Best Spanish Bread Pudding Recipe

Whether you are hosting a party, or you simply want to enjoy a good meal, it is always necessary to have a nice dessert to close the evening.

Some people think that Spanish desserts are difficult to prepare or take many steps, but thankfully that doesn’t happen with the Spanish bread pudding.

So, read on and find out how to make a Spanish bread pudding that will leave everyone wanting more.

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Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish dessert recipes? Have a look at my other posts: 

• Recipe for Torrijas
• Pestinos
• Spanish Flan Recipe

Background of the Dish

Bread pudding is a popular dessert in many countries around the world.

Although its origin is uncertain, it is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages in Europe as a way to make use of stale bread with basic ingredients (milk and sugar).

In the south of Spain, it has become a traditional dessert that is enjoyed all year round, and you can serve it with whipped cream, dulce de leche, or by itself.

Things You’ll Need for Spanish Bread Pudding

To make this Spanish bread pudding you need stale bread, milk, eggs, sugar, and raisins.

As well as other easy Spanish desserts the classic flavorings are vanilla essence or lemon zest, but you can use any that you have on hand.

Ingredients

For the Spanish bread pudding mix

• 400g stale bread (from the day before or older)
• 7 eggs
• 1 cup (200 gr) sugar
• 3 1/4 cups (780ml) milk (warm)
• 3/4 cup (150gr) raisins
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence

For the caramel

• 3/4 cup (150g) sugar

How to Make Spanish Bread Pudding – Step by Step Guide

1. The first step in this Spanish bread pudding recipe is to make the caramel. For that, grab a metallic round mold (the same one where you are going to make the bread pudding), place it on the stove or in a bain-marie, add the sugar little by little, and, as it melts, stir with a wooden spoon.

2. Now cook the caramel until it takes on a light golden color. When it is completely liquid, cover the bottom of the mold and around the edges. Let it cool.

3. Meanwhile, cut the bread into small pieces and soak them in a large bowl with half of the warm milk.

4. In another bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar and the rest of the milk. If you want to add more flavor to the Spanish pudding recipe, you can add a little lemon zest or vanilla essence.

5. After that, start preheating the oven for 15 minutes at 180°C as you continue with the recipe. 

6. To finish making the budin de pan, add the mixture to the bread soaked in the milk, add the raisins, and mix everything well so every part gets some raisins.

7. Pour the bread and milk preparation into the mold that you caramelized before. Cook the Spanish bread pudding in the preheated oven at 180 ºC for 60 minutes in a bain-marie.

8. When the Spanish pudding is ready, let it cool down a bit, then take it to the fridge to cool for a couple of hours before serving.

9. To serve the Spanish bread pudding, you just have to heat the base of the mold a little to make it easier to unmold the pudding. Then you can serve it right away.

Substitution of Ingredients

If you want to prepare this Spanish bread pudding recipe but you don’t have all the ingredients, there are some changes that you can make.

You can make this Spanish dessert recipe with vegetable milk (almond or oats milk works well), and you can use gluten-free stale bread.

This is a raisin bread pudding, but if you don’t like raisins (or don’t have them) you can just skip them, or replace them with chocolate chips or nuts.

Feel free to try and make other easy Spanish dessert recipes like the Spanish flan or tocino de cielo.

And the Spanish torrijas recipe is a bit similar to this bread pudding, give it a go.

Tips on Serving Spanish Bread Pudding

The Spanish bread pudding is one of the most famous Spanish desserts, and something that makes it stand out is how easy it is to serve.

After you unmolded it, just cut some slices, in the same shape as any regular Spanish cake but a bit thinner.

Then, place each portion on a plate and you can top it with whipped cream, dulce de leche, chopped fresh fruits, or anything you can come up with.

As with other Hispanic desserts, toasted chopped nuts are an amazing combination, or chocolate chips can work too.

The Spanish bread pudding can be a heavy dessert, so you can eat a lighter meal before, like a nice dish of ensalada de mango or the easy apple manchego salad.

How to Store Spanish Bread Pudding

Although it is one of the best Spanish desserts, this dish can only be stored for up to 4 days in the fridge.

To store it, place it in a covered container, with a lid, a clean plastic bag, or plastic wrap.

You can’t freeze the Spanish bread pudding because it would get a weird texture.

Recipe Card: Spanish Bread Pudding

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