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 10/27/21
Cranberry orange bread pudding

The Spruce 
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
332 Calories
18g Fat
35g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 332
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Cholesterol 160mg 53%
Sodium 135mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Protein 8g
Calcium 125mg 10%
*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. 

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Ingredients

  • 5 to 6 cups torn bread (brioche or challah, about 8 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1/2 cup orange juice (about 2 oranges)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3 cups half-and-half (heated until hot, 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
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  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.