Easy Bread Pudding with Blackberries
This old fashioned Blackberry Bread Pudding Recipe is a favorite at my house, freckled with ripe blackberries for bright tangy flavor!
Why We Love This Easy Bread Pudding with Blackberries
My first few years of marriage were a time of wonderful memory making.
I had just started teaching third grade and loved every minute of it. After shuffling the little guys out the door each day, I would grade papers, plan for the following day, and rush home to sift through cookbooks and food magazines. There I would search for recipes to spark my creative juices.
Old fashioned bread pudding was something my young hubby and I would bake again and again, combining different flavors and experimenting with sauces. We thought of a bread pudding recipe as the most comforting, yet chic, dessert at the time and would serve it to guests any chance we got.
I think we put on a few “bread pudding pounds” that first couple years of marriage.
A classic bread pudding recipe is the ultimate pillow of goodness, with crisp toasted edges and a rich custard-like interior that puts the best french toast to shame.
It’s the perfect cradle to gently nestle summer’s precious gift of bright blushing berries.
This Blackberry Bread Pudding Recipe, is utterly irresistible and hassle-free to boot.
Ingredients You Need
- Bread – use a good country bread and cut the bread slices into cubes
- Blackberries – fresh or frozen
- Heavy Cream and Half & Half – for a creamy custard mixture
- Eggs – eggs will make the custard mixture silky and turn the bread into bread pudding!
- Sugar – for a hint of sweetness
- Vanilla – for added flavor
- Spices – Cinnamon and nutmeg
- Salt – to balance the flavors
How to Make Blackberry Bread Pudding
Place the bread cubes and blackberries in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and toss to distribute the blackberries evenly.
In a large bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together into a frothy custard base.
Pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden and bubbly. The bread pudding should still be a little jiggly in the middle. If the top starts to get too dark, place a piece of loose foil over it while baking. Allow it to cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Tips & Tricks
- The bread you use matters! Use a high quality bread like country bread or brioche bread! I don’t recommend using a soft white bread here as it will get too soft when soaked in the custard. If you have stale bread, that would be even better!
- Use fresh blackberries when they are in season! This easy bread pudding recipe is extra delicious in the summertime when blackberries are ripe and juicy. However, in the off season, you can use frozen blackberries!
- Butter or grease your baking dish in order to prevent it from sticking to the sides of the baking dish!
Serving Suggestions
Serve your warm bread pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! It is also delicious with a fruit sauce or caramel sauce drizzled over the top!
Frequently Asked Questions
To ensure that your bread pudding is done cooking, stick a toothpick into the middle. If it comes out clean, you know that it is ready.
It can last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days! I recommend serving it warm, so you can pop it into the microwave, oven or air fryer until warm and serve!
Looking for More Easy Dessert Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Old Fashioned Blueberry Pudding with Rose Water
- Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Muffins
- Blueberry Ricotta Pizza
- White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
Easy Bread Pudding with Blackberries
Ingredients
- 1 pound good country bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (1 loaf)
- 2 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups half-and-half, or whole milk
- 8 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the bread cubes and blackberries in a 9 x 13 baking dish and toss to distribute the blackberries evenly.
- In a large bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together into a frothy custard base.
- Pour the custard over the bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden and bubbly. The bread pudding should still be a little jiggly in the middle. All it to cool for 20 minutes before serving. (If the top starts to get too dark, place a piece of loose foil over it while baking.) Serve warm.
Ten years later and your recipe is still a hit! We had extra long brat buns leftover from a cookout and my husband asked me to use them to make bread pudding. I also had a bunch of blackberries on hand. Blackberry cobbler is my absolute favorite and this was a refreshing spin on that! I used three cups of blackberries (because I love them) and double the spices with a little added cloves (because I am extra). It is amazing! I plopped a little whipped cream on the top and YUM! Next time I might cut back on the sugar a little bit because I think the added blackberries made it sweeter naturally. Thanks so much for writing exactly what I needed!
This bread pudding changed hearts and minds! Several family members who generally don’t like bread pudding went back for seconds. Enough said. Try this recipe, make sure you bake through and serve warm!