Apple Maple Pecan Bread Pudding
Apple Pecan Bread Pudding is a cozy combination of spiced apples, pecans, and maple custard, topped with a creamy maple sauce. Bonus, it’s make-ahead friendly, so future you can just bake and enjoy!
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1-½ pounds French bread cut into 1-inch pieces (14 ounces of bread)
- 6 apples peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch cubes-about 8 cups
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1-½ tablespoons cornstarch or instant clearjel or 2 tbs. quick tapioca
- 1-½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 6 whole eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup pure maple syrup (the good stuff- not pancake syrup)
- 2-½ cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla
- 1 cup coarsely chopped raw pecans
Creamy Maple Sauce:
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Coat a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with butter or oil spray and set aside.
- Add the bread cubes to the baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Toast until the bread cubes are dry and a light golden brown. About 8-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Place the apple cubes in a large bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
- In a small dish, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, ground cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples, add the bread cubes and toss to combine. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- In a pitcher whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, maple syrup, cream and vanilla. Pour the custard evenly over the bread and apple mixture and dot with 4 tablespoons of the butter. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and set the dish on the counter top for 20 minutes to allow the custard to absorb into the bread cubes.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 60 minutes, then remove and discard the foil. Sprinkle the top with the chopped pecans. Return the dish to the oven and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes or until puffed and set in the center.
- Transfer from the oven and cool for 15 minutes, cut into squares and serve warm with Creamy Butter Maple sauce.
For the Creamy Maple Sauce
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the syrup, cream, and butter, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the cornstarch/water slurry and cook for another 30 seconds. Transfer the sauce to a pitcher and serve with the bread pudding.
Notes
- Other options for the bread are: Challah, Brioche, plain white sandwich bread, Pugliese bread or Italian sourdough.
- Choose tart apples like Granny Smith or a combination of tart and sweet apples.
- You can substitute ClearJel in the same amount as cornstarch. If using instant tapioca, use 2 tablespoons.
- The cornstarch slurry is the secret to a creamy maple sauce.
- Pure maple syrup is the gold standard here. But hey, if pancake syrup is what you’ve got, I won’t judge, it’ll still be tasty!
- Prep Ahead Tip: Prepare the dish the night before but don't bake it. Cover it tightly, and refrigerate overnight, then bake it in the morning.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 744kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 213mg | Sodium: 638mg | Potassium: 429mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 55g | Vitamin A: 1288IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 3mg
