If you are looking for an old-fashioned, gluten free bread pudding recipe, it doesn’t get any better than my Grandma’s. I made a gluten free version, and I hope you love this easy gluten free bread pudding recipe as much as we do!
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I don’t know about you, but old-fashioned bread pudding has been one of our family’s comfort foods for as long as I can remember. It was made with thick pieces of crusty bread and then smothered in vanilla cream sauce. Now that we are gluten free, it is still easy to enjoy this dessert using gluten free bread.
If you love bread pudding as much as we do, you will want to try this gluten free banana bread pudding recipe!
Why I love this gluten free bread pudding recipe:
- My Grandma knew her stuff. Trust me, this recipe is delicious.
- Not only is this old-fashioned bread pudding creamy and sweet, but it also helps eliminate food waste!! It helps you to know what to do with leftover gluten free bread!
- I don’t know about your kids, but mine will NOT eat the ends of a loaf of bread. If you have ever wondered what to do with the ends, this recipe will save you! If your kids won’t eat the ends (or crusts) either, save them up in a big bag in your freezer until you have enough to make this recipe.
- This is an easy recipe to make ahead and bake later when you are ready.
- This recipe has a really easy dairy-free option.
This is by far the best bread pudding I’ve ever had. Hands down…
ann, blog comment
I, made it last weekend and am making it again this weekend…thank you so much for this gluten free recipe…👍😊”
Allergen Information:
This quick and easy bread pudding recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, and oat-free. Make it dairy-free using plant-based butter and milk.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Your favorite gluten free bread – see the FAQ below for my favorite gluten free bread brands.
- Eggs – size large
- Milk—I love using coconut or almond milk, but you can also use regular milk if you are not dairy-free.
- Sugar—Many also love making this recipe with brown sugar and coconut sugar. These will darken your bread pudding in color.
- Ground Cinnamon – I also love a dash or two of ground nutmeg.
- Butter or Plant-Based Butter – I use unsalted butter. To make this dairy-free, use vegan butter or coconut oil.
Try these yummy flavor variations:
- Nuts like walnuts or pecans.
- Raisins or other dried fruit.
- Chunks of fresh fruit like apples or apricots.
- Chocolate would be sinfully good baked into this gluten free bread pudding, too!
- Use this Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread in place of the bread!
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Grab a serrated bread knife and use it to cut your gluten-free bread, which ends up in cubes. You can make your cubes any size. I like to make them 1-inch minimum. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients and whisk to blend in a smaller
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Step 3: Pour the liquid over the bread cubes. Mix well to coat the bread cubes and allow the mixture to sit for at least 15 minutes so the bread absorbs all of the liquid.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap if you are making this gluten-free bread pudding recipe ahead and place it in the refrigerator. This mixture can soak overnight.
Step 4: Bake at 350º F for 25-30 minutes until the bread pudding is slightly golden on top. You can enjoy this homemade gluten free bread pudding warm or cold.
Bread Pudding Toppings:
- The star of this gluten-free, dairy-free bread pudding recipe is the homemade vanilla cream sauce. This quick and easy recipe adds a new sweet vanilla flavor to this easy gluten-free bread pudding recipe. There is even a vegan option if you prefer.
- You can also top this simple gluten free bread pudding with this homemade bourbon butterscotch sauce!
- Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Frequently Asked Questions:
We use several kinds of gluten free bread in our house. Our favorites for bread pudding are Canyon Bakehouse Hawaiian Bread, Canyon Bakehouse Country White Bread, and Franz Moutain White bread.
Bread pudding is easy to make and can last in the refrigerator for about four days. (My family never has dessert leftovers, but that is my best guess!)
You can freeze this bread pudding if you have leftovers or want to serve it at a later date. You can reheat in the microwave or thaw in the refrigerator.
Reader Reviews:
I’ve made this gluten free bread pudding and agree with everyone; it’s so good!”
Kris M-T
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes:
- Easy Tapioca Pudding – This is the creamiest pudding, and it is gluten-free!
- Decadent Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
- Gluten Free Cranberry Bundt Cake – Perfect for entertaining!
