Apple Rum Raisin Bread Pudding
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Settle in for a comforting treat with my apple rum raisin bread pudding, featuring tart apples, rum-soaked raisins, and a vanilla-cinnamon custard baked into soft challah—just right for a chilly autumn night.
This twist on classic bread pudding is the ultimate cozy dessert for a chilly autumn 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.
If you’re a fan of the apple and raisin combo, you may also enjoy either this Amish-style baked oatmeal or morning glory baked oatmeal — both are a comforting and filling way to start your day, or my apple strudel which is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
Table of Contents
“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
- Raisins: Infuse the pudding with bursts of sweetness and chewy texture.
- Rum: Imparts a warm and complex layer of flavor to the pudding. Either dark or spiced rum works nicely.
- Eggs: Bind the pudding together, providing structure and richness.
- Whole Milk: Creates a creamy base for the pudding, ensuring a moist and tender texture.
- Sugar: Sweetens the pudding, balancing the flavors and enhancing its overall richness.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the pudding, contributing to its indulgent texture.
- Cinnamon: Provides a warm and aromatic element that complements the sweetness of the pudding.
- Vanilla: Enhances the overall flavor profile of the pudding with its sweet notes.
- Challah or Brioche Cubes: Serve as the base of the pudding, soaking up the custard mixture and providing a soft and fluffy texture.
- Apple: Adds a fruity and slightly tangy flavor to the pudding. I recommend a large tart baking apple (such as Granny Smith).
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 2-quart 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.
Whisk until evenly combined.
Add the challah cubes, sliced apples and raisins/rum mixture.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! The bread pudding can be assembled and refrigerated overnight. It can go straight from the fridge to the oven when you’re ready to serve it. (Because it will be cold, it may take an extra minute or two in the oven.)
Yep, it’s perfectly fine to freeze bread pudding for up to 3 months. After baking it and completely cooling, double-wrap the bread pudding securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Before serving, reheat in a 300°F-oven until warmed through.
Enriched breads like challah and brioche are the best breads to use for bread pudding, but if you have a loaf of French or Italian bread, they’ll work too. Just avoid using sourdough because its tangy flavor doesn’t go well with the sweet custard. The bread can be fresh or slightly stale; actually day-old bread is perfect for this dessert, as it will more readily soak up the custard mixture.
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Apple Rum Raisin Bread Pudding
Settle in for a comforting treat with my apple rum raisin bread pudding, featuring tart apples, rum-soaked raisins, and a vanilla-cinnamon custard baked into soft challah—just right for a chilly autumn night.
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 slices and then cut in half
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray a 2-quart 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.
- Note: The nutritional information does not include the ice cream
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread pudding can be assembled and refrigerated for a few hours and up to overnight. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap or in a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Before serving, reheat in the oven until warm.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 354
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Sugar: 39 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Sodium: 253 mg
- Cholesterol: 126 mg
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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When finished do we store in the refrigerator or on the counter?
Hi Scott, I’d keep it in the fridge and reheat to serve.
Would it be too much to make a caramel sauce to go over this and top with ice cream?
Hi Joyce, This is pretty sweet as is, so you don’t need it, but I think you could get away with it. 🙂 If you’re serving this to a crowd, I’d suggest topping each serving with ice cream and then letting people drizzle the caramel sauce on top if they choose to. Hope that helps!
I’m a big fan of bread pudding and this was the BEST I’ve ever had! I used Honeycrisp apple, a combination of raisins and sultanas, and 2.5 tbsp of dark rum. A huge hit at brunch with friends!
I’ve made this pudding twice now it’s absolutely delicious everyone loves it and it’s so simple to make.
Can I use 2% milk?
You can, but it won’t be nearly as rich :).
Absolutely amazing…hubby loved it. Have to hide the leftovers from him.
Hi… What size baking dish are you using?
Hi Debby, you’ll need an 11×7-inch glass (or equivalent 2-quart) baking dish. Hope you enjoy!
I thank you (and my husband will, too!)
Enjoy it??? Oh, yeah. My hub and I love bread pudding and I’ve tried many different recipes, but THIS one? The absolute best ever! Also, I’d never tasted challah bread and boy have I been missing out. Delicious. Thank you!
Hey Jenn, can I make this ahead of time and just let it sit longer before baking? I was hoping to let it sit overnight but didn’t want it to get weird texture-wise…
Yep that’s fine, Erin. Hope you like it!
I’ve made this recipe about 4 times now and each time, it has been a big hit! The only modification I made was to reduce the sugar a bit from 1 cup to 3/4 cups. Also, I make a separate butter rum sauce to pour on top of each serving when I plate it. The butter rum sauce really adds that extra kick to make this an unforgettable bread pudding!
I made this for guests and it was wonderful. I made a few tweaks to the recipe. First I lightly toasted the challah. I doubled the rum in the recipe and used honey crisp apples since they soften a little better than Granny Smith. Finally I baked for 40 min in individual ramekins which I set in a pan with a little water. Looks wonderful with a scoop of ice cream on top. It was a big hit
Made this for a dinner party over the weekend, and it was a big hit! I soaked the raisins earlier in the day, so they were super plump and rum yummy! My love grew up in England, and he gave it two thumbs up! And the house smelled lovey while this was baking 🙂