Apple Rum Raisin Bread Pudding
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My apple rum raisin bread pudding is pure comfort — think tart apples, rum-soaked raisins, and a cozy vanilla-cinnamon custard. It’s the kind of dessert that feels just right on a chilly night.
This twist on classic bread pudding is the ultimate cozy dessert for a chilly fall night. Made with challah bread, a vanilla and cinnamon-scented custard, tart apples, and plump rum-soaked raisins, it’s the perfect balance of sweet, boozy, and tart. Serve it warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top for a comforting and satisfying treat.
“The best bread pudding we have ever had! Dish cleaned out. Not a crumb left.”
What You’ll Need To Make Apple Rum Raisin Bread Pudding
- Challah or brioche cubes: The soft, fluffy base that soaks up all the custard.
- Apple: Adds a bright, tangy bite — I like using a big tart baking apple, such as Granny Smith.
- Raisins: Little pops of sweetness and chew in every spoonful.
- Rum: For soaking the raisins; adds a warm, complex layer of flavor (dark or spiced both work great).
- Custard (eggs, whole milk, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and vanilla): The heart of the pudding. It’s rich and creamy, just sweet enough and warmly spiced.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Soak the raisins. Place the raisins and rum in a shallow bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Let the raisins soak in the rum while you prepare the other ingredients.
Step 2: Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs to break them up. Then whisk in the milk, sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla.
Step 3: Put it all together. Add the challah cubes, sliced apples and raisins/rum mixture. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Prep to bake. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, making sure the apples and raisins are evenly distributed. Let the dish stand for at least 1 hour or refrigerate it overnight.
Step 5: Bake. Bake until the top is golden and puffy and the center is set, 55 to 60 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
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Apple Rum Raisin Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons dark or spiced rum
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups packed challah or brioche cubes, from one loaf with crust removed (you won't use entire loaf)
- 1 large tart baking apple (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, cut into ⅛-inch (3-mm) slices and then cut in half
- for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 2-quart (2-L) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the raisins and rum in a shallow bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Let the raisins soak in the rum while you prepare the other ingredients.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk, sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla and whisk until evenly combined. Add the challah cubes, sliced apples and raisins/rum mixture and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, making sure the apples and raisins are evenly distributed. Let stand for at least 1 hour or refrigerate overnight.
- Bake until the top is golden and puffy and the center is set, 55 to 60 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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I’m wondering if I could divide the pudding into individual casserole dishes, refrigerate overnight then bake. I’m looking to freeze and share these. Or am I better off making one, cooling, cutting into individual portions and freeze? Thanks for your help.
Hi Mary, I really think you can go either way, so if you’d like to put them into individual casserole dishes, that should work.
I made this with leftover sandwich bread trimmings and heels, lesser sugar, gala apples, raisin and without rum but still it came out tasty. This is my first time making bread pudding in an effort to save old bread. I also doubled the recipe fitting a 9×13 pan. I will definitely make this again and will try it with rum – soaked raisin and granny smith apples. Thanks Jenn for sharing your amazing recipes!
Hi Jen,
I am a huge fan of yours and I always loved your recipes. Unfortunately, this one did not work. The bread pudding was hard and dry. What do you think happened? Is it because I added too much bread?
Also, what size pan should for a 2 quart pan?
Help. I like the ingredients of this recipe but I don’t know what went wrong.
Hi Lucy, I’m sorry this came out dry for you! For a recipe that requires a 2-quart baking dish, I typically use an 8-inch square pan. What size pan did you use? Is there a possibility you added too much bread? Was your baking dish in the center of the oven?
I used a 9 inch square pan but I used almost the whole loaf of challah bread. Maybe that was the problem. Will try again. Is there a way to salvage the dry bread pudding bread?
Hi Lucy, that explains why it was dry. There’s nothing you can do to the bread pudding itself, but I’d suggest serving it with ice cream (if you haven’t already) and you could also drizzle it with caramel sauce. Hope that helps!
Hi! Love your recipes, thank you for sharing. If I made this with raisin challah when would I add the rum and how much? Thanks!
Hi Kat, so glad you like the recipes! I’d add the rum to the milk/egg mixture. Enjoy!
Hi!! Is there a substitution you would recommend in place of the rum? Is it okay to leave out the raisins? Thanks so much!
Hi Samantha, If you’d prefer something without the rum and the raisins, I’d suggest this recipe. And if you’d like to add apple to it, I’d suggest 1, diced. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
It’s that time of the year
could I use egg nog
Sure, Carol. I think that’d be delicious!
Hi, Jenn!
Do you think this would work with heavy whipping cream instead of milk? Or 1 cup milk and 1 cup whipping cream?
Yes either way 🙂
Hi Jen
What is “packed” challah? I cubed raisin bread but did not squish it down when measuring 4 cups, is that ok?
Thanks !
Hi Tan, I’d squish it down a little so that you have enough of the bread portion.
Hi Jen,
May I ask if this recipe can be made ahead of time?
For example, in the morning (or even the night before), I prepare everything and leave it in the fridge. Then only pop it in the oven just when dinner service starts? Something similar to your breakfast cheddar-sausage bread pudding recipe? Thank you!! (big fan!)
Hi Patrick, that would be perfectly fine to do. I hope you enjoy it!
I made this recipe for Christmas and it was a success. Not too sweet. I did a half cup white sugar and half cup brown sugar. This recipe will be a staple for me.