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A slice of peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream sits in a white bowl. Behind it are a container of Breyers vanilla ice cream and a tray of baked peach cobbler on a granite countertop.

Apple Cinnamon Bread Pudding

This apple cinnamon bread pudding layers custard-soaked bread with apple pie filling, cinnamon, and apple pie spice and bakes until golden and set for a warm, buttery fall dessert served with vanilla ice cream.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 1/2 tsp salted butter plus more for greasing
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 3 tbsp
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • Bread torn or cut into pieces
  • Apple pie filling homemade or store-bought
  • Raw sugar for sprinkling
  • Vanilla ice cream for serving

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a baking dish generously with butter or line with parchment paper.
  2. In a saucepan over medium heat combine the milk, heavy cream, butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. Whisk gently until the butter is fully melted and everything is combined. Remove from heat.
  3. Whisk the room temperature eggs together in a separate bowl. Slowly add a small amount of the warm custard to the eggs while whisking constantly. Continue adding the custard a little at a time until the eggs are fully tempered. Whisk the egg mixture back into the remaining custard.
  4. Add the bread pieces to the custard and toss gently until completely coated. Let soak for a few minutes so the bread fully absorbs the custard.
  5. Add a layer of custard-soaked bread to the prepared baking dish. Spoon a layer of apple pie filling over the bread. Add another layer of soaked bread then another layer of apple pie filling. Press down gently to compress the layers. Finish with apple pie filling over the top and a generous sprinkle of raw sugar.
  6. Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes until firm and set in the center and deeply golden on top.
  7. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

  • Let the bread sit in the custard for a few minutes before layering. You want it to really absorb that creamy cinnamon custard. That's what gives you a soft, rich center instead of dry pieces of bread throughout.
  • Tempering the eggs is the step that prevents scrambled eggs in your custard. Add the warm liquid slowly and whisk constantly. Don't rush it.
  • Day-old or slightly stale bread is specifically better for bread pudding than fresh bread. It absorbs the custard more readily without falling apart and produces a more cohesive, more structured finished pudding.
  • Press the layers down gently before baking. Compressing everything together ensures the custard soaks all the way through every layer rather than pooling at the bottom.