Bread Pudding is comfort food, and this holiday season my Cranberry Eggnog Bread Pudding, warm out of the oven will have everyone loving my seasonal take on this American Classic.
Eggnog has been a family tradition from my father’s side (English/Irish) that has been continued over the years and has finally found its way into desserts that I’ve been sharing. My Eggnog Gelato is another delicious example.
Tart cranberries are the perfect addition to this rich and somewhat decadent dessert, topped with creamy, melty cream cheese frosting….sigh. Eggnog Cranberry Bread Pudding may not have been on your Holiday Baking list, but I assure you after one bite, it will become a favorite!
Ingredients for Cranberry Eggnog Bread Pudding
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Cranberry Eggnog Bread Pudding. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Made with simple pantry ingredients:
- Potato Bread (or white bread)
- Egg Nog
- Cranberries (fresh or frozen)
- Eggs
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
Bread Pudding Chef Tips
One of the major problems with most bread puddings is there’s not enough liquid in the mixture.
I know you’ve all had the bread puddings that could double as a doorstop and that’s because there was not enough milk to keep the texture like pudding.
The other issue I sometimes see is the omission or simply not enough eggs to make the custard. This is really essential with the additional liquid. Think egg custard with bread in it.
As you can see from my bread pudding pictured above the egg nog mixture almost came up to the top of the baking dish. Allowing it to soak in before baking helps as well.
When it comes out of the oven, it’s puffed up really nicely and as it cools it will set back down to the level of the dish or a little lower. This is normal.
After allowing it to cool down, you can now top it with the bourbon cream cheese frosting. You can also skip the frosting and serve it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or creme Anglais. Although the cream cheese frosting is almost the best part.
You don’t have to allow it to cool down completely, and warm is even better. The only problem you’ll have is the shape of the pudding. I promise no one will care what it looks like once they taste it.
Allowing it to cool down completely will let it keep its shape, but it’s best right out of the oven.
Anyway, you serve it, I promise you your guests are going to be ah-mazed at the flavor and the originality of the dessert. If cranberries aren’t your thing, try blueberries, it’s equally delicious, just not quite as festive.
Here is the link for the original version of my Classic Bread Pudding.
Recipe FAQ’s
Bread pudding can trace its roots to the early 11th and 12th centuries. Nothing could be wasted in those times and cooks looked for ways to use stale, leftover bread instead of letting it go to waste. It became known as the “poor man’s pudding” and now it’s simply delicious comfort food!
You simply didn’t use enough milk and egg mixture if your bread pudding is dense and heavy. Eggs make it rich and light; think of it as custard being poured over the bread.
Yes. you can. Double-wrap it in plastic wrap and foil. Don’t add the topping until it’s defrosted and reheated.
More Desserts You’ll Love!
Cranberry Eggnog Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 1 loaf Potato Bread cut into cubes (more if you need it, the bread should mound high above your casserole dish.)
- 4 cups Egg Nog
- 3 Large Eggs
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
Cream Cheese Frosting
- ¼ lb butter – softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened. (not whipped cream cheese)
- 1 cup Confectioners sugar (aka 10X) more if you like it sweeter
- 1 tablespoon bourbon, whiskey or rum (use vanilla extract for a non alcoholic version)
Instructions
Bread Pudding
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and get out a 9 x 9 baking dish
- Cut potato bread into cubes and place in a baking dish
- Mix in the cranberries with the cut bread
- In your mixer or a large container, mix the eggnog, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla together, making sure all the eggs are beaten into the milk and all the sugar has been incorporated.
- Pour this mixture over the cut bread, mixing it well so that all of the bread has absorbed some of the milk. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes, overnight in the fridge is even better.
- Cover the prepared bread pudding with aluminum foil and Bake for One hour at 350 degrees.
- Uncover and continue to bake for 15 minutes more or until the center is fully set.
- The bread pudding will rise quite a bit, but sadly it will fall, this won’t affect the flavor.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whip the butter and cream cheese in your mixture at high speed to get some air into it.
- Turn the mixer down all the way and add the confectioner's sugar gradually increasing the speed
- Add the vanilla and mix well
- spread cream cheese frosting over the warm bread pudding, serve and enjoy.
brad
Looks delicious. Not sure what this means: Cover the prepared bread pudding with cling wrap (don’t worry it won’t melt then with aluminum foil and Bake for One hour at 350 degrees)”. Wrap in plastic/cling wrap and then when is aluminum foil used?
Chef Dennis Littley
I use plastic wrap on the baking dish, then add the foil. This was a restaurant trick to keep the bread from sticking to the foil, but its a step you can leave out if you like and just use the foil.
Diana Grenier
Our cling wrap melted :/
Chef Dennis Littley
Occasionally it melts into the foil. I’ve never had it melt into the pudding.
Kay Summers
An hour at 350 degrees sounds like a long time for a bread pudding?
Chef Dennis Littley
As long as you follow the recipe that is correct.
carolyn
If making a non alcoholic version, how much vanilla should I use?
Chef Dennis Littley
as I mention in the recipe, 1 tablespoon
Nancy Taylor
I want to make this is a 9 x 13. How can I adjust the recipe? Thank you, Gramma Nancy
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Nancy
increase the recipe by 50%, and that should work nicely in the 9×13 pan
nancy
just in time for the holidays! i can’t wait for the guests to try this!
Jeannie
So much flavors in this cranberry eggnog recipe, its time to make this recipe to complete the festive season
Audrey
This is perfect for the holidays! Delicious