Easy Slow Cooker Bread Pudding
Yes, you can make mouthwatering desserts right in the slow cooker, too! This one is fluffy, decadent, and perfectly sweet. Make slow cooker bread pudding for your next yummy dessert and drizzle it with delicious salted caramel sauce or your choice of toppings.
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What’s To Love About This Recipe
- A dessert that’s easy, great for entertaining or hosting, and customizable with tasty toppings? This one checks all the boxes! It’s the best simple and inexpensive recipe to have in your dessert rotation.
- You can quickly prep this for the slow cooker a few hours ahead of serving and come back to it later – warm, gooey, and delicious!
- I added extra decadence with a homemade salted caramel sauce, but you can add any delicious topping that you choose! It’s also delicious when served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- The slow cooker is a trusted method for recipes like this one. It cooks the pudding evenly and is easier than the oven to prevent burning or drying out. It’s a great way to free up your other appliances when you’re serving other dishes.
Ingredients Needed
- Italian loaf – Choose a 1-pound Italian loaf (this is usually the standard size in the grocery bakery) and let it get slightly stale. A bakery-style French bread loaf or something similar could also work, as long as it has some fluffiness and is not too dense.
- Eggs – Lightly beat 4 eggs to create the liquid base that the bread will absorb during cooking.
- Sweetened condensed milk – A can of sweetened condensed milk provides a light and delicious pudding-like liquid to the bread.
- Milk – Add a cup of milk for a creamy element. Whole milk or 2% works best!
- Vanilla – A hint of vanilla adds a subtle, sweet flavor.
- Salt – A bit of salt offsets the sweetness of the condensed milk.
How To Make Bread Pudding In The Slow Cooker
- Cut the bread into 1 – 2 inch cubes. If the bread is fresh, then first toast the cut pieces for 3-4 minutes in a single layer on a baking sheet at 400 ℉.
- Spray the inside surface of the slow cooker with nonstick spray.
- Place the bread in the slow cooker. (If you are using less than a 5-quart size, you will want to squish it down to make sure it all fits.)
- In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Pour the mixture evenly over the bread, ensuring that it is all coated.
- Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 5-6 hours until the eggs are fully cooked.
- Serve with homemade salted caramel sauce (like my favorite caramel sauce from Brown Eyed Baker) or your favorite toppings.
Pro Tips
- Use bread that is slightly dried out and stale for best results. A drier texture will absorb the liquid better and can prevent it from being too moist and soggy. If the bread is fresh, toast it or slightly dry it out in the oven before cooking.
- A 6-quart oval slow cooker works best for this recipe.
- The bread pudding will start to brown a bit and firm up when it’s done.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Some bread pudding recipes include lots of mix-ins, spices, and toppings. I wanted to keep this base recipe super simple so that it’s easy to customize and jazz up with all the extras that you love! Try a few of these variations:
- Experiment with other types of bread similar to a French or Italian loaf. You might find a light cinnamon-raisin bread that works!
- Any of these options would be delicious for either add-ins or toppings on a finished serving of bread pudding:
- Raisins or other dried fruits
- Chocolate chips
- Finely chopped nuts
- You could also use caramel-flavored, sweetened condensed milk for extra sweetness.
- Replace some of the milk with heavy cream or half-and-half for an even more indulgent dessert. Some of my recipe testers have even swapped out some of the milk for Bailey’s Irish Cream for a luxurious result!
How To Serve Slow Cooker Bread Pudding
Think of all the occasions that you could bring out your slow cooker to make tasty bread pudding! It is so easy to prepare it a few hours early and have it ready to serve after a simple dinner with friends, a large holiday gathering, or even just when you need to use up some dry bread!
Because the recipe includes a simple ingredient list, you can serve this dessert with a range of toppings and sauces. Set out a selection for a DIY topping bar and make it an interactive experience.
- Add some warm chocolate sauce
- Drizzle warmed strawberry puree or berry preserves over the top
- Sprinkle some finely chopped dried fruits or top with a dollop of lemon curd
- Include a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream
If you love salted caramel flavor but don’t want to include it with the bread pudding, opt for a Salted Caramel Steamer with your dessert or as a midday treat.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftover bread pudding in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months to enjoy later. I recommend adding individual servings to sealed containers or freezer-safe bags to defrost individually.
Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds at a time. Store caramel sauce separately and add a fresh drizzle with each serving.
Easy Slow Cooker Bread Pudding
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian loaf slightly stale
- 4 eggs lightly beaten
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cut bread into 1 – 2 inch cubes. (If bread is fresh, then first toast cut pieces for 3-4 minutes in a single layer on a baking sheet at 400 ℉.)
- Spray inside surface of slow cooker with nonstick spray.
- Place bread in slow cooker and if using a smaller than 5-quart slow cooker, squish it down to make sure it all fits.
- In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Pour mixture evenly over the bread, making sure it is all coated.
- Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 5-6 hours until eggs are fully cooked.
- Serve with homemade salted caramel sauce or your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze individual servings for up to 3 months. Defrost and reheat in the microwave.
- A 6-quart oval slow cooker will work best for this recipe.
- For best results, use bread that is slightly dried out and stale.
Nutrition
Slow Cooker Bread Pudding FAQs
- What is the best bread to use for slow cooker bread pudding? Bakery-style bread like Italian loaf or French bread will work best since it is light, airy, and easy to dry out slightly.
- How do you know when bread pudding is done? The bread pudding will start to brown a bit and firm up when it’s done, and all liquid should be absorbed into the bread.
- Can bread pudding be made in the oven? Yes, you can adapt this recipe for the oven!
- Preheat to 350 ℉, and spray a dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk all wet ingredients together in a bowl.
- Add the pieces of dried bread to the dish and pour the liquid mixture evenly over the top.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the bread is lightly browned and the edges are slightly firm.
I was super tired the other night and took the rare occasion to plant myself on the couch while the kids were outside playing. Rare that I get to sit on the couch, that is…. not so rare that I’m super tired. Anyway, I was flipping through the channels and found a Bobby Flay Throwdown on the Cooking Channel. The subject? Bread Pudding. Bread Pudding? I’d never given it much thought and I’m pretty sure I’d never had it before. But they were making bread pudding with chocolate. And a bread pudding with bacon?! I started dreaming of all the possibilities.
I usually make Copy cat Famous Dave’s Bread Pudding. I never have leftovers to bring home. I decided to make this because our weather is in the ninety’s and I could cook it on the patio. My family didn’t care for it and I threw over half away.
I haven’t made bread and butter pudding since I was in school! It’s a very British dish and a way to use up left overs during war times.
I’ve never tried it in a slow cooker but it sounds so much easier. I’ll have do one with lemon curd spread over the bread and orange peel and dried fruit between the layers just like my mum did when I was growing up.
I’m so excited! I might have to do one today. I’ve also never made one with gluten free bread so that will be interesting. 🙂
oh my gosh…the lemon curd with orange and dried fruit sounds fabulous! Let me know how it goes with the slow cooker method!!
I can’t find the “salted caramel sauce”. Will you help, please? Looks sinful.
Try this link… http://www.browneyedbaker.com/homemade-salted-caramel-sauce-recipe/ be sure to let me know how it turns out! 🙂
SOUNDS YUMMY
I substituted a quarter cup of Baileys for some of the milk. It was very popular with my gourmet lunch club and is now my signature dessert.
Mmmmmmmm…. now that sounds amazing!!
Really, I know you don’t have control over advertisers on your site, but had to laugh at trying Swanson Chicken broth in this recipe! I’m going to save this, minus the chicken broth, it sounds delish!
🙂