spoon the bread pudding into bowls and drizzle generously with the warm salted caramel. Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream or freshly whipped cream to enjoy.
  

Notes

• Use day-old French bread so it absorbs the custard without becoming mushy.
• Combining tart Granny Smith apples with sweet red apples creates a balanced apple flavor and texture.
• Soaking the raisins keeps them soft and juicy after baking.
• Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 30–45 seconds and drizzle with extra salted caramel before serving.

Photos of the step by step preparation process for Apple Bread Pudding With Salted Caramel

Additional recipes to try:

1

Apple empanadas {with cinnamon empanada dough}

Homemade apple empanadas with a spiced cinnamon dough. These sweet empanadas are baked and topped with cinnamon sugar.

Check out this recipe

2

Buñuelos de Manzana (Apple Beignet Fritters)

Easy and quick recipe for homemade Buñuelos de Manzana or Apple Beignet Fritters, these golden puffy fritters are full of apple flavor and rolled in cinnamon sugar. The batter is made with apples, applesauce, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon or pumpkin spice, vanilla, eggs, milk, butter.

Check out this recipe

3

Easy French apple cake

Delicious and easy to make French apple cake recipe made with only 4 simple ingredients: apples, sugar, flour and eggs.

Check out this recipe

4

Churro Cheesecake Bars

These decadent cheesecake bars consists of a Biscoff cookie crust layered with creamy cinnamon churro cheesecake, topped with a silky cinnamon ganache and finished with cinnamon sugar and an optional cinnamon whipped cream.

Check out this recipe

5

Orange Cake (Torta de Naranja)

This delicious cake is moist and full of fresh orange flavor. It is soaked with citrus syrup and topped with an orange glaze and caramelized orange slices.

Check out this recipe

6

Arroz con leche {Latin style rice pudding}

Easy recipe for homemade arroz con leche, a classic Latin American rice pudding dessert made with rice, milk, cinnamon, sugar, raisins, and condensed milk.

Check out this recipe

7

Air Fryer Churros

These homemade churros in the air fryer are made with simple ingredients and are golden and crispy, without any of the mess or grease from frying.

Check out this recipe

8

Spiced caramelized pears {in panela or piloncillo syrup}

Spiced caramelized pears in panela or piloncillo brown sugar syrup, these sweet pear preserves are made with ripe pears, panela or piloncillo (a type of unprocessed brown sugar), ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.

Check out this recipe

9

Sweet Potato Loaf Cake with Maple-Glazed Pecan Streusel

This ultra-moist and tender Sweet Potato Loaf Cake is made with mashed sweet potato, sour cream, eggs, flour, sugar, oil, spices, vanilla and topped with a crispy pecan streusel glazed with maple syrup.

Check out this recipe

10

Eggnog flan or crème caramel

Recipe for eggnog flan or crème caramel, this delicious creamy custard dessert is perfect for the holidays.

Check out this recipe