Recipes Desserts Specialty Dessert Recipes Bread Pudding Recipes The Best Blueberry Bread Pudding 4.5 (13) 13 Reviews 8 Photos Fresh blueberries, tangy sourdough bread, and a creamy custard make this blueberry bread pudding a definite crowd-pleaser! It's got the perfect amount of sweetness, the perfect level of richness, and the perfect ratio between soft, custardy bread on the inside, and crispy, brown, buttery bread on the outside. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. By John Mitzewich John Mitzewich John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Updated on August 11, 2024 Save Rate Print Share Add Photo 8 8 8 8 Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr Additional Time: 40 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 12 Yield: 1 9x13-inch pudding Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe Everyone (including people who claim not to be able to cook) need to have at least one crowd-pleasing, foolproof, go-to, homey dessert in their repertoire. This amazing blueberry bread pudding recipe is just the thing. Sure, you could just keep serving ice cream and store-bought cake, but this is so easy and will work with any seasonal fruit. Why not shock your guests with something homemade? There are no secret tips and tricks involved here — just make sure you use a really good loaf of bread and make sure it's dry when it goes into the custard batter. You can slice up a stale loaf and let it air dry overnight, or you can use the method I showed in the video, which works great (as long as you remember to turn off the oven). You'll know you did it right when you don't smell burning bread after an hour or so. I really love this with blueberries, as they have the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. Berries work so well with the sweet custardy batter, but almost literally any other fruit will work. As far as toppings go, a little dollop of whipped cream was nice. But I think a larger dollop of vanilla ice cream might even be nicer. Either way, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy! Chef John For more Chef John, be sure to subscribe to Food Wishes on YouTube! Click the "Join" button there to get Chef John's bonus video footage and behind-the-scenes pictures, live chats, and other Food Wishes member exclusives. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings 4 large eggs 4 large egg yolks ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 ¼ cups white sugar ¼ cup light brown sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 medium lemon, zested 3 cups whole milk 2 cups heavy cream 1 (1 pound) loaf stale sourdough French or Italian bread, cut into 3/8-inch slices 4 tablespoons melted butter, divided 1 pound fresh blueberries Directions Vigorously whisk eggs, egg yolks, salt, white sugar, and brown sugar together in a large bowl until mixture turns light and frothy, about 1 minute. Add vanilla, cinnamon, lemon zest, milk, and cream; whisk to combine. Toss in bread slices and press down until they start to soften and are submerged. Let sit, pressing down occasionally with a spatula, until custard has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Brush 2 tablespoons melted butter in the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Grab a few intact bread slices from the top of the bowl if possible and set aside. Transfer 1/2 of the remaining soaked bread into the prepared baking dish. Don't worry if it's falling apart, it should be; if not, break it up into pieces. Add blueberries and spread with your fingers to press them down into the bread. Add remaining bread pieces in an even layer, then top with the reserved slices. Pour any remaining custard batter over top and brush with remaining melted butter. Transfer bread pudding onto a baking sheet and place in the center of the preheated oven. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 1 hour. Let sit for at least 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Unknown Chef's Notes This will work with any French or Italian bread, but I recommend using a sourdough because the tang works so well with the sweetness of the fruit.The bread must be stale and very dry as it won't absorb all the custard if it has any moisture in it. If your bread isn't stale, place the slices on a baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven. Immediately turn off the heat and leave bread in for 3 to 4 hours, flipping halfway through.You can use 6 whole eggs in place of 4 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks, but the texture is nicer without the substitution.You can do this in individual-sized ramekins if preferred. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 476 Calories 25g Fat 56g Carbs 11g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 476 % Daily Value * Total Fat 25g 31% Saturated Fat 14g 70% Cholesterol 201mg 67% Sodium 390mg 17% Total Carbohydrate 56g 20% Dietary Fiber 3g 10% Total Sugars 32g Protein 11g 21% Vitamin C 15mg 16% Calcium 145mg 11% Iron 2mg 11% Potassium 242mg 5% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.