Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 05/14/22
Cranberry orange bread pudding

The Spruce 

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
434 Calories
22g Fat
51g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 434
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 29%
Saturated Fat 13g 67%
Cholesterol 176mg 59%
Sodium 199mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 51g 19%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 39g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 9mg 46%
Calcium 126mg 10%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 224mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This delicious bread pudding is a great dessert choice for a holiday dinner or any fall or winter meal as it brings together the seasonal flavors of cranberry and orange. Dried cranberries along with orange juice and zest offer a bit of tang and sweetness, which works perfectly with a rich bread such as brioche or challah. Vanilla, butter, half-and-half, eggs, and sugar round out the ingredients, making for a bread pudding the whole family will love.

Once the ingredients are combined and poured into a baking dish, the pudding needs to bake in a water bath, or bain-marie. This means placing the pan with the bread pudding in a larger pan, and then adding a depth of about 1/2 inch of hot water; this technique is used for custards and bread puddings and cooks the dish gently and evenly.

This cranberry orange bread pudding is best served warm with a vanilla sauce or a drizzling of heavy cream. 

Ingredients

  • 5 to 6 cups torn brioche, or challah bread, about 8 ounces

  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

  • 2 teaspoons orange zest

  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, from about 2 medium oranges

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

  • 3 cups half-and-half, warmed but not boiling

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Ingredients for cranberry orange bread pudding
    The Spruce

  2. Butter a 9-inch-square or 11 x 7-inch baking dish.

    Butter a pan
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  3. In a large bowl, combine the torn bread, cranberries, and orange zest and juice.

    Combine bread, cranberry, and orange
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  4. In another bowl, whisk together the vanilla, melted butter, warmed half-and-half, and eggs. Pour over the bread mixture.

    Add butter
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  5. Stir in the sugar and let the bread soak for about 5 minutes.

    Stir in the sugar
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  6. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

    Pour into a prepared baking dish
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  7. Place the baking dish in a larger pan and put it on a rack in the oven. Pour very hot water into the larger pan, to a depth of about 1/2 inch.

    Pour into pan
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  8. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until set.

    Bake in dish
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  9. Serve with vanilla sauce, whiskey sauce, or a little heavy cream.

  10. Enjoy.

Tip

If a recipe calls for both the zest and juice of an orange, lemon, or lime, it is best to zest the citrus before cutting and juicing. This way, you can hold the whole, firm fruit in your hand while removing the bright-colored skin, instead of having to handle a soft, smooshed half. The best tool for zesting is a Microplane, but you can also use a vegetable peeler and a sharp knife to finely chop the peel.