Description

This Cranberry Bread Pudding is a comforting and festive dessert featuring cubes of toasted challah or brioche bread soaked in a rich custard infused with warm spices, orange zest, and almond extract. Frozen cranberries add tart bursts of flavor throughout. Baked to a golden perfection and finished with a luscious orange-Grand Marnier icing drizzle, this bread pudding is perfect for holiday gatherings or cozy weekend treats.

Ingredients

Scale

Bread

1 lb. loaf challah or brioche bread, cut into 1″ cubes (about 10 cups)
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
2/3 cup (145 g) packed dark brown sugar
Zest of 1/2 navel orange
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups frozen cranberries

Icing

1 cup (115 g) confectioners’ sugar
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Zest of 1/2 navel orange
2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or orange juice

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Instructions

Toast the Bread: Preheat the oven to 200ºF. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer between two rimmed baking sheets. Bake until the bread is dry and slightly toasted, about 20 minutes, turning the sheets halfway through. Remove from oven and let cool.
Make the Custard and Soak Bread: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, dark brown sugar, orange zest, almond extract, ground cloves, kosher salt, and ground nutmeg until smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream and whole milk. Add the toasted bread cubes to the custard mixture and toss to coat evenly. Press down on the bread with a spoon to submerge it completely. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes to soak.
Add Cranberries and Bake: Gently stir the frozen cranberries into the soaked bread mixture. Transfer everything to a 13″ x 9″ baking dish and spread evenly. Bake in a preheated oven at 350ºF until the pudding is set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 to 50 minutes.
Cool the Bread Pudding: Remove the baking dish from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let the bread pudding cool until it is just slightly warm, approximately 40 minutes.
Prepare the Icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, melted unsalted butter, orange zest, and Grand Marnier (or orange juice) until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Drizzle and Serve: Drizzle the orange-Grand Marnier icing evenly over the cooled bread pudding. Cut into 8 servings and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

For a dairy-free version, substitute heavy cream and whole milk with coconut milk or almond milk, and use dairy-free butter for the icing.
Using challah or brioche bread adds richness because of their buttery texture; avoid using dense or whole grain breads for best results.
To make ahead, prepare the custard-soaked bread mixture up to step 3 and refrigerate overnight, then bake just before serving.
If Grand Marnier is not available, orange juice is a suitable non-alcoholic substitute for the icing.
Ensure the bread is fully toasted and dry before soaking so it absorbs the custard without becoming mushy.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of recipe)
Calories: 370
Sugar: 22 g
Sodium: 280 mg
Fat: 20 g
Saturated Fat: 11 g
Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 42 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 7 g
Cholesterol: 165 mg