Y’all are going to love this caramel apple butter bread pudding, friends. Made with your favorite day-old sweet rolls, be they cinnamon buns, apple fritters, sticky buns, etc, and soaked in a not-too-sweet apple cider caramel custard.
Add in some dollops of rich apple butter, bake that guy up in a water bath, and then bring in some temperature and textural contrasts with a scoop of ice cream and crispy, crunchy, nutty spiced meringue shards. This is one caramel apple bread pudding you do not want to miss!
For more apple and custard goodness, you may also want to check out my Stuffed Apple French Toast, too. And if it’s bread pudding that really does it for you, you might like my Hawaiian Roll French Toast Muffin recipe. For ease of browsing, you can find all my custard recipes in one place. Now let’s discuss this bread pudding, shall we?
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See my Apple Butter Bread Pudding Web Story for a quick visual guide to making this recipe.
Every element has so much flavor and to think you can use leftovers for the bread pudding made this such an easy but amazingly elegant dessert.
Reader Beth
Apple Butter Bread Pudding, At a Glance
✅Skill Level: Intermediate
✅Skills: Making Custard, Baking in a Water Bath, Making Meringue
✅Type: Individual Desserts/Custards
✅Number of Ingredients: 7 for the Custard, 6 for the Shards, plus sweet rolls and apple butter
✅Prep Time: 20 minutes
✅Cook Time: 45 minutes
✅Yield: 4 bread puddings
Jump Straight to the Recipe
What To Expect from This Recipe
Before diving in, check to see if this bread pudding ticks all your boxes.
Are you interested in:
- A dessert you can put together the day before you need it
- An easy yet deeply flavorful custard sauce
- Bites of sweet yeasted yumminess that you get to choose
- A crispy and crunchy garnish that adds tons of drama to this or any dessert
- Fall flavors of apple, cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg, apple cider, pecans, and caramel
- A small-batch dessert that will serve 4
- A new Thanksgiving dessert recipe for folks who are interested in something different than the standard pumpkin or pecan pies
Sound good to you? If so, I have a favor to ask:
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How to Make It
There are a few components in this bread pudding that you can either make yourself or purchase depending on the time you have, how much you enjoy making components, and how hungry you are.
Here are the components:
- Caramel custard
- Sweet rolls or donuts
- Apple butter
- Crispy meringue shards
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need (and what you can substitute) for the custard.
If you’d just like to get started, you can jump down to the recipe.
- Caramel sauce: Homemade or store bought. I made an apple cider caramel sauce, and I’ll be posting that recipe soon, or make my spiced pumpkin caramel sauce.
- Milk: Use whole or 2%. You can even substitute your favorite plant-based milk like soy or oat
- Half and half: You can use heavy cream or whipping cream to make it richer, but really, isn’t it rich enough already?
- Salt: Don’t leave it out. It brings all the flavors into focus and keeps the sweetness from being too cloying.
- Apple pie spice: Or use pumpkin spice. Or just cinnamon.
- whole egg: The egg sets the custard and adds richness and structure
- egg yolk: Adds a bit of extra richness and a silky mouthfeel. You can leave it out if you want. Your pudding will still set up just fine.
For the bread, there are many choices:
- Cinnamon rolls (try my pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls or homemade cinnamon rolls)
- Honey buns (like my chocolate honey buns)
- Sticky buns
- Cinnamon babka
- Challah
- Donuts
- Etc
Since this is a small-batch recipe, you only need about 2 cups of cut up sweet rolls, so if you happen to have cinnamon rolls from the day before, use a couple of those.
Or get some special.
I just don’t want you to feel locked in. If all you have is “regular bread,” you can use that as well, although you may want to add a little more sugar.
On the other hand, there is sugar in all the components of this bread pudding, so maybe hold off, now that I think about it!
And you will also need apple butter.
You can use store bought if you’d like, but if you want to make some, you may like my chai spice apple butter.
Here’s what you’ll need to make the meringue shards:
- Egg whites: Unless you are allergic to eggs or are vegan, there’s no reason to use anything other than egg whites. The water from a can of chickpeas (aqua faba) makes an excellent vegan alternative to egg whites and will whip up into a lovely meringue
- Sugar: granulated. You could also use brown sugar if you don’t mind the meringue having a slightly darker color. Do not substitute coconut sugar, because your whites won’t whip up well.
- Salt: Brings out the flavor of the spice and cuts the sweetness
- Apple pie spice: Or use cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
- Chopped pecans: Any nuts or seeds will work. You could even through caution to the wind and use cinnamon granola
- Finishing salt: I used sea salt, and much to my surprise and delight, after 2 hours in the oven, it turned black. So just know that some finishing salts may change colors after a prolonged period of heating
How to Assemble the Bread Pudding
Please see the recipe for the details, but in broad strokes, here’s how you make the bread pudding and garnish:
- Whisk up the custard
- Pour over the cut-up cinnamon rolls
- Pack into a baking dish, add little spoonfuls of apple butter to the top, and bake in a water bath
For the meringue garnish:
- Whip up whites, sugar, salt, and apple pie spice to about medium peaks (see photo)
- Spread in a thin layer on a Silpat-lined baking pan
- Sprinkle on chopped pecans and finishing salt
- Bake for 2 hours at 250F
- Cool and break into pieces
Equipment You May Need
Even though I’ve pictured this apple butter bread pudding all duded up and fancy looking, you really don’t need a lot of specialized equipment to make it.
