Apple & Peanut Butter Bread Pudding

Treat your family to our delicious Apple Bread Pudding. We took a traditional bread pudding and gave it a new twist by adding apples and peanut butter for a tasty surprise the whole family will love.

If you’re a fan of bread pudding, then you’re sure to love our Sweet Potato Bread Pudding or Dark Chocolate Bread Pudding with Raspberry Sauce for dessert.

Why We Love Apple Bread Pudding

We really try not to waste our food. From making banana bread with brown bananas to using up the zucchini in our zucchini bread, it can be fun finding ways to use up food that might be getting a little past its prime. With that being said, we try not to waste stale bread either. It’s the perfect excuse to make bread pudding!!  There’s a variety of different recipes for bread pudding, but this apple bread pudding is one of my favorites!

It’s a delightful recipe that’s sure to be a favorite with the whole family. It’s great for serving a crowd, but if you’re serving a smaller group bread pudding keeps well in the refrigerator and freezer. So, you can continue to enjoy it again throughout the week.

It’s a favorite recipe that you can serve as-is (or with a little milk) for breakfast, or as a warm dessert topped with Vanilla Ice Cream for a little extra decadence.

What is Bread Pudding?

Bread pudding can be traced back to the 11th and 12th centuries. It was originally used as a way to be frugal. Frugal cooks would use stale, leftover bread instead of letting it go to waste. It was considered “Poor man’s pudding” – though Bread pudding doesn’t have the same consistency as classic pudding.

It’s described as a bread-based dessert made with stale bread and milk or cream. It generally contains eggs, a form of fat such as oil, butter, and a variety of other ingredients.

You might find ingredients like sugar, syrup, honey, dried fruit, nuts, as well as spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla in a lot of bread pudding recipes.

What makes the dish really good is that the bread is soaked in the liquids, mixed with the other ingredients, and baked. The dish is typically served as a dessert. Trust me, you will want to make this homemade apple bread pudding over and over again. 

Ingredients For Apple Peanut Butter Bread Pudding

What’s great about this recipe is you won’t need any complicated ingredients! 

• Granny Smith Apples– You’ll need to peel, core, and finely chop your apples. Granny Smiths work best, but you can use whatever apples you have at home already. 
• Peanut butter– You want creamy peanut butter. Feel free to use your favorite store-bought peanut butter or if you are feeling extra ambitious, you can make your own! 
• Raisins– These compliment the bread pudding well. 
• Liquid egg substitute– I find this easier to use since it doesn’t require any beating. However, you can also use 4 large eggs, if you’d like as well. 
• Brown sugar– Brown sugar gives your bread pudding a delicious caramel flavor. 
• Whole grain bread– If you have stale bread, it works the best. Only have fresh bread? You can leave it out on the counter for a few hours to “stale” 
• Milk
• Cinnamon
• Butter

How to Make Apple Peanut Butter Bread Pudding

(full printable recipe at the end of this post)

I love this bread pudding because it comes out so creamy and delicious with a semi solid texture. You’re going to love how easy it is to make!

Preheat and Prep: Before beginning, make sure and preheat your oven to 350° F. Then, grease a 2 quart covered casserole dish with cooking spray. 

Melt butter and cook apples: Melt your butter in a skillet over medium heat. Then, cook the apples, stirring occasionally. You want to cook them for about 10 minutes or until they are golden. 

Add peanut butter and raisins: With the skillet still on, add in the peanut butter and raisins, cooking until the peanut butter is melted. Then, remove from the heat. 

Stir in the bread: After you’ve turned off the heat, stir in your bread, and set that to the side. Make sure your bread is evenly coated in the peanut butter mixture. 

Make egg mixture: In a medium sized bowl, whisk egg substitute or real eggs with milk, cinnamon, and brown sugar. 

Toss bread mixture: Then, toss your bread mixture with the egg mixture. Pour your bread pudding into the casserole dish. You will want to push down the bread as much as possible. 

Bake it: Finally, bake your bread pudding covered for 35 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the top is a golden brown. 

Sprinkle, if desired, with powdered sugar. Serve and enjoy!

Why Is Stale Bread Better for Bread Pudding?

Stale or dry bread means the bread has lost its moisture. Bread is kind of like a sponge in baking, so if it’s already stale, it absorbs more liquid than using fresh bread. Bread pudding is semi solid in texture, but the bread keeps it from becoming soupy. 

If you don’t have stale bread, you can make it stale by baking it at 350° F for 15 minutes. You want it to be “toasted,” but not browned. Or leave the bread out of it’s packaging to sit on the counter for a few hours to “stale”.

How Do I Store Apple Peanut Butter Bread Pudding?

On the rare occasion that you will have leftovers, you can store your apple peanut butter bread pudding in the refrigerator. Place it in an airtight container and it will last about 5 days in the fridge. 

If you choose, you can also put it in the freezer. It can be stored in the freezer for about 3 months. Make sure to place it in a container made for freezing foods. You may need to add a bit of milk to your bread pudding when re-heating it so that it’s not super dry when you go to eat it. 

Pro Tips & Variations for a Mouthwatering Dessert

• Use aluminum foil: If you don’t have a casserole dish with a lid, you can use aluminum foil to cover the dish instead. 
• Bread Options: You could also make this apple bread pudding with a loaf of French or Italian bread, or slightly sweet breads such as challah and brioche. Avoid using a crusty bread, such as a baguette. Also, choose a whole loaf over pre-sliced bread, this way you can control the size of your bread cubes. (1-inch cubes are best).
• Use stale bread: If you can, use stale or dry bread. It absorbs the liquid of the eggs and apples, giving you a better dish. Any variety of bread works. 
• Test Doneness: Insert a table knife in the middle of the bread pudding, if it comes out clean, then you know it’s done. Note that your bread pudding will continue to cook a little as it cools. Let it cool slightly before serving.
• Drizzle with sweetness: If you have a sweet tooth, you can drizzle this dessert with melted preserves, chocolate, or maple syrup. Caramel sauce would also be another good addition. 

Originally posted in June 2011. UPDATED August 2021. We spiffed up this post with more info and better pictures! No changes to the original recipe.

Apple Bread Pudding

Yield: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Inactive Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Treat your family to our delicious, PEANUT BUTTER APPLE BREAD PUDDING. We took a traditional bread pudding and gave it a new twist by adding apples and peanut butter for a tasty surprise the whole family will love.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 5 cups cubed whole grain bread (1-inch cubes)
• 1 cup liquid egg substitute, like Eggbeaters (or 4 large eggs)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat over to 350° F. Grease 2-quart covered casserole with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook apples, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until golden. Stir in peanut butter and raisins until peanut butter is melted. Remove from heat, then stir in bread; set aside.
3. Whisk egg substitute (or real eggs), milk, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a large bowl; set aside.
4. Toss bread mixture with egg mixture and set aside for 15-30 minutes.
5. Turn into prepared casserole. Bake covered 35 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 5 minutes until golden. (test doneness by inserting a kitchen knife in the center, if it comes out clean, the bread pudding is done). Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving.
6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired,

Notes

Try drizzling with melted preserves, chocolate, and/or pure maple syrup.

If you don't have a covered casserole dish, just use aluminum foil to cover the dish when baking.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• White 9x13 Rectangular Baking Dish 
• Oval Casserole with Glass Cover, 2.5-Quart
• OXO Nonstick Dishwasher Safe Black Frying Pan, 12"
• Glass Bowl Set 
•  2-Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• Measuring Spoons

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 176
Total Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 4mg
Sodium: 206mg
Carbohydrates: 21g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 9g
Protein: 8g

Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used.