This is comfort food with an Asian twist. Using coconut milk and five-spice for the custard will turn an old-fashioned favourite into a modern sensation. Use up leftover bread to make a winter dessert that’s not quite like grandma used to make.
Five-Spice Bread & Butter Pudding
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup rum
10 slices thick white bread, crusts removed
50g (1.76 oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
150g (5 oz) caster sugar
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
500ml coconut milk
4 eggs
Coconut or vanilla ice cream, to serve
- Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F. Lightly grease a 6-cup capacity ovenproof dish with softened butter.
- Heat rum in a small saucepan until simmering. Remove from heat and add raisins to soak. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- Butter one side of each slice of bread. Layer slices, slightly overlapping, into the greased ovenproof dish. Sprinkle over rum-soaked raisins.
- Place sugar, Chinese five-spice, coconut milk and eggs into a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour liquid mixture over the bread. Stand for 10 minutes so the bread absorbs some of the liquid. Then pop the whole thing into your preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the pudding is just set and the top is golden brown.
- Serve warm with ice cream.
- To bake ahead and reheat: Pudding can be baked ahead, cooled and then reheated when ready to serve. To reheat, cover with foil and warm for 20-30 minutes in a 160°C/320°F oven. Or bake in a microwave-proof dish and reheat in the microwave
Do you put eggs in bread and butter pudding?
You sure do! Most bread and butter pudding recipes (including ours) contain eggs. Sorry to all you egg-allergic and plant-based bread and butter pudding lovers out there.
Why do they call it bread pudding?
The earliest published recipe for bread and butter pudding is from 1728! And it’s been leaving people puzzled ever since. So why is it called bread and butter pudding? And is the explanation really as straightforward as it seems?
Pretty much yes, bread and butter pudding is aptly named as it contains bread (and butter) that has a soft and spongy consistency when baked.
How long does bread and butter pudding last?
If you store the pudding properly (covered and in the fridge) it will keep for around five days. However, it’s always best to eat it fresh (or at least within the first two days) as that’s when it has the best consistency.
If you’re wanting to freeze your bread and butter pudding you totally can! You can leave the delicious dessert in the freezer for up to three months!
