Look no further for the BEST Peach Bread Pudding Recipe! Made with buttery and rich brioche bread, a silky custard, and warmly seasoned sweet peaches, this easy recipe is summertime dessert perfection. Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for rave reviews!
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Peaches are one of my favorite summer fruits. So, this year I am setting out to publish a handful of new peach recipes. A peach festival, if you will!
First up is this easy peach bread pudding (next are peach BBQ sauce and peaches and cream pie!). This is a pan of warm, comforting, and buttery summertime indulgence: it's sweet, it's cinnamon-spiced, it's simple to prep, it's perfect for a crowd, and it TASTES LIKE SUMMER. 😍 The moral of the story: run, don't walk, to make this peach sweet treat!
If possible, use fresh (not stale) bread and 2% or whole milk for the best flavor. This recipe makes a large pan, perfect for serving at barbecues, parties, and summer get-togethers! And always, I repeat always, serve it with freshly whipped cream or vanilla pudding for the ultimate dessert experience. 💃
Love bread pudding recipes? Try out my Savory Bread Pudding with Butternut Squash and Asparagus Casserole!
What Is Peach Bread Pudding?
Peach bread pudding is a sweet and decadent dessert made from baking toasted bread cubes in a custard-like mixture with sweet and cinnamon-essenced peaches.
The dessert is often served warm with scoops of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. It's ultra-tasty made with ripe summer peaches, but it is also a treat when made with high-quality canned peaches.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Brioche or Challah Bread - These enriched breads are excellent choices for this recipe because they are already tender, buttery, and lightly sweet. For the best results, use fresh bread. Stale bread or day-old bread isn't as flavorful. Instead, we will toast fresh bread to dry it out.
Peaches - You can use fresh, canned, or frozen peaches, chopped into small, bite-sized pieces.
- Canned - Unless it is the height of the summer peach season, I prefer to make this peach bread pudding with canned peaches. Drain them well before chopping.
- Frozen - Defrost them before seasoning.
- Fresh - Remove the pits and peel the fresh peaches only if desired.
Brown Sugar & White Sugar - These are used to sweeten the bread pudding recipe. For deeper caramel notes, use dark brown sugar.
Spices - Grab ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and fine sea salt. If you have it, using freshly ground nutmeg elevates this bread pudding to delicious heights!
Milk - This forms the base of the custard. I recommend using whole or 2% milk for the best taste. For an extra indulgent dish, swap ½ cup of the milk for heavy cream!
Eggs - The eggs offer additional fat and protein, making the custard smooth and rich. You will need 4 large eggs.
Lemon Juice - Just one tablespoon brightens up the peach topping, similar to how lemon juice is often added to peach pie filling!
Maple Syrup - This adds a light sweetness to the custard. Simply divine! 😍
Coarse Sugar - Sprinkle this on the bread pudding with peaches before baking to give it a sweet, crunchy top!
Whiskey or Bourbon - An optional ingredient adding caramel notes to the recipe, making peach bourbon bread pudding. Don't want to use alcohol? Just swap it for an additional ¼ cup of milk!
How to Make Peach Bread Pudding
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray an 8x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or brush it with melted butter.
Step 2: Spread the bread cubes out on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crisp, golden brown, and dried out. Remove the bread from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
Step 3: Add the chopped peaches, light brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and whiskey (if using) to a large mixing bowl. Stir together until combined.
Step 4: Add the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and maple syrup to another large bowl. Whisk well until combined.
Step 5: Gently fold the toasted bread cubes into the milk mixture until coated.
Step 6: Gently pour or spoon the bread mixture into the prepared 8x13-inch baking dish. Spoon the peaches evenly over the bread and gently nudge them into the bread to distribute them evenly.
Step 7: Sprinkle the pudding with the damerara or sanding sugar. Bake uncovered for 55-65 minutes or until the center is set and doesn’t jiggle when shaken.
Step 8: Cool the pudding on a wire cooling rack for 20-30 minutes before serving warm with a scoop of whipped cream or ice cream.
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Use fresh bread. This ensures that the bread has the best, fresh flavor. Toasting it dries it out sufficiently for the bread pudding, eliminating the need for it to be stale.
