Pioneer Woman White Chocolate Bread Pudding is made with cubes of crusty French bread, heavy cream, whole milk, sweet white chocolate chips, eggs, and vanilla extract. The result is a warm, custardy dessert with melting pockets of creamy chocolate and a golden, crispy top. It is a perfect show-stopping dessert for a holiday dinner or special celebration and makes enough to serve a large crowd.
Jump to Recipe🤎 Why You Will Love This White Chocolate Bread Pudding:
- Perfect Texture Contrast: This dessert delivers the best of both worlds. The top layer gets golden and crispy in the oven, while the bottom layer transforms into a soft, melt-in-your-mouth custard.
- Surprisingly Easy: It looks and tastes like a fancy restaurant dessert, but the process is incredibly simple. You just chop bread, whisk a few ingredients, and bake. No water bath or complicated techniques are required.
- A Twist on a Classic: Traditional bread pudding often uses raisins and cinnamon. The addition of white chocolate chips adds a creamy, milky sweetness that makes it feel modern and extra decadent.
- Reduces Food Waste: This is the absolute best way to use up a loaf of bread that has gone stale. The dry bread actually works better than fresh bread, turning “old” food into something spectacular.
🥚 Pioneer Woman White Chocolate Bread Pudding Ingredients
For the Bread Pudding:
- 1 loaf (about 1 pound) French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate bar)
- Butter, for greasing the pan
🥧 How To Make Pioneer Woman White Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Prepare the bread: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter. Place the bread cubes in the dish. If the bread is very fresh, you can let it sit out for a few hours to dry, or toast it in the oven for 10 minutes first.
- Make the custard mixture: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Pour in the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything until fully combined.
- Combine ingredients: Sprinkle the white chocolate chips evenly over the bread cubes in the baking dish. Use your hands to toss them slightly so the chocolate is mixed throughout, not just on top.
- Soak the bread: Pour the custard mixture slowly and evenly over the bread and chocolate. Gently press the bread down with a spoon to ensure every piece is submerged and soaking up the liquid.
- Bake the dessert: Place the dish in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. The top should be golden brown, and the pudding should be puffed up but still have a slight jiggle in the center.
💭 Recipe Tips
- Use Stale Bread: Bread pudding works best with stale or “day-old” bread. Stale bread acts like a sponge and absorbs the custard better than fresh soft bread, preventing the dessert from becoming mushy.
- Let It Soak: If you have time, let the bread soak in the liquid for 15 to 20 minutes before putting it in the oven. This ensures the inside of the bread cubes becomes soft and custardy.
- Watch the Top: If the top of the bread pudding starts browning too quickly before the center is set, loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
- Serve Warm: White chocolate can harden as it cools. This dish is best served warm so the chocolate chips remain melty and gooey.
🍒 What To Serve White Chocolate Bread Pudding?
This dessert is very rich and sweet so it pairs well with items that cut through the sugar. A warm Raspberry Sauce is the classic Pioneer Woman pairingthe tartness of the berries balances the white chocolate perfectly. You can also serve it with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream or a strong cup of black coffee to contrast the sweetness.
🎚 How To Store Leftovers White Chocolate Bread Pudding?
- Refrigerate: Cover the leftover pudding tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and then foil freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
🥵How To Reheat Leftovers White Chocolate Bread Pudding?
- In the Oven (Best for Large Portions) Place leftovers pudding in an oven-safe dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil to keep it moist heat it for 5 minutes until it is heated through.
- In the Microwave (Best for Single Servings) Place a slice of the pudding on a microwave-safe plate heat on high power for 30 to 60 seconds. Check it after 30 seconds because this dish contains eggs and cream, microwaving it too long can change the texture and make it rubbery.
FAQs
Yes. While French bread provides a good structure, you can also use Brioche or Challah. These breads are richer and egg-based, so they will make the final pudding even softer and more decadent.
This usually happens if the pudding was not baked long enough or if the ratio of liquid to bread was too high. Ensure the custard is set (it should jiggle like gelatin, not splash like water) before removing it from the oven.
Yes, bread pudding is a great make-ahead dish. You can assemble the bread and custard in the baking dish, cover it, and refrigerate it overnight. Bake it the next morning; you may need to add 5-10 minutes to the baking time since it is starting cold.
📊 White Chocolate Bread Pudding Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 square (approx. 1/12 of dish)
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Total Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Cholesterol: 145mg
- Sodium: 240mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 48g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 32g
- Protein: 9g
Pioneer Woman White Chocolate Bread Pudding
Course: Dessert, Breakfast, BrunchCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Beginner6-8
servings20
minutes50
minutes480
kcalPioneer Woman White Chocolate Bread Pudding is made with cubes of crusty French bread, heavy cream, whole milk, sweet white chocolate chips, eggs, and vanilla extract. The result is a warm, custardy dessert with melting pockets of creamy chocolate and a golden, crispy top. It is a perfect show-stopping dessert for a holiday dinner or special celebration and makes enough to serve a large crowd.
Ingredients
1 loaf (about 1 pound) French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate bar)
Butter, for greasing the pan
Directions
- Prepare the bread: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter. Place the bread cubes in the dish. If the bread is very fresh, you can let it sit out for a few hours to dry, or toast it in the oven for 10 minutes first.
- Make the custard mixture: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Pour in the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Whisk everything until fully combined.
- Combine ingredients: Sprinkle the white chocolate chips evenly over the bread cubes in the baking dish. Use your hands to toss them slightly so the chocolate is mixed throughout, not just on top.
- Soak the bread: Pour the custard mixture slowly and evenly over the bread and chocolate. Gently press the bread down with a spoon to ensure every piece is submerged and soaking up the liquid.
- Bake the dessert: Place the dish in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. The top should be golden brown, and the pudding should be puffed up but still have a slight jiggle in the center.
Notes
- Use Stale Bread: Bread pudding works best with stale or “day-old” bread. Stale bread acts like a sponge and absorbs the custard better than fresh soft bread, preventing the dessert from becoming mushy.
Let It Soak: If you have time, let the bread soak in the liquid for 15 to 20 minutes before putting it in the oven. This ensures the inside of the bread cubes becomes soft and custardy.
Watch the Top: If the top of the bread pudding starts browning too quickly before the center is set, loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.
Serve Warm: White chocolate can harden as it cools. This dish is best served warm so the chocolate chips remain melty and gooey.
