Yup, it's Vegan

Plant-based recipes for everyone

  • Home
  • About
    • Press
    • F.A.Q.
  • Recipes
    • Reader Favorites
  • Work with Me
  • Resources
    • What Do Vegans Eat?
    • Vegan Dining in Baltimore
Home » Desserts » Brown Sugar Maple Bread Pudding

Brown Sugar Maple Bread Pudding

December 22, 2019 By Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan 5 Comments

912 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Print Recipe Jump to Recipe

Golden brown, rich, and delicious vegan bread pudding infused with maple and brown sugar flavor!

A baked vegan bread pudding in a loaf pan on a blue background

This vegan bread pudding recipe is almost as old as time itself, originally published on this site in 2013, AKA before I owned a real camera. However, I will always remember bread pudding as one of my first great vegan baking successes and the recipe more than deserved a modern update! Even though I take much less horrifying pictures now, bread pudding is still not beautiful, so I’ll keep this short.

A serving of vegan bread pudding on a plate, drizzled with a golden brown sugar glaze.

The method for this vegan bread pudding is super simple and it’s a little bit similar to how my vegan stuffing recipe is made. You’ll dry out day-old bread cubes in the oven, and meanwhile you’ll whisk up a liquid mixture that will form the eggless custard base. Then you’ll soak the bread cubes in the custard before baking to ensure even cooking.

Steps for making a vegan custard: whisk together cashew butter, soy milk, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon

Steps for prepping vegan bread pudding before baking: dry out the bread cubes on a baking sheet, then soak them in a custard mixture until absorbed.

In my eyes, the most important step in making this recipe successfully is to toast the heck out of the bread. Let the bread cubes keep going in the oven until all of them are nice and dry. This will ensure an even texture in your finished vegan bread pudding, and a nice moist texture that isn’t too gooey.

It will seem like you’re pouring a lot of liquid into the bread but as long as you were patient in the toasting step, it will be the perfect amount. You can see in my photos how well the pudding sets once baked! Rustic, moist, holds together, and isn’t liquidy.

Close-up of a slice of vegan bread pudding with the rest of the dish in the background, showing a moist but well-set texture.

Any bread that you like and that isn’t too savory will probably work great here. I’m always partial to a good, crusty, country sourdough. I haven’t tested this with gluten-free breads, which have a tendency to fall apart in these types of applications. It could still work if you use one that’s fortified with xanthan gum for holding power, but I’m not sure.

Also, for an extra luxurious flavor and richness, instead of the whatever-non-dairy-milk the recipe calls for, you can use canned coconut milk. So decadent!

In the notes section of the recipe, I give a few more suggestions for variations and substitutions. I hope you enjoy this vegan bread pudding and please let me know in the comments if you give it a whirl!

Vegan Bread Pudding | Yup, it's Vegan
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Maple Brown Sugar Vegan Bread Pudding

Sweet, golden brown, custardy, and comforting, this classic vegan bread pudding would be perfect with a scoop of ice cream!
Course baked goods, Dessert
Cuisine American, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, vegan
Keyword vegan bread pudding
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 servings
Calories 215kcal
Author Yup, it's Vegan

Ingredients

  • 6 cups day old sourdough bread cut into small cubes

Dry ingredients:

  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp ground allspice (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch

Wet ingredients:

  • 2 cups plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk divided
  • 2 tbsp rum
  • 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp cashew butter (or use almond butter, peanut butter, or another nut butter)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread out the bread cubes in a single layer on one or two baking sheets, and toast for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until very dried out, but not browning.
  • Meanwhile, make the pudding mixture. First, reserve 1 cup of the non-dairy milk for later. Add all of the remaining dry and wet ingredients to a blender or food processor, and combine until smooth. (Alternately if you do not have a blender, mix the dry ingredients together in one small bowl, the wet ingredients in another, and then gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth.)
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the dried out bread cubes to a bowl and pour the pudding mixture over them, stirring well. Pour over the remaining 1 cup of milk, too, and stir. Let rest for 5 minutes, then stir again to ensure every piece of bread is saturated.
  • Lightly grease a loaf pan (glass is best) and transfer the bread pudding to the pan, pouring any excess liquid over the top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed (time may vary depending on the bread used). Let cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

