My mom loved this dessert so much, I had to hide the pan from her to keep her from having a third slice!

This recipe combines the comforting flavors of bread pudding with the rich sweetness of a homemade custard sauce. It’s a perfect way to use up leftover bread and is sure to become a family favorite.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding with Homemade Custard Sauce

Ingredients:

For the Bread Pudding:

For the Custard Sauce:

Instructions:

Preparing the Bread Pudding:

1. Preheat the Oven (5 minutes):

   • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Grease Baking Dish (2 minutes):

   • Grease a 9×9-inch baking dish or a similarly sized casserole dish.

3. Combine Bread and Raisins (2 minutes):

   • In a large bowl, toss together the cubed bread and raisins.

4. Transfer to Baking Dish (2 minutes):

   • Transfer the bread and raisin mixture to the prepared baking dish.

5. Whisk the Egg Mixture (5 minutes):

   • In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined.

6. Pour and Soak the Bread (2 minutes):

   • Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread and raisins in the baking dish.
   • Gently press down on the bread with a spoon or your hands to ensure it absorbs the custard.

7. Drizzle with Butter (1 minute):

   • Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top of the bread pudding.

Baking the Bread Pudding:

8. Bake until Golden Brown (45-50 minutes):

   • Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the pudding is set. The center should have a slight jiggle but not be runny.

9. Cool Slightly (10 minutes):

   • Remove the bread pudding from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving.

Making the Custard Sauce (while bread pudding cools):

10. Heat Milk Mixture (5 minutes):

• In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream and whole milk over low heat until warm but not boiling. Remove from heat.

11. Whisk Egg Yolks and Sugar (2 minutes):

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until the mixture becomes pale and slightly thick.

12. Temper the Eggs (2 minutes):

• Slowly whisk the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. This tempers the eggs and prevents them from curdling.

13. Thicken the Custard (5-7 minutes):

• Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This takes about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to let it boil.

14. Stir in Vanilla (1 minute):

• Remove the custard sauce from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Serving:

15. Cut and Serve (2 minutes):

• Cut the warm Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding into squares and serve it drizzled with the homemade custard sauce.