You’ll want a good whisk and a nice bowl for mixing the custard.
Using a
Spread out the meringue with an offset icing spatula. I like an 8″ offset spatula for this.
A silicone baking mat is really ideal for baking the meringue. They are sized to fit nicely on a half-sheet pan.
I baked my bread pudding in this small baking dish. It’s the perfect size for this recipe.
While it’s technically called a storage dish, it is oven-safe and a great size for small-batch recipes.
Tips for Success
Do not be intimidated by all the components. You don’t have to make everything the same day.
The meringue shards will keep for several days as long as they’re well-covered and it’s not humid out.
If the long list of Parts makes you tired, worry not. The pudding will be just as good all by itself.
Put a tea towel in your half-sheet pan for the water bath. It provides more insulation for your bread pudding and it will help keep the water from splashing when you pour it in.
You can bake in a small baking dish or bake your puddings in 4 ramekins in a water bath. The baking time will be less if baking in ramekins, so check them after 25 minutes and go from there.
Do not try to pull the pan, water bath and all, out of the oven hot. Rather remove the baking dish with large spatulas or rubberized tongs. Leave the water bath in the oven (which you have now turned off) until cool enough to handle.
Use your preferred size of graduated round cutter to cut perfect circles out of your pudding for serving. Or just cut into rectangles. You’ll get 4 (maybe 6) servings.
Serving Suggestions
I made this apple butter bread pudding specifically to be served with Angela’s ice cream, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other options.
A big scoop of French vanilla ice cream would be most welcome as would some softly whipped cream.
Add some more crunch with spiced nuts.
And while there is a difference between butterscotch and caramel (and I won’t let you forget it!) there is no reason not to pour some butterscotch sauce on top.
And if you’re a fan of appley, custardy desserts, give my apple custard pie a try. It’s a winner!
About That Ice Cream
I worked with my friend Angela Robles from Say Helado NYC on Instagram to come up with a dessert that would perfectly complement her ice cream creation.
So apple butter bread pudding complete with crispy, pecan-y meringue shards was born specifically to go with Angela’s salted caramel ice cream with spiced buttered rum marshmallow fluff and pecan ‘brittle.’
A match made in heaven!
Here’s the ice cream straight out of the churn and ready for the freezer:
And here it is in all its frozen glory.
This ice cream is the perfect accompaniment to my caramel apple bread pudding. Ask Angela for the recipe. She’ll be happy to help!
More Bread Pudding Recipes
If you love bread pudding like I do, you’ll want to add a few more varieties to your repertoire.
Start with my “best bread pudding,” which combines cinnamon swirl bread with warmly spiced custard and an upside-down topping of brown sugar, butter, and pecans.
Since bread pudding is a great way to use up any kind of bread or bready Item, don’t worry about buying or making more bread than you can eat.
Use up leftover donuts with my chocolate glazed donut bread pudding.
And go ahead and make a ton of Moravian Sugar Cake, because you can always use the leftovers in Moravian sugar cake bread pudding.
Apple Butter Bread Pudding Q & A
Yes, substitute your favorite gluten-free sweet bread/cinnamon rolls/donuts for wheat-based. The rest of the components are gluten-free, as written.
Keep leftovers well-covered or in a tight-sealing container for up to 5 days, although it will be more delicious if you can eat it within a couple of days.
Yes. Make sure it is completely cool, and cut it into individual portions. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until firm. Place all the frozen portions into a zip-top freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this post or recipe, I am happy to help.
Simply leave a comment here and I will get back to you soon. I also invite you to ask question in my Facebook group, Fearless Kitchen Fun.
If your question is more pressing, please feel free to email me. I should be back in touch ASAP, as long as I’m not asleep.
A Note About Measurements
My recipes are almost all written by weight, including liquids, unless otherwise specified.
For accuracy and consistency of results, I encourage you to buy–and use–a kitchen scale.
I promise that baking and cleanup will be so much quicker and easier.
This is the scale that I recommend for home use. I have owned and used one for years.
Don't let its small price and small size fool you. The Escali Primo is an accurate and easy-to-use food scale that I have used for years. It's easy to store, easy to use, has a tare function, and easily switches between grams and ounces/pounds for accurate measurements.