BREAD: Sourdough or another bread that's a little bit fancy and crusty will provide the best flavor. I've certainly made this with whole grain bread before, and while visually it's rather drab, it still tastes quite nice.
CASHEWS: The original version of this recipe called for raw cashews to be blended. I wanted to make it a bit more accessible so I've swapped that out for nut butter. However, if you want to make the original, it was 1/4 cup of soaked raw cashews.
MIX-INS: Raisins are a classic addition to bread pudding; chocolate chips are a less common but delicious one! (Pairing especially well with the peanut butter version of this recipe).
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I made a quick glaze by powdering brown sugar and mixing it with a splash of rum and soy milk, but I think this vegan bread pudding is even better with some dairy-free ice cream.
PAN: If you don't have a loaf pan, you can make this in an 8x8-inch pan, and reduce the baking time.
BLACK SALT: For an interesting "eggy" flavor add a pinch of black salt (kala namak) to the pudding mixture.

Nutrition

Serving: 1eighth recipe | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 84mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 2mg

Adapted from Hell Yeah It’s Vegan’s Vanilla Pudding.

Filed Under: Desserts Tagged With: baking, egg analogues, refined sugar-free, soy-free, thanksgiving

« Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Turmeric Chickpea Stew »

Comments

  1. Jerry Blank says

    February 10, 2022 at 05:29

    5 stars
    I am not vegan, but I needed something without dairy because my daughter is lactose intolerant. I made it with old, dry banana bread and put maraschino cherries in it and it absolutely slaps. I added the cherries for a pop of color, and surprisingly they actually complemented the flavors of the dish quite well. I made a homemade butterscotch sauce using vegan butter to drizzle on top and all I can say is there were no leftovers.

    Reply
  2. Kendra says

    May 7, 2020 at 11:06

    5 stars
    Made it for Sunday brunch last weekend, and forgot to leave a review until now. I’m eating some of the leftover and it reminded me. This was very delicious! I used peanut butter because it was the only nut butter I could find. It had a mild peanut flavor, I’d love to try it with cashew butter next time if I can get some. I would eat it again with peanut butter too though. The texture was great. It held up after cooking and slices nicely, and isn’t too sweet.

    To the commenter who is talking about whether bread is vegan, I don’t get the point. Just choose a vegan bread and use that to make this recipe. I feel that it is implied that vegan bread should be used to keep this recipe vegan.

    Reply
  3. Becca says

    April 20, 2020 at 10:52

    5 stars
    Made this over the weekend and it was disgustingly good! Definitely going to be something I make for special brunches in the future! Total food coma mode.

    Reply
  4. S. Hender says

    January 12, 2020 at 13:07

    Traditionally bread is made from yeast, flour, water, and salt, so it would be suitable for vegans. Unfortunately some commercially sold breads (e.g. sold at supermarkets) contain dairy such as whey (a milk protein) or eggs as fillers or stabilizers and those breads would not be considered vegan (or plant-based).

    Reply
    • Mary Ellen says

      March 11, 2021 at 13:22

      Isn’t it kind of obvious that vegans would use vegan bread???

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




I'm Shannon, founder of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. I create healthy plant-based recipes that everyone will love, using seasonal produce and global inspiration.
Learn More

Advertisement

Popular Recipes

Garlic Sesame Noodles - Vegan, Gluten-free, High-Protein!
Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip | Yup, it's Vegan
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese | Yup, it's Vegan
Smashed Avocado Vegan Quesadillas | Yup, it's Vegan

More Popular Recipes

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Advertisement and Privacy Policy

Advertisement

Trending Now

Ultimate Hearty Vegetable Stew | Yup, it's Vegan
15-Minute Miso Soup with Greens | Yup, it's Vegan
Marbled Vegan Chocolate Banana Bread | Yup, it's Vegan
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Learn More

Never miss a recipe! Join my newsletter.



Design by

Copyright © 2013–2023

912 shares