This Orange Caramel Bread pudding with cranberries served with Vanilla Orange Sauce is a must-try! It is quick and easy to put together and the most delicious bread pudding you will ever have. An excellent dessert to enjoy this holiday season.
It’s the holiday season! Say goodbye to all your diets and welcome the sweets and dessert into your life. This is the best time you can indulge! Something that I tell myself when I whip up my favorite desserts 😉 Everything in moderation is good, right guys?
The Orange Caramel Bread Pudding is a popular dessert in my house. I have many variations to it. The first time when I prepared, I sprinkled some leftover caramel toffee bits in. OMG! That was divine, and now it is a favorite in our family. Serve this bread pudding warm with Vanilla Orange Sauce, or you can also have it cold.
How to make Orange Caramel Bread Pudding
Bread
Bread pudding is something that we can put together quickly. For this Orange Caramel Bread Pudding, I used French Baguette, but challah or brioche would be fantastic too. Using one-day-old bread works well for any bread pudding. However, if you have a fresh loaf of bread, cut them into cubes, place them on a baking sheet, and bake at 180C for 10 minutes to get the dried, stale texture.
Orange
Orange is the approved flavor in our house, but tangerine or mandarin orange works well too. Adding the orange zest and juice gives the bread pudding more flavor.
Caramel
In this recipe, I used caramel cream fudge. But you can easily swap with caramel sauce or caramel toffee bits. All of these are wonderfully delicious. We preferred big chunks of caramel fudge. If you like it small, go ahead and cut them to your liking.
Add- Ons
I love adding dried cranberries, especially this time of the year. It is something that I have in hand all the time. You can use golden raisins or black currants.
If you like adding nuts, you could use chopped cashew, almond, pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, or pistachio.
How to make the Vanilla Orange Sauce
A bread pudding should have something extra to serve with, and this Vanilla Orange Sause is just fabulous! With a few simple ingredients, you can put this together in no time.
Just add cream, vanilla, orange zest, and juice with a little bit of sugar and warm it over very- low heat for 2 -3 minutes. It is as simple as that!
You can also leave the sugar out and add two caramel fudges for more flavor.
If adding the fudge, first cut the fudge into small and melt it in the pan. Next, add the cream, vanilla, orange juice, and zest.
Making Ahead Options
Yes, you can easily make this bread pudding ahead. You can either bake it and leave it in the fridge or add the custard and leave it in to soak up all the mixture while resting in the refrigerator and bake it the next day.
Orange Caramel Bread Pudding with Vanilla Orange Sauce
Course: Dessert, featured, Holiday Desserts, Sweet & Savory Bakes6
servings20
minutes45
minutesIngredients
- Bread Pudding
1 big French baguette(65cm)/ 1 loaf of challah or brioche
10 -15 caramel fudges
1/2 cup /65g of dried cranberries
3 large eggs
zest of an orange
1/2 cup /100g brown sugar
2 cups /500ml whole milk
2/3 cup/158ml double cream / heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup orange juice ( Juice of an Orange)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons /30g of butter
some sugar to sprinkle on top
- Vanilla Orange Sauce
1 cup/ 240ml of double cream/heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 Tablespoons/30ml orange juice
2 Tablespoons/ 27g brown sugar/ regular white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Bread Pudding
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 356F.
- Cut each caramel fudge into – 4 or smaller pieces. Cube the bread and spread half of it in a 9 x2 inches baking dish.
- Sprinkle some of the caramel fudge bits into the dish on top of the bread cubes. Next, sprinkle 1/4 cup of cranberries on top.
- Now, repeat the same with the rest of the bread and caramel bits.
- Prepare the custard mixture. In a large bowl, add the eggs, orange zest, sugar and whisk well. Next, add the milk, double cream, vanilla, orange juice, and whisk until combined.
- Now, pour the prepared custard mixture evenly over the bread and cover and rest it for at least 30 minutes. This resting time helps the bread to soak up all the custard mixture. (If you want to bake it for later, you can cover it well with a cling wrap and leave it in the fridge at this point. )
- Dot the 2 Tablespoons of butter on top and sprinkle the sugar.
- Next, place the bread pudding dish in a large roasting pan and pour hot water into the roasting pan to create a water bath to cook the pudding. Water should be halfway around the sides of the pudding dish. Carefully place the roasting pan with water in the oven and bake at 180C/ 356F for 40 -45 until the custard is completely cooked.
- Serve warm with Vanilla orange sauce.
- Vanilla Orange Sauce
- Add cream, vanilla, orange zest, and juice with sugar in a small saucepan.
- Place the saucepan on low heat and warm the mixture for 2-3 minutes. Stir well until the sugar dissolves.
- Serve with warm bread pudding.
Notes
- Make-ahead options – you can easily make this bread pudding ahead. You can either bake it and leave it in or add the custard and leave it in to soak up all the mixture while resting in the refrigerator and bake it the next day.
