If you’ve ever found yourself googling, “What to do with bread crusts,” “What to do with stale bread,” or “What to do with Thanksgiving leftovers” then look no further! I, too, found myself googling similar terms when I had literally bags of bread crusts after making cucumber sandwiches for a party (that’s a recipe for another time). As it turns out, chocolate chip bread pudding is the perfect answer to those questions. This recipe is super easy, straightforward, and is definitely a crowd-pleaser. And, even better, this is a cheap recipe that can be easily made with ingredients most people have around the house anyway. I’ve brought this dish to a potluck party and the other guests loved it. (If any of them are reading now, secret’s out! This barely cost me anything.)
While I used white sandwich bread crusts for this recipe, you may use different breads if you prefer. A friend tried this recipe with leftover chopped croissants and said it was delicious. I’ve also tried this recipe with hard French bread crusts, which also turned out well, though I prefer this specific recipe best. You can check out the Notes section of this recipe for other possible substitutions and modifications depending on your personal preferences. If you have any additional substitution ideas, please let me know in the comments below!
Gather up all of your ingredients first to make this recipe quick and easy.
Easy Bread Pudding
Notes
Substitutions: You may easily substitute the milk for almond milk or other non-dairy milk without sacrificing taste. For a healthier option, white sugar can be reduced to a half cup. If chocolate chips aren’t your thing, you may reduce the amount, substitute with raisins, or leave this step out entirely.
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped bread crust
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups milk
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees Celsius).
- Chop bread crusts into 1-inch by 1-inch pieces.
- Place chopped bread crusts into an 8-inch square baking pan.
- Pour butter and sprinkle with chocolate chips (to taste).
- In a separate bowl, combine eggs, sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Whisk thoroughly.
- Pour mixture over bread and press down with a fork to help absorb the egg mixture.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until top springs back when you press down on the top.
Follow along the recipe video below if you want to see exactly what each step looks like!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. If you try the recipe, tag @chasingthetaste on Instagram or Twitter as I would love to see your pictures!
Happy baking, tastechasers!
With Love,
Carolyn
Lauren says
I’ve never really been interested in trying bread pudding…until now! This looks amazing!
Krystal says
I LOVE this! Thank you for sharing! I’ve never made bread pudding before, but my husband always asks me to and I’ve had no idea what kind to make or HOW! This is perfect and looks awesome!!
Carrie says
I’ve never made a bread pudding before, however after reading this… It’s happening tomorrow! This looks so yummy!
Rachel @ RachelMcMichael.com says
Oh my goodness – you make it sound so simple! And those pictures – YUM! I’m pinning this to try soon!
Lisa Sell says
I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for a while. Bread pudding is a staple in England but this gives it a great extra twist!
Tridrekus says
This looks very delicious!! Is it just me or it reminds me so much of chocolate chip waffles?? lol.
Jolina - The Unlikely Baker says
YES. I was just wondering what to do with the stale bread we have! I have my go-to bread pudding recipe but was looking for a chocolate one. Yay! Bread pudding here I come 🙂
Charlotte says
I’ve never even thought of making bread pudding, but it looks so good! I’m definitely pinning this for later 😉
Melanie Smith says
This recipe is so easy and looks delicious! I will try it this weekend.
Cait says
YUM! This sounds amazing.