Gluten-Free Bread Pudding

Sliced bread pudding showing creamy soft pudding with crunchy sugar topping.

This perfect Gluten-Free Bread Pudding is an easy recipe made with everyday ingredients. This foolproof method creates a creamy, custardy pudding with a crisp sugary topping.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Resting Time30

Total Time1 25

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Servings: people

Calories: 402kcal

Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

125 g mixed dried fruit
400 g gluten-free bread
3 eggs medium
150 g light soft brown sugar
600 g whole milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 orange zested
80 g butter melted and cooled
2 ½ tablespoons demerara sugar

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

If you are using fresh bread then first you need to stale the bread. Slice the bread and arrange the slices evenly on a baking tray. Then, bake them at 140°C (120°C for a fan-assisted oven or gas mark 1) for 30 minutes. Be sure to flip the bread slices halfway through the baking time to ensure an even result.
Cube the bread into thick 3cm (1½ inch) – 4cm (2 inch) squares, it’s just a rough estimate you don’t need to measure.
In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, milk and sugar together with the cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest and vanilla extract.
Pour the cooled melted butter into the rest of the custard batter whilst whisking continually.
Place the cubed bread in the custard, submerging all the bread fully and allow to soak for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / gas mark 4 / 350°F.
Using a potato masher or a fork, lightly mash the bread into the custard so some of it is totally absorbed and thickens the custard. Leave half the bread in their cubes.
Pour the bread custard into a lined and greased 20cm (8 inch) square baking tin. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the top of the pudding.
Bake for 40-45 minutes. The top should be crisp and golden brown and the pudding should have a very slight wobble.
Leave the bread pudding in the tin for about 15 minutes to ensure the pudding has set. You can either serve directly from the tin so it’s still very warm. Delicious with ice cream. Or you can carefully remove from the tin and allow to cool completely whereupon it can be sliced.

Notes

Gluten-free bread. You really need unsliced bread and if you are working with shop bought bread then artisan type loaves work much better. Ensure your store bought bread is certified gluten-free. Homemade gluten-free bread is a real game changer here though and is a great use for these kind of loaves which get stale quickly.

Dried fruit. Use whatever you have in your kitchen. If I'm making a choice I like to use 50% sultanas and 50% raisins. A dash of dried cranberries or sour cherries is also a great addition.

Eggs. The eggs used in this recipe are medium size, 60g each with shell and 50g without shell. If you can't get hold of medium eggs I suggest you weigh the amount.

Make Ahead: I don't recommend soaking the bread longer than the 30 minutes otherwise it can get too soggy. However, you can make the whole pudding up to 3 days before serving.

Store: Keep the pudding in the fridge. You can store either sliced or unsliced. It will keep well up to 3 days chilled in an airtight container.

Freeze: You can freeze the pudding whole or in slices. Make sure to wrap up well and it will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Re-heat. You can warm again in the microwave in individual portions for 45 seconds-1 minute. You can warm in a pre-heated oven (190°C / 170°C fan assisted / gas mark 5 / 375°F) for 10 minutes in individual portions.

Ingredient measurements: Please note when you see ‘grams’ listed as opposed to ‘millilitres,’ or any other term of measurement, that is not incorrect. I weigh all of my ingredients, including liquids, for accuracy.

US customary measurements: These US measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups

Nutrition information: Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification.

The nutrition serving is for 1 slice of pudding, assuming you serve your pudding in 9 slices.

Nutrition