The BEST Salted Caramel Bread Pudding

Nothing says comfort quite like a bowl of bread pudding, and we like to kick it up a notch with this warm and gooey Salted Caramel Bread Pudding! Delicious and indulgent, it’s always the first to disappear from the table during parties and holiday celebrations.

Why You’ll Love This Salted Caramel Bread Pudding

If you love cozy desserts that feel bakery-worthy without all of the complicated steps, this salted caramel bread pudding is one you’ll want to put on repeat. The challah soaks overnight in a rich vanilla custard, which gives the bread plenty of time to absorb all that flavor and bake up soft, creamy, and perfectly golden. It’s one of those recipes that actually gets better with a little time!

The homemade salted caramel sauce takes this recipe to the next level. It’s buttery, smooth, and rich with just the right balance of sweetness and salt. Even better, it doubles as a finishing drizzle right before serving, giving it a pretty, glossy finish.

Traditionally, when you see bread pudding, you might notice that it is cut up into cubes. But in our instructional video, you’ll see that we cut our bread into slices. We love serving this bread pudding in a round baking dish because it instantly looks impressive on the table with very little effort. However, if you want to cube the bread instead, that will work, too!

Ingredients

Bread Pudding

• Half and Half – This creates the rich, creamy base that gives the casserole its soft, custardy texture. In a pinch, whole milk is a good substitute. No milk? Try experimenting with other substitutes.
• Eggs – Eggs help bind everything together and create that classic bread pudding texture. 
• Light Brown Sugar – This adds warmth and a little caramel-like sweetness to the casserole. 
• Granulated Sugar – A little granulated sugar balances the flavors and sweetens the custard mixture evenly. It also helps to create a beautiful golden finish!
• Unsalted Butter – Melted butter adds even more richness to the bread pudding.
• Vanilla Extract – We love adding a little warmth with vanilla.
• Challah Bread – We prefer using a loaf of challah for our salted caramel bread pudding. It is hearty, buttery, and flavorful. It is also dense enough to withstand baking in the liquid, so it doesn’t fall apart when you are serving it. Brioche is another of our favorites. 

Salted Caramel

• Unsalted Butter – Butter is the base of the caramel sauce. Using high-quality butter makes sure the caramel turns out silky smooth and full of flavor.
• Light Brown Sugar – Brown sugar melts into the butter to create the caramel. It also gives the sauce its rich golden color.
• Sea Salt – Sea salt balances the sweetness and gives the caramel it sweet-meets-salty flavor combination.
• Heavy Cream – Heavy cream makes the caramel smooth, creamy, and pourable. 
• Maldon Salt Flakes – Flaky salt adds the perfect finishing touch right before serving. Not only does it look pretty and add even more flavor, but it also gives it a little crunch.

How to Make the Best Salted Caramel Bread Pudding

Salted Caramel Sauce

1. Melt. Add the butter to a medium sauce pot and allow it to melt completely. 
2. Add remaining ingredients. Pour in brown sugar, heavy cream, and sea salt.
3. Combine. Whisk everything together and allow the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Set aside. *Be sure to cool it fully so that it doesn’t cook the eggs when it’s poured onto the pudding.

Custard

1. Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add half and half, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, sugar, and brown sugar. *Make sure to allow the melted butter to cool down for a couple of minutes before incorporating it to make sure it doesn’t cook the eggs. To be extra cautious, you can add the melted butter last!
2. Mix. Whisk the ingredients together until they are well combined and set aside.

Challah Bread Pudding

1. Assemble bread. Slice or cube a loaf of bread and layer the bread pieces into a buttered baking dish. For slices, arrange them in a pinwheel in a round dish. Cubes will work with nearly any shape of baking dish.
2. Add custard. Pour the custard sauce over the slices of bread. Try your best to evenly distribute the liquid to make sure that every slice is coated.
3. Add caramel. Pour half of the salted caramel sauce over the bread pudding, making sure to get all the nooks and crannies! Reserve the rest of the sauce for later — this way, the caramel soaks right in, but then you can also give it a glossy, rich finish.
4. Store. Cover and refrigerate overnight. We highly recommend this step as it really soaks up all the custard. If you do not have time, try to let it sit for at least 1 hour.
5. Bake. Remove the cover and bake your bread pudding. Remove the bread pudding from the oven when it’s golden brown, slightly jiggly in the center, and a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Top. Pour the remaining salted caramel sauce over the baked bread pudding. Sprinkle on some extra sea salt to taste.
7. Serve. Serve the bread pudding as-is or with your favorite ice cream. Whipped cream also works as a topping!

Variations to Try

• Croissants – Swap the challah for buttery croissants for a flaky twist.
• Pumpkin Spice – For a fall-inspired version, add pumpkin pie spice to the custard mixture.
• Chocolate Chips – Fold chocolate chips into the bread and custard mixture before baking. Semi-sweet or dark chocolate both work well with the salted caramel flavors.
• Apple Cinnamon – Add thinly sliced apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon between the bread layers for an apple pie-style spin. 
• Nuts – Add a crunchy contrast by topping the casserole with chopped pecans or walnuts.
• Espresso Caramel – Stir a little espresso powder into the caramel sauce for a bit of coffee flavor. 
• Orange – Give the bread pudding some citrusy flavor with fresh orange zest.

Serving Suggestions

We love pairing this bread pudding with coffee for brunch or adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for dessert. For an extra indulgent treat, try it with our mocha Oreo no-churn ice cream. Or, fresh berries are also a great contrast to the rich caramel flavors!

Storage, Make-Ahead, and Reheating

This bread pudding with caramel sauce is the perfect make-ahead meal. Assemble and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking. Just be sure to let it sit for 20-30 minutes before popping it in the oven. 

To store leftovers, cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. For the best texture when reheating, cover it in foil and bake it at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes. Or, for the speediest reheat, microwave it in short intervals until it’s warm throughout. 

To freeze the bread pudding after it has been baked, place slices in an airtight container and freeze them for up to 2 months. Avoid freezing the sauce since it will break when it’s thawed.

Common Questions about Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

More Dessert Recipes

If you’re looking for more delicious desserts, you’re in the right place! Check out these favorites:

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Caramel Apple Cookie Skillet

Easy Chocolate Soufflé

Caramel Pecan Monkey Bread

The BEST Salted Caramel Bread Pudding

5 from 3 votes

Alia and Radwa

Servings: 6 servings

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Total: 55 minutes mins

Challah bread soaked in custard and a homemade caramel sauce. Topped with sea salt flakes for the perfect sweet and salty combination!

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Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 cups half & half
• ▢ 3 whole eggs
• ▢ 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Danish Creamery butter melted (unsalted)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 loaf challah bread

Salted Caramel

• ▢ 8 tablespoons butter unsalted
• ▢ 1 cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons sea salt
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream
• ▢ Maldon salt flakes for garnish

Instructions 

• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar, salt, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let slightly cool.

  8 tablespoons butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 1 cup heavy cream
• In a large mixing bowl, combine half and half, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

  4 cups half & half, 3 whole eggs, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons Danish Creamery butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Slice the brioche into 1/2 inch pieces. Arrange in a 12-inch round baking dish, making sure they slightly overlap. Pour the custard over. Pour half the caramel sauce and reserve the remaining half for later. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  1 loaf challah bread
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove the cover and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Heat the reserved caramel sauce and pour over the bread pudding. Garnish with sea salt flakes.
  Maldon salt flakes for garnish
• Serve as is or with a scoop of ice cream! Whipped cream works too!

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 972kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 272mg | Sodium: 1365mg | Potassium: 437mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 62g | Vitamin A: 2015IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 326mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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