Salted Cardamom Caramel Bread Pudding

Puddings and Crumbles
Written By majed ali

some days, we’re left with more stale bread than we know what to do with. It sits there quietly, and you feel a little guilty throwing it away, a little unsure how to save it. But for me, there’s always one answer I return to without thinking: bread pudding. It belongs to those slow, cozy days — the ones that ask for warmth without asking for effort.

There’s a small kind of beauty in whisking the eggs with the milk and vanilla, watching everything loosen and come together. And then letting the bread drink it in, piece by piece, almost like it’s softening back into itself. By the time it comes out of the oven, you’re met with something tender, something that feels a little more luxurious than you ever expected from leftover bread.

You can dress it however you like — a little chocolate, a spoon of jam, a swipe of strawberry sauce. But I kept thinking of my salted cardamom caramel, a recipe I made some time ago, and how its warmth folds so naturally into this dessert. The pudding isn’t too sweet, which gives you all the freedom to finish it the way you love — more caramel, chocolate, jam, anything that makes sense to your mood. And the nuts? Toast whatever you have; let them fall where they may.

So here it is — the base of my favorite bread pudding. A soft little place to start, and a canvas for whatever comfort you need today.

Ingredients

  • 5 cups (250–300 g) stale brioche or any stale soft bread (like dinner rolls), cubed

  • 2 cups (480 ml) milk, or a mix of milk + cream

  • 3 large eggs

  • ½ cup (100 g) sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)

  • Pinch of sea salt

  • salted cardamom caramel ( in whatever amount you prefer )

  • A handful of toasted nuts (any kind you like)

  • Extra sea salt, for finishing

Method

1. Prep the pudding

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Grease a small baking dish, then add the cubed bread.

2. Make the custard

In a bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon (if using), and a pinch of sea salt.

Pour the custard over the bread and gently press it down to help it soak.

Let it sit for 10 minutes so the bread absorbs the mixture.

3. Bake

Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the pudding is set and lightly golden on top.

4. Add the nuts

Sprinkle the toasted nuts over the top, letting some fall between the bread pieces.

5. Drizzle with caramel

over the top and let it ooze against the hot bread pudding, melting its way into all the little gaps.

sprinkle more sea salt if desired.

majed ali
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