This incredible breakfast bread pudding is made with bits of sweet apples and pecans. Perfect for breakfast or dessert and can be ready in minutes! This bread pudding recipe can serve one or two people.
I don't know of anything better to wake up to than this breakfast bread pudding filled with apples and pecans. Unlike many breakfast bread puddings or breakfast casseroles, you don't have to mix the ingredients together overnight.
In fact, when you're ready to enjoy this bread pudding, simply mix the liquid ingredients together and pour over torn pieces of bread.
Why This Recipe Works
- This breakfast bread pudding recipe is ideal if you have leftover or stale bread. In the case of this recipe, I had a couple of standard sized croissants I decided to use. Actually, any type of thick bread will work.
- Bread pudding isn't complicated - it's simple. It's proof that leftover bread, in this case croissants, can be transformed into an amazing breakfast without a whole lot of work.
- It's made with simple ingredients and tastes incredible!
RELATED: 20 Single Serving Breakfast Recipes Worth Waking Up To
Ingredient Notes
See recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Bread: I used croissants in this bread pudding recipe but you can use just about any type of bread. Use 2 cups of cubed bread.
- Milk, an egg and heavy cream: These ingredients are the "base" of a delicious bread pudding. Feel free to use any percentage of cow's milk. Although I love the rich flavor of the bread pudding when I use heavy cream, feel free to use only milk instead.
- Brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla: Use these ingredients for sweetness and delicious flavor.
- Sugar and cinnamon: Mix these ingredients together and sprinkle over the top of the bread pudding before baking. They provide a lovely slightly crisp topping.
- Diced apples and pecans: Scatter the apples and pecans over the top of the bread and gently "tuck" them into spaces between the cubes of bread. This way you're sure to get apples and pecans in every bite.
- Butter: Cut pieces of salted butter into small cubes and add to the top of the bread before baking.
How To Make This Recipe
- In a bowl, whisk together milk, an egg, a splash of cream, a little brown sugar, maple syrup, a touch of granulated sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour the liquid over the bread.
- Tuck diced apples and chopped pecans between the cubes of bread, then add bits of butter to the top.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- Make a water bath. Boil a kettle of water. Place the baking dish with the bread pudding in a larger roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the bread pudding dish.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove pans from the oven. Remove the smaller baking dish from the larger pan. Place on rack to cool.
Frequently Asked Questions
A water bath, or a bain-marie, is a dish of water used to bake recipes requiring gentle, even heat. It insulates the dish so that it doesn't overcook. Please don't be put off by this, it's incredibly easy. You will need to find a pan that will comfortably hold your small baking dish while maintaining an inch or more of space around the sides for the water. A small to medium-sized roasting pan works well.
For this easy breakfast bread pudding recipe, I use a 5-inch baking dish which has an area of 25 square inches. For best results use a baking dish of similar size.
If you would like additional information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
Bread pudding may be made a day ahead, refrigerated overnight and baked before serving. Keep in mind that unbaked bread pudding will become soggier the longer it sits, so it's not recommended to leave it unbaked longer than overnight.
Expert Tips
- I used two croissants in this bread pudding recipe and sliced them into cubes. It was the perfect amount to fill my small baking dish.
- If you don't have croissants, feel free to use a different kind of bread; rolls, sourdough, and french bread are personal favorites. Use about 2 cups of cubed bread.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients left over from this breakfast bread pudding recipe you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Heavy cream: 2 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse, Icebox Cake, Strawberry Shortcake
- Maple syrup: Pumpkin Spice Granola, Maple Walnut Muffin, Sweet Potato Pie
- Apples: Baked Apples, Apple Butter, Apple Galette
- Pecans: Apple Cinnamon Scones, Pecan Pie, Apple Muffin
Other Single Serving Breakfast Recipes
- Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- Strawberry White Chocolate Scones
- Blueberry Muffin
- French Toast
- Baked Oatmeal With Fruit
- Waffle
Other Ways To Use Leftover Bread
If you’ve tried this breakfast bread pudding or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Ingredients
- 2 cups croissants , cut into cubes (2 standard sized croissants)
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- pinch cinnamon
- ¼ cup peeled, diced apples
- ⅛ cup pecans
- ¼ tablespoon salted butter , cut into bits
Instructions
- Place the cubed croissants into a 5-inch baking dish coated with baking spray or butter.
- In a small bowl,whisk together the milk, egg, cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour over bread.
- Mix together the sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of the bread pudding.
- Scatter the diced apples and pecans on top of the cubes of bread and gently insert them between the cubes.
- Top with the bits of butter.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- Boil a kettle of water. Place the baking dish with the bread pudding in a larger roasting pan.
- Pour boiling water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the bread pudding dish.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove pans from the oven. Remove the smaller baking dish from the larger pan. Place on rack to cool.
Notes
- I used two croissants in this bread pudding recipe and sliced them into cubes. It was the perfect amount to fill my small baking dish.
- If you don't have croissants, feel free to use a different kind of bread; rolls, sourdough, and french bread are personal favorites. Use about 2 cups of cubed bread.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi…love to try this recipe. Can you advose me if I want to use sliced bread how many do I need to use please? Thank you
Use about 2 cups of cubed bread, possibly 2-3 slices.
With that hot water I would not call this child friendly. My mother always made the best bread pudding and she never ever used hot water with it. Since I am sight impaired, when it came to the water you lost me. I cannot safely handled it but it sure sounds good.
I just made this with stale Italian bread. I can hardly wait for it to come out of the oven!
I used a cinnamon raisin bagel in mine 😋
Have not tried it yet and have no croissants on hand. So I plan to bake a tube of the refrigerated “croissant” rolls and use maybe 4 of them because they are little = and make it in my brand new 3 quart size Insta Pot, Jackie
This is in the toaster oven right now!
I love that you turned a big huge casserole into a single-serve dish!
Just wonderful! Made it earlier this week and both my husband and I really liked it. The apples and the pecans added texture. I had large croissants and only had to use one. Highly recommend.
Awesome, Debbie! I’m so happy you liked the recipe. Thank you!!
how long should i cool for? or can i eat it warm? 😛
Just let it cool enough so that you don’t burn your mouth 🙂
I love that this makes just one serving! Perfect!
This looks out of this world! And that little Le Cruset could not be more adorable!