Bread and Butter Pudding

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/3/24
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Soak TIme: 30 mins
Total: 95 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Bread and butter pudding is a traditional type of British bread pudding made of buttered bread, raisins, and egg custard. The recipe transforms milk, cream, and egg-soaked bread into a light, custard-like pudding in a mere 40 minutes in the oven. You do need to let it rest for half an hour to soak up the custard, so be sure to give yourself a little extra time.

Bread and butter pudding

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

What's the Difference Between Bread and Butter Pudding and Bread Pudding?

There are many bread pudding recipes. Though they're all a little different, the egg custard and cinnamon-nutmeg spices are common. Bread and butter pudding is popular in the United Kingdom and you will find recipes in the United States that are nearly identical. The primary differences are that British recipes butter the bread before it's soaked in the custard, include raisins or sultanas, and typically don't cover the dessert in a sweet sauce when serving. Many other bread pudding recipes use cubed bread rather than larger pieces. However, none of these elements is exclusive to the U.K.'s bread and butter pudding.

What Kind of Bread Works Best?


Believe it or not, stale white bread works best. This delicious dessert is an excellent way to use up leftover white bread, making it a resourceful and very economical dish to cook. Remove the crust if you prefer, or leave it on. It works for other types of bread, too, like wheat bread. If you like raisins, try using raisin bread for an extra-dose of raisins.

Tips for the Best Bread and Butter Pudding

Cover the dish—If the raisins and bread begin to get dark too quickly, cover with foil, then remove the foil 5 minutes before the end of baking time.

Use warm milk, not hot—Be sure the milk in the saucepan is warm, not hot, or the eggs may begin to cook upon contact with the milk.

Double-handed—Continue whisking while slowly streaming the warm milk into the eggs to produce a thickened, silky mixture.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE THIS BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING
Amazon Calphalon-classic-stainless-steel-15-quart-sauce-pan
A Small Saucepan
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A Great Whisk
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The Perfect Baking Dish

"This bread and butter pudding was excellent, and the recipe was very easy to follow. It wasn't overly sweet and it puffed up beautifully when baked. The buttered bread and sprinkling of sugar makes the top brown and crisp. I used plain white sandwich bread and golden raisins." —Diana Rattray

Bread and butter pudding in a casserole dish with yellow handles
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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (55 grams) room temperature unsalted butter, more as needed

  • 10 slices soft white bread, cut diagonally

  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) ​golden raisins, or sultanas

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 1/2 cups (350 milliliters) milk

  • 1/4 cup (50 milliliters) heavy cream

  • 2 large eggs, preferably free-range

  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make bread and butter pudding

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 355 F/180 C. Grease a 1.5-quart/1.5-liter dish with a little unsalted butter.

    A buttered baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Spread one side of each of the 10 slices soft white bread, cut diagonally with the remaining 1/4 cup (55 grams) unsalted butter.

    Slices of bread covered in butter

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Cover the base of the dish with overlapping triangles of bread, butter-side up. Sprinkle half of the 1/2 cup (100 grams) golden raisins evenly over the bread, then evenly sprinkle with half of the 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, and half of the 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Repeat this layer one more time or until the dish is filled, finishing with the raisins on top.

    A baking dish with layers of buttered bread, golden raisins, nutmeg, and cinnamon

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. In a small saucepan, gently heat 1 1/2 cups (350 milliliters) milk, and 1/4 cup (50 milliliters) heavy cream, but do not boil. Set aside.

    A small pot of warm milk and cream

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  6. In a medium heatproof bowl, beat 2 large eggs with 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract until light, airy, and pale in color.

    A bowl of combined eggs, sugar, and vanilla

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  7. Slowly pour the warm (not hot) milk over the eggs, whisking continuously, until all the milk is added.

    A whisk mixing warmed milk into the bowl of egg mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  8. Pour the egg mixture slowly and evenly over the bread until all the liquid is added. Gently press the bread down into the liquid. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar over the surface and set aside for 30 minutes.

    A baking dish of buttered bread and raisins, soaked with milk-egg mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  9. Bake the pudding until the surface is golden brown, the pudding is well-risen, and the eggs are set, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy.

    A baking dish of bread and butter pudding

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Swap the bread—A bread and butter pudding can be made with Italian panettone, croissants, brioche, brown bread, and even hot cross buns.
  • Vanilla bean—Use a vanilla bean instead of the vanilla extract. Split open the bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add the seeds to the milk and cream before heating. Let the beans infuse for 5 minutes before straining the milk over the beaten eggs.
  • Dried fruit—Use a different dried fruit like chopped apricots or dates. Watch carefully in the oven and cover with foil early on when baking to avoid burning.

How to Store and Reheat

  • Bread and butter pudding reheats well covered with aluminum foil in a hot oven. It's also delicious cold, cut into large wedges.
  • It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days but is best eaten within 2 days. To prevent it from drying out, cover it tightly with plastic wrap.
  • You can also freeze baked bread and butter pudding for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, wrap it tightly in foil, and seal it in a freezer bag to trap the moisture.

Helpful Links

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
604 Calories
41g Fat
50g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 604
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g 52%
Saturated Fat 25g 124%
Cholesterol 177mg 59%
Sodium 390mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 50g 18%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 220mg 17%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 350mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)