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Apple Butter Bread Pudding
Ingredients
For the Custard
- 3 oz caramel sauce homemade or storebought
- 6 oz whole milk
- 2 oz half and half
- pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
For the Bread
- 1-2 leftover cinnamon rolls honey buns, sweet rolls, sticky buns, apple fritters, donuts, etc. You’ll want about 2 cups. cut up
- ⅓ cup apple butter homemade or storebought
For the Meringue Shards
- 2 egg whites
- heavy pinch salt
- 3.5 oz about 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon apple pie spice
- ¾ cups chopped pecans
- 1/2-1 teaspoon finishing salt such as fleur de sel or other flaky salt
Instructions
For the Custard
- Place the caramel sauce, milk, half and half, and a pinch of salt in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 30 seconds or so to melt the caramel sauce and warm the milk.
- Whisk all the ingredients together until uniform.
- Whisk in the apple pie spice, the egg, and the yolk. Set aside.
For the Bread
- Spray a small baking dish or 4 ramekins with pan spray.
- Cut up your cinnamon rolls or sweet rolls (whatever you are using as your bread) into roughly 1" cubes. No need to be exact.
- Pack the rolls into the baking dish and slowly pour the custard over them.
- Use a fork or a skewer to poke holes through the rolls to encourage the custard to soak in.
- Press down on the rolls with a spatula to compress them so that when they "puff up" again, they’ll draw in some custard just like a sponge.
- Dot the apple butter all over the top of the pudding.
- Cover with some plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the meringue shards (or overnight).
For the Meringue Shards
- Set a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 250F.
- Line a half sheet pan or cookie sheet with Silpat or parchment, and set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, whip the egg whites together with the sugar and salt until foamy.
- Add the spice and whip on high until the meringue reaches "frosting consistency." It doesn’t have to be at stiff peaks, but you want it to hold its shape when you spread it out.
- Spread the meringue in an even layer on your prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly over the meringue.
- Sprinkle on some finishing salt.
- Bake for 2 hours, rotating the pan halfway through baking time.
- The meringue will still seem soft, but it will quickly crisp up out of the oven.
- Allow it to cool for about 5 minutes, and gently work a long offset spatula under the sheet to loosen it from the parchment or Silpat. Slide it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Break the sheet of meringue into pieces. You will have much more than you need to serve 4 puddings, so snack on some if you want.
- Seal in an air-tight container and leave at room temperature until serving.
To Finish and Bake
- Place a half-sheet pan on the center rack of the oven and heat to 325F. (NOTE: You can line the pan with a kitchen towel for added insulation and to keep the water from splashing when you pour it in.
- Bring a kettle of water (about 1 1/2 quarts) to a boil.
- Take the plastic wrap off the refrigerated pudding and place the pudding in the center of the sheet pan.
- Pull the rack out so it’s easier to pour the water.
- Carefully pour the boiling water into the larger pan to make a water bath.
- Slide the rack back in and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the temperature in the center of the pudding is 160-165F.
- Use two large spatulas to remove the pudding from the larger pan and place on a cooling rack.
- Cool until warm (or cool then chill and reheat to serve).
- For a dramatic presentation, serve in a pool of caramel sauce with a scoop of ice cream on top and 2-3 shards of meringue stuck into the ice cream.
Did You Make Any Changes?
Notes
Variations
Feel free to substitute other nuts or seeds for the pecans on the meringue. Switch up the spicing to use your favorites. I like apple pie spice, but pumpkin spice or even straight cinnamon will work. Or consider chai spices or even Chinese 5 spice. Use your favorite sweet rolls or sticky buns for the bready part of the bread pudding. Don’t worry about fillings–they’ll just add to the flavor of the overall dish.To Store
Store covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds. For longer storage, wrap well in plastic wrap, freeze, and keep in freezer bags for up to 3 months. NOTE: Nutritional value does not include the ice cream and it factors in a whole sheet of meringue.Nutrition
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And that’s it for today, friends!
Enjoy the apple butter bread pudding–it’s really good!
Thanks for spending some time with me today. Take care, y’all.
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Hi, having a hard time finding Apple Butter. , can regular salted Butter be used?
Hi, Donna. No, apple butter doesn’t contain butter. It’s a fruit spread. So if you can find apple jelly or even applesauce, add a bit of cinnamon to either and you’re good to go. I hope you enjoy the bread pudding!
I am assuming this can be frozen after it’s baked, I am sure that’s a given but I don’t want to take a chance on messing it up. Also, I don’t have apple butter and it’s not available but I do have Ginger Curd (or lemon) what do you think of subbing the curd for the apple butter? It’ll add that bit of tartness ?
Yes freezing is A-OK with bread pudding. I think the curd swap will be delicious, too. Enjoy!
Thank you !
You’re so welcome. I hope you enjoy the bread pudding! And the shards! 🙂
Wow – every element of this dessert is so flavorful. But to think you can use leftovers for the bread pudding makes this also so approachable. And those shards! So beautiful and fun but not hard to make at all.
Yes, exactly! I love repurposing leftovers, and bread pudding is made for that! And those shards bring the drama and are truly easy to make!
Every element has so much flavor and to think you can use leftovers for the bread pudding made this such an easy but amazingly elegant dessert.