Raspberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce

Overhead portrait image of a white dish of Raspberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding surrounded by bowls of raspberries, white chocolate chips and a pitcher of sauce

Raspberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Amaretto Sauce

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: European

Keyword: brioche, pan sobao, raspberry, white chocolate

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 535kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

A unique flavor spin on an age-old dessert. Use stale bread for the best results.

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Ingredients

1 pound (454 grams) day-old bread (pan sobao, brioche, french, or challah)
4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter melted, separated
3 large eggs
1 cup (201 grams) sugar
1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cardamom (or ground cinnamon)
pinch kosher salt
1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream
1 cup (240 milliliters) whole milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
12 ounces (340 grams) raspberries divided
1 cup (170 grams) white chocolate chips

Amaretto Cream Sauce

3/4 cup (180 milliliters) heavy cream plus more to thin as needed
1 large egg yolk
1/4 cup (59 milliliters) amaretto (or whole milk)*
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter melted
1/4 cup, packed (53 grams) dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons (6 grams) all-purpose flour
pinch ground cardamom or ground cinnamon
pinch kosher salt

Instructions

Cut the Bread

Position one of your oven racks so the dish can set in the middle of the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
Use a pastry brush or a paper towel to grease the bottom and insides of a 9" x 13" baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Set the baking dish aside.
Using a serrated knife, cut the day-old bread into 1-inch cubes. Set the bread cubes aside while you mix the custard.

Prepare the Custard

Add the remaining melted butter, eggs, sugar, cardamom, and kosher salt to a large mixing bowl.
Whisk these ingredients together to begin dissolving the sugar. Pour the cream, milk, and almond extract into the egg mixture and whisk until smooth and runny.

Assemble the Raspberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding, Then Bake

Use a spoon to fold the day-old bread cubes into the custard in the mixing bowl. Pour half of this bread and custard mixture into your prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle a cup of the raspberries onto the bread in the dish. Next, sprinkle a half-cup of the white chocolate chips over the raspberries.
Top the chocolate chips with the remaining bread/custard mixture. Finish the bread pudding with another cup of raspberries (or whatever remains) and the remaining chocolate.
Cover the baking dish with a layer of foil and transfer it to the preheated oven.
Bake the bread pudding for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, remove the foil cover and continue baking the bread pudding for 15 minutes.
Since the bread pudding will puff up towards the end of baking, slide the foil cover under the rack the baking dish is on to catch any spills that might occur.

Prepare the Amaretto Cream Sauce

In a 4-quart saucier, use a whisk to stir together the brown sugar, flour, cardamom, and salt.
Whisk the cream, amaretto, egg yolk, and melted butter together in a separate mixing bowl.
Once the egg yolk is mixed in with the other liquids, whisk this mixture into the dry ingredients in the pot. Whisk the dry and the wet ingredients together until they are fully combined.
Turn the stove on to medium-low.
Heat the mixture, while whisking constantly, and allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Be sure to scrape the sides of the pot to keep the sauce from clumping there.
Once the cream sauce comes to a simmer, turn the stove to low.
Continue cooking the sauce, whisking slowly but constantly, for another 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce reaches the consistency of thick cream.
Turn the stove off. Allow the amaretto sauce to sit, off the stove until you're ready to serve. If you don't plan to use it right away, transfer it to the fridge. You'll need to warm it before using (see notes section).

Sauce, then Serve the Raspberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Remove the baking dish from the oven once the bread pudding has baked for 1 hour and is puffy and golden brown.
The center of the bread pudding may jiggle a little, but it will firm up as it cools down. However, if you still see puddles of custard anywhere in the bread pudding, return the dish to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until set. You can cover the pan with foil if the top is getting too brown.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Portion out the bread pudding as desired and top each serving with a drizzle of the Amaretto Cream Sauce.

Notes

Swaps and Subs:

Ground cinnamon can be used in place of ground cardamom.
If you don't have heavy cream, you can replace it and the whole milk with 2 cups of half-and-half.
Use the same amount of thawed and strained frozen raspberries instead of fresh.
Replace the raspberries with the same amount of blueberries or blackberries. To use strawberries instead, use the same amount, but cut them into quarters since they are larger.
Instead of making a white chocolate bread pudding, use dark, milk, or semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Replace the amaretto in the sauce with 1 tablespoon of almond extract and add it with cream and butter.

Dairy-Free Raspberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding:

Be sure your bread was not made with milk or butter.
Use two cups of dairy-free half-and-half instead of heavy cream and milk.
Replace the white chocolate chips with vegan or dairy-free white chocolate.
Use a vegan butter to grease the baking dish and in the custard and sauce.
Use coconut cream (not cream of coconut) in the amaretto sauce.

Tips and Tricks:

To dry out your freshly baked bread:
1. Put the cubes of bread on a sheetpan.
2. Bake the bread in a 200°F (93°C) oven until they dry out, or for about 15 minutes.
3. Toss the cubes of bread once or twice during heating to ensure the bread is evenly dry.
To make the custard ahead:
1. Make the custard a day ahead and store it in a container in the fridge.
2. Whisk the custard before adding the bread to incorporate the spices.
Make-ahead bread pudding:
1. Wrap the unbaked, assembled bread pudding dish in foil or plastic.
2. Store the assembled bread pudding in the fridge overnight (or less than 24 hours) before baking.
3. An hour before you plan to bake the raspberry white chocolate bread pudding, remove the dish from the fridge.
4. Bake as instructed.
To freeze unbaked bread pudding:
1. First, assemble the bread pudding in a freezer-safe dish.
2. Once assembled, wrap the dish in 1 or 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
3. Freeze for 3 months.
4. Thaw the frozen bread pudding in the fridge overnight before allowing it to come nearly to room temp.
5. Bake as instructed.
Wait until the bread pudding has 15 minutes of baking time left before starting the amaretto sauce. That way, it's still warm when you're ready to use it.
As the amaretto cream sauce sits, it grows thicker. To loosen the cream sauce, whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of warm cream. (You can warm the cream in the microwave or on the stove.)
To make the Amaretto Cream Sauce ahead:
1. Make the sauce as instructed. Allow the sauce to cool.
2. Store the cool sauce in a jar in the fridge, covered, for 1-2 days.
3. Reheat the sauce on low in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to warm it until loose.

Serving Suggestions:

Instead of topping your Raspberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding with the Amaretto Sauce, try these toppings:

Storage Instructions:

Store any leftover bread pudding in a food storage container in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat the bread pudding in the microwave for a minute to give it a fresh taste.
To freeze baked bread pudding:
1. Allow the bread pudding to cool completely.
2. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze the bread pudding for 2 months.
3. Thaw it completely in the fridge (usually overnight), then enjoy it cold or warmed in the microwave.

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