Recipe: Summer Berry Bread Pudding
Remember when the last day of school meant it was the first day of summer, with its promise of running through sprinklers, riding bikes for hours, and sitting cross-legged on the ground with your best friend, feasting on just-picked juicy berries?
Summer was — and still is — the time to kick back and enjoy life’s lazier pleasures: laughing with friends, eating outside, and sharing homemade, wholesome treats like this Summer Berry Bread Pudding.
We think you’ll agree! This perfect brunch dish tastes like summer and feels like home. Maybe it’s because bread pudding is such a classic that your grandmother’s grandmother probably made it to transform leftover stale bread into a treat. Or maybe it’s because cinnamon bread soaked in a custard of eggs, milk, and creamy, rich Land O Lakes® European Style Butter and tossed with sweet summer berries is Just. So. Good.
Either way, it’s as easy to make as a sweet summer morning wants it to be. The ingredients do all the work: ripe berries, the bright hint of lemon, and a show-stopping Vanilla Butter Sauce, served melting over warm cinnamon bread, take little time or effort to prepare. We used the European Style butter because its higher milk fat content give the pudding an especially velvety, rich texture.
As the enticing smells of the baking pudding fill your kitchen, and likely the rest of the house, you can sit back and pour the mimosas for your friends. After all, it’s not quite Grandma’s bread pudding.
Summer Berry Bread Pudding
Serves6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the bread pudding:
- 5 tablespoons
Land O Lakes® European Style Butter, melted and cooled, divided
- 10 ounces
cinnamon swirl bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cups
mixed summer berries (such as raspberries, halved blackberries, blueberries, and quartered strawberries), plus more for serving
- 4
large eggs
- 1/3 cup
whole milk
- 1/3 cup
heavy cream
- 1/2 cup
granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon
vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
- 1 teaspoon
finely grated lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
Powdered sugar, for serving (optional)
For the vanilla butter sauce (optional):
- 1/2 cup
heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon
vanilla extract or 1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
- 1/4 cup
granulated sugar
- Pinch
kosher salt
- 1/2 cup
Land O Lakes® European Style Butter, cubed and at room temperature
Instructions
Make the bread pudding: Brush the bottom and sides of the 8-inch square baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the bread cubes and berries and gently toss together; set aside.
Whisk the remaining 4 tablespoons of melted butter, eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds, lemon zest, and salt together in a medium bowl. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread and fruit. Set aside for 15 to 30 minutes, occasionally pressing the bread into the custard until the bread is saturated and custard has been absorbed.
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350oF. Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
Make the vanilla butter sauce: Warm the cream, vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; do not boil. Whisk in the butter, a cube at a time, until melted and combined. Pour into a serving bowl or pitcher and let cool to thicken slightly.
Scoop the bread pudding onto serving plates. Serve with fresh summer berries and a dusting of powdered sugar. Drizzle with the vanilla butter sauce, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Stale bread is the standard for bread pudding though not a must for this version. Fresh bread, cut into small pieces, means the custard absorbs faster.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Cinnamon bread substitute: If you don't have cinnamon bread, simply use a good-quality, soft white bread and add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the custard mixture.
Make ahead: The vanilla butter sauce can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Let come to room temperature and stir before using.
This post is sponsored by Land O’Lakes and was created by the Kitchn Creative Studio.
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