- Fold the bread into the milk mixture gently. The toasted bread will quickly absorb the liquids. To keep it from breaking down and getting mushy, fold it gently until just combined. Do not overmix!
- How to make whipped cream. Whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2-4 tablespoons of powdered sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form.
Recipe Variations
- Apricots or Plums: Use chopped apricots, plums, or a mix of apricots, plums, and peaches to give this recipe a different summery twist.
- Different Bread: Use fresh sourdough or ciabatta for a less rich pudding.
- Alter the Alcohol: Substitute golden rum for the whiskey. Though the alcohol burns off as the bread pudding bakes, you can also make it with no alcohol. Replace the whiskey with an extra ¼ cup of milk.
- Swap Seasonings: Use pumpkin spice blend instead of the cinnamon and nutmeg. Or, swap the nutmeg for cardamom.
- Experiment with Extract: Substitute 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract with almond, whiskey, or lemon extract!
- Add Nuts: Sprinkle the peach cobbler bread pudding with ½ cup chopped pecans, sliced almonds, or macadamia nuts for a crunchy finish!
Storage Directions
- Refrigerating: Leftovers keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Once cooled to room temperature, you can also freeze the peach pudding leftovers. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost the pudding overnight before reheating it in a covered baking pan at 275°F degrees for 30-45 minutes or until hot in the center.
- Reheating: Warm individual bread pudding servings on gentle heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or heat the covered pan of pudding in a 275°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until hot.
Save this Recipe for Later on Pinterest
Tools Needed to Make This Recipe
- Cutting Board
- Serrated Knife
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Silicone Spatula
- 8x13-Inch Baking Dish
More Peach Recipes
- Cast Iron Peach Cobbler
- Peach Coffee Cake
- Peaches and Cream Pie
- Peach Muffins
- Peach Avocado Salsa
- Peach Dump Cake
- Peach Overnight Oats
- Peach Sangria
Recipe Card
Peach Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz loaf brioche or challah bread cubed into 1- 1 ½-inch cubes
- 4 cups chopped peaches fresh, frozen (defrosted), or canned (drained)
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup whiskey or bourbon optional
- 3 ½ cups milk preferably whole or 2%
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coarse or sanding sugar
- whipped cream or ice cream to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray an 8x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or brush it with butter.
- Spread the bread cubes out on two rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crisp, golden brown, and dried out. Remove the bread from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
- Add the chopped peaches, light brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice, and whiskey (if using) to a large mixing bowl. Stir together until combined.
- To another large mixing bowl, add the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Whisk well until combined.
- Gently fold the toasted bread cubes and milk into the milk mixture until coated.
- Gently spoon the bread cubes into the prepared 8x13-inch baking dish. Spoon the peaches evenly over the bread and gently nudge them into the bread to distribute them evenly.
- Sprinkle the pudding with the damerara or sanding sugar. Bake uncovered for 55-65 minutes or until the center is set and doesn’t jiggle when shaken.
- Cool the pudding on a wire cooling rack for 20-30 minutes before serving warm with a scoop of whipped cream or ice cream.
Notes
- Refrigerating: Leftovers keep covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Once cooled to room temperature you can also freeze the peach pudding leftovers. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost the pudding overnight before reheating it in a covered baking pan at 275°F degrees for 30-45 minutes or until hot in the center.
- Reheating: Warm individual bread pudding servings on gentle heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or the covered pan of pudding in a 275°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
- Make it Alcohol-Free:Though the alcohol burns off as the bread pudding bakes, you can also make it with no alcohol. Replace the whiskey with an extra ¼ cup of milk.
- How to make whipped cream. Whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2-4 tablespoons of powdered sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Use fresh bread. This ensures that the bread has the best, fresh flavor. Toasting it dries it out sufficiently for the bread pudding, eliminating the need for it to be stale.
- Fold the bread into the milk mixture gently. The toasted bread will quickly absorb the liquids. To keep it from breaking down and getting mushy, fold it gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
Used some leftover croissants. Absolutely delicious! Smelled wonderful while baking. The bourbon was an unexpected delight!