Combine decadent, buttery pecan pie flavors with creamy bread pudding in this recipe. When you need an easy brunch item or dessert to share with friends and family, you can trust this delicious dish to impress and keep everyone coming back for more.

What You’ll Need for The Recipe

Pecan bread pudding requires ingredients such as:

• 1 loaf (12 to 16 ounces) of day-old bread, cubed
• 6 large eggs
• 2 ½ cups whole milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 ½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• A pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, optional

A good bread pudding depends on how dried out the bread is. You can use French bread, Challah, a baguette, or any thick bread you have, as long as it is dry. Dry bread can soak up liquids better, so leave your bread on the counter for a few hours to ensure it is dried out.

You can substitute the half-and-half with heavy whipping cream if you want a richer flavor or with sweetened condensed milk for a sweeter dessert. If you are looking to cut back on the sweetness, you can half the brown sugar.

How to Make The Recipe

To make your pecan bread pudding, preheat your oven to 350 F. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer until they are fluffy. Then add the other ingredients — except the bread cubes and toasted pecans. Stir to combine, then mix in the bread and pecans.

Pour the bread mixture into an 8 ½ x 11 pan and bake for 65 to 75 minutes. A 9 x 13 pan will also work, but you will need to decrease the baking time to about 40 to 45 minutes since the bread pudding will be thinner. The center will be a bit jiggly, but it will set as it cools. The edges will be browned, but if they are browning faster than you want, you can cover the pan with tinfoil to prevent them from burning.

Let the bread pudding cool for at least five minutes. Serve warm, or allow it to sit in the refrigerator for a while if you prefer it cold. It will last four to five days in the refrigerator in a sealed container and can be reheated in the oven or the microwave. Enjoy the bread pudding on its own, or top it with whipped cream, ice cream, or caramel sauce.

If you have the time to make this dish the day before, you can enhance the flavor by placing the mixture in the refrigerator overnight and allowing the bread to soak up the custard.

Enhance Your Bread Pudding With Pecans From Pecan Nation

Spice up your bread pudding with flavored pecans from Pecan Nation. We manage the entire production process to ensure you receive fresh, delicious, and nutritious pecans for your baking and snacking needs. Check out our pecan flavors today to find the perfect match for your bread pudding!