You’ll Never Guess the Secret Ingredient in This Berry Bread Pudding

A sweet bread pudding is a great way to end a meal. It's both a classic crowd-pleasing treat and a great way to use up old bread. Plus, there are seemingly limitless flavor possibilities with bread puddings because they can be made with sweet or savory ingredients.

Most bread puddings generally use milk or cream, eggs, and a form of fat. This recipe is made with butter and blackberries, which makes it a treat perfect for summer when berries are at their sweetest. This berry bread pudding has one more trick up its sleeve: Milo’s Tea Company lemonade.

Table & Thyme, a full-service catering and hospitality company located in Birmingham, Alabama, developed this bread pudding recipe using Milo’s lemonade in the glaze. The topping comes together with lemonade, confectioners sugar, and sweetened condensed milk, and the result is a sweet, bright sauce that brings the whole dish together. Milo’s and Table & Thyme created something unique here, and I’ll be bringing it to my next summer party.

Milo’s Tea Company, a family-owned company that has been brewing teas and lemonade since 1946, is also celebrating National Iced Tea Month all June long, so fans should keep their eyes peeled for iced tea cocktail recipes and giveaways. Tea enthusiasts are invited to join the celebration with weekly giveaways on Milo’s Instagram, including a year’s supply of tea and lemonade.

Blackberry Lemonade Bread Pudding Recipe

Lots of different breads can be used to make bread pudding—old, stale loaves, discount bread, Challah bread, croissants—so feel free to use what you have in your pantry or find at the store. This recipe uses croissants, a whole lot of blackberries, and a sweet lemon glaze.

Blackberries are in season during the summer, so this recipe is great as a dessert or brunch item at picnics, potlucks, and barbecues. Let the blackberries and sugar simmer in a saucepan before mixing it with your croissants.

It will take about 1 1/2 hours to make, but much of that time is in the oven. There's only about 30 minutes of preparation needed before it bakes, so this is one you can put together quickly.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 12 croissants
• 1 quart liquid egg
• 2 quarts heavy cream
• 4 cups sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 pints fresh blackberries
  
• 1 quart Milo's lemonade
• 1 (2-pound) bag powdered sugar
• 1 (12-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking dish with butter.
2. Cut croissants into cubes, and add to a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, 3 cups of the sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.
4. In a saute pan, add the remaining 1 cup of sugar and blackberries and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Strain the blackberry syrup through a Chinois strainer to remove the seeds. Set aside.
   
6. Pour your egg mixture into the bowl with the croissants and gently mix together.
7. Pour the mixture into your casserole dish and press down with a spatula. Drizzle the blackberry syrup over the mixture and gently press in, but do not mix.
8. Bake the bread pudding covered for 1 hour or until the middle of the pudding is set.
9. In a bowl, combine the lemonade, powdered sugar, and sweetened condensed milk and whisk until thoroughly combined. 
10. Drizzle the lemonade glaze over the top of the bread pudding and serve hot.