3tbspcashew 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.