you're making mealtime meaningful.
Pudding in the US has come to mean the Jell-o and Snack Pack varieties of dessert: smooth and made from milk. But, in the old days boiled or baked days puddings were favored by the English as their dessert of choice. The firmer ones, like Christmas pudding, could be boiled in a clean cloth. But, baked puddings came into their own after the industrial revolution meant more people had reliable ovens in their homes.
This amaretto bread pudding combines the potent almond liqueur with the comforting liquid-soaked bread for a melt-in-your mouth dessert that brings this staple sweet treat to the next level.
Like most bread pudding recipes you’ll want to start with a nice bread. Brioche or thick cut Texas toast are 2 good options. The thicker size means that once they absorb the liquid and are baked they don’t turn into as mushy of a finished pudding. Stale or toasted bread works best for bread pudding. Once you’ve torn your bread into smaller pieces soak in some half and half for 30 minutes.
Then work on the topping, which is made from butter, sugar, and eggs with some slivered almonds and almond extract stirred in as well. Pour this over the soaked bread and then bake.
While the pudding is getting it’s first turn in the oven you can work on the topping. This decadent sauce is made from butter, sugar, egg, and Amaretto liqueur. It’s very flavorful, which is why you only need a little to flavor it.
Top with the sauce and then bake again just until it absorbs into the bread pudding. Then serve this alongside vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for a dessert with a rich flavor and buttery texture that will have you weak in the knees. It’s bread pudding heaven.
Amaretto Bread Pudding
Yield(s): Serves 8-10
2h 25m prep time
45m cook time
540 calories
Diet: Vegetarian
you're making mealtime meaningful.
For the pudding:
- 1 pound loaf brioche, Texas toast, or other thick-cut bread (stale or flash-baked at 350˚F)
- 1 quart half and half
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon almond extract
- 3/4 cup slivered almonds
For the sauce and serving:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup Amaretto liqueur
- whipped cream, evaporated milk, or vanilla ice cream for serving
For the pudding:
- Preheat oven to 325˚F. In a medium bowl tear bread into bite-sized pieces. Pour half and half over the top. Allow to soak into the bread for 30 minutes and then toss to coat all pieces. Set aside for another 30 minutes.
- When bread is ready combine butter, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in almond extract and then fold in almonds.
- Pour bread into a greased 9”x13” baking dish and pour egg mixture on top. Bake for 45 minutes or until bread on top is golden brown. Tent for final 15 minutes if browning too quickly.
For the sauce and serving:
- While pudding is baking combine powdered sugar and butter in a small saucepan. Melt butter over low heat stirring the sugar until no lumps remain. Allow to cool for 10 minutes then whisk in egg and Amaretto.
- Pour sauce over bread pudding and cover baking dish. Return to oven to bake covered for 5-10 minutes or until sauce bubbles and is partially absorbed into pudding. Serve with evaporated milk, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.
Recipe adapted from Delishably.