Blueberry Bread Pudding with Creme Anglaise

Published: Aug 23, 2021 by Chef Dennis Littley

4.81 from 81 votes

Have you ever had Blueberry Bread Pudding?

If not, you’re going to love my blueberry bread pudding! One of my signature desserts has always been bread pudding. I learned to make it early on in my career and there are few that ever come close to this amazingly simple dessert.

I’m sure you’ve had bread pudding many times in your life and most end up being so dense and heavy that they need to be smothered in an over the top sauce just to make them palatable.

blueberry bread pudding on a white plate with creme anglais

And that’s really a shame because bread pudding should be light, creamy and delicious even without a sauce.

Table of Contents:

What Kind of bread should I use when making bread pudding?

Potato bread is my favorite bread to use when I make my legendary bread pudding. But I’ve also used regular white bread, hot dog rolls, hamburger rolls (unseeded), hoagie rolls and croissants.

I would say just about any white flour bread item would work. Rye or any other strong-flavored bread, or seeded bread would be a little too much for this dessert. Although a tasty 11-grain bread could make a very interesting bread pudding.

Using potato or white bread for the pudding allows it to stand on its own and the sauce simply accents the light fluffy texture and flavors.

overhead shot of blueberry bread pudding on a white plate with creme anglais

Ingredients to make Blueberry Bread Pudding

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Blueberry Bread Pudding. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

How to make Blueberry Bread Pudding

four images showing how to make the custard for the bread pudding

To make the custard mixture, gently beat the eggs, then add the milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Continue to whip using a whisk until the sugar has been fully incorporated.

four images showing how to make blueberry bread pudding

Use a 13×9 inch baking pan to make my blueberry bread pudding.
Cut the potato bread into cubes and place in the baking dish (it should be higher than the pan)
Pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes and mix well and let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
Add in the blueberries, distributing them throughout the bread mixture. Drizzle the melted butter over the entire pan, letting some of the butters richness touch as much of the top of the mixture as it can.
Cover the pudding lightly with foil, making sure to give room for expansion.

overhead view of baked blueberry bread pudding

Bake the blueberry bread pudding for one hour at 350 degrees.

Then uncover the bread pudding and continue to bake for 15 minutes more or until the center is fully set. (if the butter has pooled in any area, spread it around before the final 15 minutes…this will help get it golden brown.)

How do I make Creme Anglaise?

four images showing how to make creme anglaise

Bring 4 eggs to room temperature, and separate using only the yolks.
Whip the egg yolks with the sugar until fluffy and pale yellow, set aside
In a small pot heat the milk and half and half until it is simmering, remove from heat.
Slowly mix half of the milk into the egg mixture, stirring the eggs as you pour the hot milk into them.
Add the egg mixture back into the remaining milk along with the vanilla and continue to simmer for about 5-7 minutes until the mixture has slightly thickened. Use a rubber spatula to stir the mixture constantly, getting into all the corners.

*The Creme Anglaise should be thick enough that when you run your finger through a coating on a spoon, it remains separated.

What is the best topping for bread pudding?

I started out making my legendary bread pudding with a cream cheese frosting but for this recipe, I wanted to change things up a bit.

Blueberries found their way into this version of bread pudding when I noticed a pint of fresh blueberries in the fridge.

I didn’t want to overpower the blueberries in this dessert so I decided to make Creme Anglaise instead of my classic cream cheese frosting. It was a good choice.

portion fo blueberry bread pudding on a white plate without the cream anglais

This would also be amazing served with vanilla ice cream or simply homemade whipped cream. But way, you serve it, serve it warm from the oven, and I promise you’ll get rave reviews!

pouring creme anglais from a pitcher onto a portion of blueberry bread pudding

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4.81 from 81 votes