Description
Spiced Cranberry Pear Bread Pudding is a comforting dessert that combines the sweetness of ripe pears with the tartness of dried cranberries, all enveloped in a rich, creamy custard.
Ingredients
- Stale bread: 6 cups, cubed (a mix of brioche and challah works best)
- Fresh pears: 2 medium, peeled, cored, and diced
- Dried cranberries: 1 cup
- Eggs: 4 large
- Milk: 2 cups (whole or 2% for creaminess)
- Sugar: 3/4 cup (granulated)
- Ground cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
- Ground nutmeg: 1/2 teaspoon
- Vanilla extract: 2 teaspoons
- Butter: 4 tablespoons (for greasing the baking dish and dotting on top)
Instructions
- Prepare the stale bread by cutting it into 1-inch cubes and place in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and then add milk, sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
- Pour the custard mixture over the cubed bread, add diced pears and dried cranberries, and gently fold together. Let sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish, dot the top with butter, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 45-55 minutes until golden brown.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Optionally, serve with warm caramel sauce or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Use stale bread for best results; if fresh, dry it in the oven.
- Adjust sweetness and spices to your preference.
- Consider adding nuts or chocolate chips for extra flavor.
- For gluten-free options, substitute with gluten-free bread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 150mg
Keywords: bread pudding, dessert, cranberry, pear, spiced, holiday dessert