This easy blueberry bread pudding is loaded with juicy, fresh blueberries in every bite. With pockets of tangy cream cheese in between rich vanilla custard and fluffy bread pieces, it’s a fun twist on classic bread pudding recipes. Make it ahead for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
As the days of summer are dwindling, I’m trying to squeeze in as many summer fruit recipes as I can. I found myself with an abundance of blueberries recently, and I remembered this blueberry bread pudding recipe that called for heaps of fresh berries in the pudding as well as in a sauce. Knowing how much I love bread pudding, I knew it was meant to be!
Things to Love About This Easy Blueberry Bread Pudding Recipe
- Sweet-tangy filling. This bread pudding has so much going for it besides all those blueberries. Most notably is cream cheese. I adore blueberries and cream cheese together (it always makes me think of blueberry cheesecake!). The cream cheese adds a hint of tanginess that contrasts all the sweet berries and custard.
- Use up leftover bread. Just like French toast, bread pudding is one of my all-time favorite ways to give new life to stale bread. It needs day-old, tough bread to stand up against the filling!
- Easy. Load your ingredients into a baking dish, chill, and bake. Since you make this blueberry bread pudding ahead of time, it’s great for holiday brunches.
Who else is a big fan of bread pudding? Because, me too! Try my chai spice bread pudding, this decadent chocolate croissant bread pudding, and my gooey peanut butter chocolate bread pudding, next.
What You’ll Need
These are some notes on the ingredients you’ll need for this easy blueberry bread pudding recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Bread – I use a French bread loaf. Bread pudding is the perfect excuse to use up leftover, older bread (see below).
- Cream cheese – Use the full-fat kind that comes in blocks, not tubs. Cut the cream cheese into small bites beforehand.
- Blueberries – Fresh is best, but frozen will work when blueberries aren’t in season. I have an in-depth article that covers fresh vs. frozen fruits in baking that you can refer to, if needed.
- Eggs and milk – Together, these make the custard that holds the pudding together. I recommend using whole milk in this recipe, or half-and-half for an even richer bread pudding.
- Granulated sugar – You could also use brown sugar or another sweetener, like honey or maple syrup.
- Unsalted butter – I prefer to bake with unsalted butter (see my post on choosing unsalted or salted butter for baking).
- Vanilla extract – Almond extract would work well in this recipe, too.
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed has the best flavor, but since there’s just a smidge in this recipe, bottled lemon juice works, too.
- Sliced almonds – Or another nut, like crushed pecans or walnuts for crunch. You can skip them to make this pudding nut-free.
- Blueberry sauce – I make a quick version of blueberry compote to serve over this pudding. Instead of reducing the blueberries, simply combine them with preserves and heat it through on the stovetop. Easy! Of course, feel free to use your favorite store-bought or homemade blueberry sauce.
The Secret to Bread Pudding
The first secret to the best bread pudding? Stale bread! Traditionally, bread pudding was a way to repurpose day-old bread into a new meal, similar to the French’s “pain perdu” or “lost bread” that became French toast. The second secret is the bread itself: the best bread for pudding is crusty French bread, brioche, sourdough, or Challah. That being said, just about any older loaf will do the trick (I even have a croissant bread pudding with blueberries!).
If you’re bread’s not stale, cut the bread into cubes and let them bake on a sheet pan in a 350ºF oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and feel dry on the outside.
How to Make Blueberry Bread Pudding
This is a great recipe for prepping ahead of time. Once assembled, the blueberry bread pudding needs to chill for at least 8 hours, so you can easily put it together the day before a special breakfast or brunch and then pop it in the oven for a warm, freshly baked treat. Follow the steps here, and scroll to the recipe card for the printable directions.
- Assemble. To start, add about half of your bread cubes to a greased casserole dish. Next, cut the cream cheese into small pieces and scatter them over the bread along with 1 cup of the blueberries. Top this with the remaining bread.
- Make the custard. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice. Pour this over the bread and blueberry mixture, and press the cubes of bread down into the custard so that everything is evenly soaked. Sprinkle almonds over the top.
- Chill. Now, cover the bread pudding and refrigerate it for 8 hours. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF just before the end of the chilling time.
