Indulge in this decadent twist on a classic bread and butter pudding. Made with rich brioche bread and creamy white chocolate infused with the flavours of eggnog, this treat is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Absolutely perfect as a show-stopping dessert or for Christmas morning!

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top down view of brioche bread and butter pudding in an oval casserole dish

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Everyone knows that dinner is the showcase event when Christmas comes around, Still, I can’t help but get excited about breakfast when Christmas morning comes around!

I love to get the day off to an amazing start and a beautiful, decadent breakfast treat is just the way to do it. But no one wants to do do a lot of work either, so it has to be a recipe that can be prepared the night before.

As an homage to a traditional English Christmas, I decided to make a bread and butter pudding. But I also wanted to bring my own twist.

One thing that Christmas needs is a healthy dose of eggnog, and I used my homemade eggnog recipe to find inspiration I needed. Adding warming spices to the custard makes this bread and butter pudding fit for the holiday season!

The best thing is you can get it all ready the night before and then pop it in the oven while the kids rip into their stockings.

What is bread and butter pudding?

If you are not from the UK, you might be wondering what this dish is. Traditionally bread and butter pudding was made to use up pieces of stale bread.

The bread was first buttered, then baked in a creamy custard with dried fruit. Nutmeg, lemon zest and vanilla extract are often used to flavour this sweet dish.

Over the years it changed what type of bread people use but the principle remained! If you struggle to imagine what it tastes like, my kids describe it as a very indulgent baked French toast.

As I mentioned above, I put my own twist on this classic recipe. I replaced raising with chopped white chocolate. And instead of stale bread, I used brioche.

I skipped buttering the bread slices since brioche is very buttery already although I did butter the baking dish very well.

I also infused my custard with the spices traditionally found in eggnog, making this bread and butter pudding perfect for Christmas morning.

process images showing layering in an oven proof dish

Recipe Tips and Notes

You can use either small brioche rolls like I used or a whole loaf. If you use a loaf, slice it first, then cut eat slice in half diagonally. Then arrange the triangles with the pointed ends up for a more traditional and attractive look. White bread or sourdough with unsalted butter can be used if needed, but they can never match brioche!
Feel free to vary the spices used in the custard. I went for eggnog spices but you can also use lemon zest and vanilla instead.
Raisins, sultanas or currants can be added if you wish.
It’s important to not scramble the eggs when making the custard. I infuse the cream with the spices first by heating it to almost a boiling point, then mix with the eggs. Very hot cream can cook the eggs. To avoid that, take ½ cup/100g of the hot cream and stir into the egg with a whisk to temper the mixture. Then stir in the rest of the cream.
We want the brioche to be fully saturated in the custard mixture. To achieve that, pour it over, then let everything sit for 5 minutes. Gently press the bread down.
Although not strictly necessary, I prefer baking my pudding using a bain-marie method. Put your baking dish into a large roasting pan filled with water halfway up and bake in the oven. This ensures a gentler, more even cooking.
Finally, if you are planning on preparing a day early, just store the unbaked bread and butter pudding in a refrigerator overnight. I actually like it better when it sits overnight because of how the cream mixture soaks into the brioche!

Serving suggestions

Bread and butter pudding is traditionally served as a dessert, served with ice cream or custard. But I actually made this recipe to have something special as we prepared to open presents on Christmas morning. It’s easy to prepare in advance, ready to be thrown in the oven when you wake.

It’s also pretty forgiving and can be served piping hot or room temperature. My family prefers hot, so the to crust is slightly crisp and a lovely golden brown.

top down view of bread and butter pudding with a spoon in the dish

Storage and leftovers

Any leftovers can be kept in a refrigerator for 3-4 days, so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy it. I store mine in the same ovenproof dish I made it in so it can be easily popped in the oven to be reheated.

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