Cherry Bread Pudding With White Chocolate Sauce

Bread pudding was my uncle’s favorite dessert ever. It would be the only dessert he would ever order, which is what inspired me to come up with a version that was different from the standard raisin bread pudding with rum sauce. If you have never had bread pudding, it can taste like French toast, because it has egg yolks, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. The difference is you combine it with fruit, bake it, and then top it with some sort of sauce.

When I was working at a fine dining restaurant years back, for Christmas they wanted to serve a festive bread pudding so I did a chocolate, dried cherry version. Since white chocolate chips are commonly used in various recipes, this time around I decided to use fresh cherries and top the dessert with a white chocolate sauce, which is how I came up with this Cherry Bread Pudding With White Chocolate Sauce recipe.

Prepare the Ingredients

Start by preheating your oven to 350 F and grease a 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter.

Using a 7-3/4″ Petite Slicer, cube one loaf of day-old French bread.

Cubed French bread using a Petite Slicer.

This should give you approximately six cups. When cutting, keep in mind that you will want the bread cubes and the cherries to be similar in size so that the bread is not overpowering.

Often, restaurants will have bread pudding as an option on their dessert menu because it’s a great recipe to use up day-old bread, which in this dessert helps to absorb the custard better, and results in a moist texture.

When using fresh cherries, you will want to make sure you pit them and, if they are large in size, I suggest cutting them in half. Remember, the bread and the cherries should be equal co-stars.

Prepare the Mixture

In a large mixing bowl, using a Mix-Stir, whisk together the egg yolks, egg, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon.

Mix-Stir with ingredients.

Add the bread to the egg mixture and gently fold it in. You want to give the bread a chance to soak up that liquid, so I suggest letting that mixture sit for 20 minutes.

Then, fold in the cherries and the cherry pie filling.

You can also try another fruit other from cherries. Make it a summery bread pudding with peaches or apricots. Softer fruits work best, but if you wanted to try diced apples, for example, you will want to sauté them first to soften them.

Bake the Bread Pudding

Transfer the mixture to the greased baking pan and, using a Spatula Spreader, spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

You can test to see if it is done similarly to how you would a cake. Stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes up clean and clear, you’re good. If it isn’t done, put it back in for another 10 minutes. The top should be golden brown.

Prepare the White Chocolate Sauce

In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the cream until it starts to simmer. Using a Mix-Stir, whisk in the chocolate, vanilla and add a pinch of salt. Continue to heat and stir until the chocolate is fully melted.

Once the bread pudding has cooled, you can drizzle the sauce over top of it.

This Cherry Bread Pudding With White Chocolate Sauce is so easy to make, you’ll most likely find yourself making it time and time again. It’ll have your guests, including yourself, coming back for seconds.

Ingredients

For the bread pudding:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (for greasing baking pan)
4 egg yolks, whisked
1 egg, whisked
2 cups milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 loaf of day-old French bread, cubed - approximately 6 cups
1 cup cherries, pitted and cut in half if large cherries
1/2 cup cherry pie filling

For the white chocolate sauce:

1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Directions

Make the bread pudding:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a baking dish (8 x 8-inch) with butter to keep the pudding from sticking.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the egg yolks, egg, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon.

Add the bread to the egg mixture and gently fold in the bread. Let sit on countertop for 20 minutes to let the bread soak up the liquid.

Fold in the cherries and cherry pie filling, mixing gently to ensure even distribution.

Transfer mixture to baking pan and gently spread evenly.

Bake for 30 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if bread is cooked through and add 10 minutes, if needed. The top should be golden brown and a knife inserted in the center should come out clean.

Make the white chocolate sauce:

In a small saucepan over low heat, heat the cream until it starts to simmer.

Whisk in the chocolate, vanilla and pinch of salt

Continue to heat and stir until chocolate is fully melted.

Let the sauce cool slightly before drizzling over bread pudding.