- Bake. Bake the blueberry bread pudding under foil at 350ºF for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for 30 minutes more, until it’s set and lightly browned. Let the bread pudding rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Make the blueberry sauce. While the pudding bakes, add fresh blueberries and preserves to a saucepan set over low heat, and let it warm through. Before serving, plate up the bread pudding with the warm blueberry sauce, and enjoy.
Tips for Success
- Make sure the cream cheese is evenly distributed. You want cream cheese in every bite, so cut it into small pieces and scatter it evenly throughout the bread.
- Use stale (or toasted) bread. Fresh bread will fall apart in the custard, resulting in a mushy consistency.
- Take it to the next level. A dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream is delicious with the warm bread pudding and blueberry sauce! See below for more serving ideas.
Serving Suggestions
Bread pudding is traditionally served warm, but there’s no reason you can’t serve it at room temperature or even cold, if you prefer. If you’re serving this for breakfast, consider drizzling maple syrup on top along with the blueberry sauce when serving, or topping servings with lemon curd. This blueberry bread pudding makes a delicious addition to a brunch spread alongside more treats like orange ricotta muffins, cheese danishes, or savory bacon and eggs. Or, enjoy a slice warmed up for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
How to Store
- Refrigerate. Leftover bread pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the entire dish in a 350ºF oven until warmed through.
- Freeze. This blueberry bread pudding freezes well. Let it cool completely, then cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Blueberry Bread Pudding
This easy blueberry bread pudding recipe is the best way to use up stale bread or a bumper crop of blueberries! It's loaded with fresh berries and cream cheese and delicious for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
Ingredients
For the bread pudding:
- 16 ounce (454g) French bread loaf, cut into cubes
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese cut into small pieces*
- 1 cup (170g) blueberries**
- 6 large eggs
- 4 cups (946ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
For the sauce:
- 2 cups (340g) blueberries**
- 10 ounces (283g) blueberry preserves
Instructions
To make the bread pudding:
- Lightly grease a 9"x 13"x 2" baking pan.
- Place about half of the bread cubes in pan. Place the cream cheese and 1 cup of the blueberries evenly over the bread. Top with the remaining bread.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice. Pour over the bread mixture. Press the bread down into the egg mixture as needed. Sprinkle with almonds.
- Cover and chill 8 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake covered for 40 minutes. Then, uncover and bake 30 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
- Let the bread pudding stand for 5 minutes before serving.
To make the sauce:
- Place the remaining blueberries and preserves in a saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over low heat until warm.
- Serve the bread pudding with warm blueberry sauce.
Notes
*The smaller you can cut the cream cheese, the better. You want to get a little cream cheese in every bite!
**Weights can vary from 140 to 170g per cup. You don't need a high level of accuracy for this recipe.
Recipe adapted from Southern Living.
Leftover bread pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the entire dish in a 350ºF oven until warmed through.
Recommended Products
Bake or Break is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
12 Comments on “Blueberry Bread Pudding”
Looks wonderful and I LOVE blueberries so much, this is a must make!
This sounds soooo great! I’m loving blueberries in baking lately!
I don’t want to let go of all the summer berries! Summer baking is my favorite because I am berry-crazed. Which means I end up buying them year round even though they are not as good.
This bread pudding looks awesome! I love bread pudding and with the blueberries and cream cheese, you just took it to a whole new level of delicious…thanks for sharing!
Lovely! This looks scrumptious!
Holy crap!
That looks… AMAZING! I seriously want to make that and eat it. I am a huge lover of bread pudding, and this one looks like it could take the cake for being the best.
Thanks for the recipe:)
Oh man I haven’t had bread pudding in forever and now I am craving it big time! Total comfort food and I love it all the more with the berries on top!
Thanks for the recipe. My GF cooked it for me and it was delicious!
omg! this is the first bread pudding recipe that looks good to me. i particularly like the substitution of lemon and vanilla. that was very creative. i’ve got some left over sourdough bread and i’m gonna try this recipe this weekend. i’ve got some blueberries frozen in the freezer. they’ll work just fine. thanks!
Great recipe. Can I use Raspberries instead of blueberries ?
I’ve not tried it, but I don’t see why you couldn’t.
These recipes are really awesome, i’m too much excited to taste them. I will surely prepare these recipes for my husband on this Valentines Day.