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which brand of bread you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Gluten Free Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 3-4 ½ cup gluten free bread cubes
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups almond or coconut milk see note
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup melted butter or plant-based butter unsalted
- ¾ cup sugar
- dash salt
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with coconut oil.
- Mix all wet ingredients in a bowl. Add in the sugar, salt, and butter.
- Add bread cubes, mix, and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes, so it absorbs the liquid. Stir every 5 minutes. You can also let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
- Pour the mixture into a baking dish and spread around the pan.
- Bake 25-30 minutes until golden on top.
Notes
- Note the type of gluten free bread you use may matter in this recipe. Some more dense gluten free bread, especially multigrain bread, does not absorb as much liquid. You can feel free to adjust the liquid and bread quantity accordingly.
- You can use non-dairy milk or regular milk if you are not dairy-free.
- If you are dairy-free you can use either plant-based butter or coconut oil.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Note this recipe was updated from an older April 2017 post with more detailed instructions.
I’m planning to use this recipe for a kings cake. I bought Bfree white demi baguettes. I want to top it with icing and the traditional three color sugar combination . I’m excited to try.
Please do come back and let me know. It sounds like a delicious idea!
Yesssss! FINALLY! I’m able to enjoy bread pudding again after going GF! I used Canyon Bakehouse Hawaiian Sweet Gluten Free Bread, half and half and 6 tablespoons of honey. I also added almond extract.
I’ve been using the base for all kinds of delish. My German hubby loves it with currants, nuts, candied peel and rum- À la German Fruit Cake style!
I enjoy any fruit, but in particular, plums! I just slice em up and add them to the base.
I love your idea to make this German fruit cake style!! My family is going to love this idea, thank you. I am thrilled you and your husband loved this recipe.
Super yummy out of the oven, I loved it. Question: I suppose since there’s eggs it needs to be refrigerated, correct?
Hi Marlo, Yes, this should definitely be refrigerated. I am so glad you loved this recipe!
This is by far the best bread pudding I’ve ever had. Hands down…
I, made it last weekend and am making it again this weekend…thank you so much for this gluten free recipe…👍😊
Thank you so much for your kind words. I love adding raisins or blueberries sometimes to switch things up with this recipe. Let me know if you try something fun with it!
I plan on making this the day before I cook it. Want to put apple in it, when and how much would you add. Can’t wait to make this.
Hi Debbie, I would say a cup of chopped apples would be delicious in this recipe.
I love this bread pudding! I’ve never made bread pudding before, but this recipe was so easy & yummy. I will definitely make this again!
I am so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know!!
Love this recipe. Have used it with alk kinds of bread, and each is little different in how much they absorb and how long it takes to cook but in the end its always great. I’ve used dairy and not dairy, topped with apoles, added fruit, and even used day old pancakes,and pumpkin spice mix. Just really a great basic, easy recipe that lets you plat around quite a lot!
I am so glad you are having fun experimenting with different flavors! Thank you for coming back to let me know.
I think this recipe would be nice adding fruit as diced apple or pear.
What do you think?
I bet that would taste incredible!
Hi! I store my GF bread in the freezer; would you recommend a basic thawing first, or perhaps toast it a bit? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer, I recommend thawing the bread. It will absorb the liquids and taste way better.
Our butter was melted but got solid again when we tried to mix it into the cold milk! Probably make sure the butter is very hotly melted or else let your milk and eggs go room temperature. (I was too worried about not cooking the eggs with it. Hopefully it still comes out good)
That is a good tip, thank you.
Am I missing the vanilla cream sauce recipe? I see where it talks about it but then I don’t see it in the recipe. Thanks.
Hi Erin, here is that sauce. https://www.fearlessdining.com/homemade-vanilla-cream-sauce/
Anyone able to recommend which brands taste best? I saw a comment about Trader Joe’s. There isn’t a TJ near me. 🙁 I can always find Schar and Udis brand bread, occasionally Canyon.
Hi Paula, I like to use Franz Mountain White and Canyon Bakehouse Country White. The fluffier breads absorb more of the liquid and flavors.
Totally Awesome! I just made this and gluten free bread never tasted better! It did take a little longer to cook for me. Try it you will love it!
