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Apple Walnut Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Our annual bread pudding recipe! This year we went with apples and caramel for a dessert that looks a lot harder than it really is. The bread pudding comes together quickly with the addition of chopped peeled apples and optional walnuts. The caramel sauce is quick and easy to make with only 4 ingredients. It works just as well for gluten and dairy free as it does for full dairy.
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Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

Easy Caramel Sauce
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup milk or a thick dairy free milk like oatmilk or soymilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Bread Pudding
  • 1 16 ounce loaf of stale Italian bread gluten free white bread, or bread of choice (12 cups cubed), all stale
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 cups milk or non dairy milk
  • 1 ½ cups half and half or dairy free half and half
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • 3 apples peeled, cored and diced
  • ½ cup pecans or walnuts
  • Optional but very nice! - 2 tablespoons of butter cut in slices or small chunks, and extra cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling

Equipment

  • 1 9 x 13" Baking Dish

Method
 

Caramel Sauce
  1. Combine the sugar, butter or dairy free butter, and milk or non dairy milk in a saucepan.
  2. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the caramel has thickened, 4 to 5 minutes or so.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator.
Bread Pudding
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.
  3. In a large bowl, add the milk, half and half, eggs, vanilla extract, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Whisk to combine.
  4. Add chopped apples, walnuts and bread cubes to the mixture and stir thoroughly to make sure the bread is well soaked with the custard. You can let it sit for 5 minutes or so if necessary.
  5. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan. Dot the top of the pudding with optional butter slices and sprinkle generously with extra cinnamon and brown sugar.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes, until the custard has set. Let bread pudding cool for 10 minutes before serving with the caramel sauce. Ice cream and whipped cream also make excellent accompaniments!