Vegan Bread Pudding
Vegan Bread Pudding with all the classic flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar is sure to warm your home as it bakes. Simple ingredients, so easy to make, and perfect for making ahead of time, so that all you have to do is put it in the oven once you are ready to enjoy!
When I was a child I never questioned what made Christmas special: it just was. Now, as an adult, I can see all the things my mother would do to ensure a perfect day. From preparing cinnamon buns the night before to making each one of us kids' favorite cookies in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so many of my holiday memories are connected to food.
Tessa and I brainstormed recipes in the beginning of the fall season and, when choosing what recipes to create out of our brainstormed list, we had one objective: cozy comfort foods. As I tested this Vegan Bread Pudding I quickly realized that it is the perfect dessert for the Christmas season. This dessert is quick to assemble (only 10 minutes!) and is best when it has time to set in the fridge. This is ideal if you are going out for a day of holiday festivities like picking out a Christmas tree and want to have a comforting dessert ready to be baked once you are home!
Looking for more cozy desserts for the winter season, try some of our favorites:
~ Taylor
Vegan Bread Pudding
Serves: 6 people
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 40-50 minutes
Author: Kitchen Potatoes
Ingredients
· 5 cups stale white bread (approximately half of a large loaf), cut into small squares (approximately 1 inch)*
· 2 cups + ¼ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (preferably a thick milk like soy, oat, cashew, or coconut)
· 2 tsp vanilla
· 1 tsp cinnamon
· ½ tsp nutmeg
· ¼ tsp salt
· ½ cup + ¼ cup brown sugar
· 2 tbsp cornstarch
Optional add-ins:
· ½ cup pecans
· ½ cup walnuts
· ½ cup chocolate chips
· ½ cup raisins
· Vegan vanilla ice cream
Method
Spray a glass or ceramic dish (9’ X 9’ or 10’ X 7’) with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the 2 cups of unsweetened non-dairy milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, whisking to combine.
Place approximately half of this milk mixture into a small saucepan or small pot and set on medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk.
While half of the milk mixture heats, add ½ cup brown sugar to the other milk mixture, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Fold the cubed stale bread into this sugar milk mixture, cover, and set in the fridge.
Once the heating milk mixture begins to steam, combine the cornstarch with ¼ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, whisking thoroughly to remove clumps.
Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the heating milk mixture. Stir with a whisk constantly until the milk mixture reaches a boil. Once boiling and thickening, remove the mixture from the heat immediately. Stir in ¼ cup brown sugar.
Remove the bread mixture from the fridge and fold in the thickened milk mixture. Fold in any optional add-ins, then transfer to your prepared dish. This dessert is best when allowed to set in the fridge before baking. Either cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours or bake immediately.
Once ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F and place in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until browned on the top and the liquid has set into a thick custard texture. Once baked, remove from oven, allow to cool for 3-5 minutes, then serve with vegan vanilla ice cream.
Notes:
*If you do not have stale bread, either place the bread in the refrigerator the day before you plan to make the bread pudding or, if you are tight on time, arrange the bread on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for approximately 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the dried out bread to cool for a few minutes before you begin to prepare the bread pudding.