I am so glad you loved the recipe, Barbara. The baking time may be related to how deep your pudding was, or the size of the pan. Thank you so much for coming back to let everyone know the recipe is good :-).
I have been saving the gluten free bread loaf ends in a Ziploc bag in the refrigerator because my son won’t eat them but GF bread is expensive so I won’t waste it. Made this for him today and he LOVES it. I actually cooked it 100° hotter for the same amount of time because it was really runny but it turned out perfect!
I’m
Making this recipe for bread pudding right now and the recipe calls for 3 cups bread cubes. Now I’m reading through comments and there’s a reply that says it’s 5 1/2 cups of bread cubes. Is it 3 cups or 5 1/2? It looks very soupy…
Hi Leslie, thank you for your note. The amount of bread cubes varies a bit with the brand of bread I am finding. If yours is really soupy, please do add more bread cubes. For some reason multigrain bread for me I had to up to 4 cups of cubes. Let me clarify the recipe a bit more. Thank you so much for reaching out.
Any replacement for the egg? Looks great but husband and daughter can’t have eggs. 🙁
Hi Dale, I have never tried this egg-free so I am honestly not sure how to direct you.
I used gluten free white sandwich bread from Trader Joe’s and it turned out perfect! Also used real maple syrup instead of sugar and added a bit of caramel extract. The coconut milk coolwhip from Publix was a good topping as well!
I am so glad you liked it Stephanie 🙂
Where is the sauce recipe? The bread pudding recipe cuts off in the middle and the rest disappears.
Hi Michelle, the sauce recipe link is linked twice, once after the first photo, then further down mid-way. Please let me know if you don’t see it. I am not sure what you mean by things cutting off.
Hi
The recipe ingredient list has sugar. and in the directions it states brown sugar. Do you use white or brown sugar for this recipe? I thought it was probably white sugar but wanted to ask.
Thank you. My husband keeps asking me if i am going to make the bread pudding today 🙂
Hi Amy, You can use either regular or brown sugar in this recipe. I amended it to say regular sugar since that is what I used for the photos. Thank you so much for writing for clarification.
Looks delicious but after I started making this, there are no directions for the last few ingredients. What do we do with the butter, brown sugar, salt? It just says to mix the wet ingredients and put them into the pan….bit confused
Hi Sara, Thank you so much for your note. I clarified a bit for you, please let me know if that helps.
Made this tonight using Franz multigrain gluten free bread. Added pecans. Turned out Delicious and your vanilla cream sauce was perfect complement to it. Thanks fpr the recipe!
I am so glad you liked it! I hope you had a nice holiday.
Easy to prepare and looked great. My family has allergies to gluten and dairy and this is something everyone ate. It was delicious. We added the vanilla sauce and YUM!!! Cooked it in a cast iron skillet.
This looks yummy. Bread pudding has always been my favorite since childhood (we wont discuss how long that had been. LOL) My daughter and family are GF and when they have dinner with me I usually ask her to make dessert as I don’t keep the flours, etc. Since peaches are in season do you think that a layer of peaches on the bottom of the baking pan would work or would it make it too soupy? Thanks.
Peaches sound like a delicious addition! Please come back and let us know how you added them 🙂
This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I have two questions:
1. Do you think flax egg will work in place of real eggs for your bread pudding?
2. Can you tell us about how many cups of diced bread you use? Gluten Free bread slices vary in size so very much! Some ready made breads are small loaves, some are larger, some thick sliced some thin sliced. Even beads made with wheat can vary.
You are so welcome Carol. I have never tried flax eggs with this recipe, but I suspect it won’t work…the consistency is so different. As for the quantity of bread, I believe it was 5 1/2 cups of bread cubes.
It looks so yummy! I am going to make it for Thanksgiving! Do you use Gluten Free white bread? Or 7 grain?
Hi Mary, I used a little of everything when I made this. I think gluten free white bread is best as it absorbs the liquid really nicely. That being said, I tend to use the ends of the bread because my kids don’t like them for sandwiches. In this recipe, I would say the bread is about 85% Trader Joe’s gluten free bread in the green checkered bag.