Cinnamon Apple Bread Pudding With Condensed Milk

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If you aren’t making this bread pudding with condensed milk recipe this fall, you’re missing out! Give it a try, and while it bakes you can enjoy a piece of toast topped with this homemade pumpkin seed butter and some apple slices!

condensed milk bread pudding in a pan with a portion in a bowl with ice cream beside fresh apples.

Apple picking is one of my favorite autumn activities, but then comes the task of finding ways to use them all up! Sure, I always end up eating most of them raw and maybe using some to make apple butter, but my favorite way to enjoy the fruits of my labor is atop this delicious bread pudding made with condensed milk!

Adding condensed milk to bread pudding not only contributes to the sweet flavor of the custard, but also gives it a thicker, creamier texture! The homemade salted caramel is what takes this dessert to the next level, and it’s so easy to make!

Table of Contents

🥄 Why This Recipe Works

Don’t throw out that stale bread! Use it to make this condensed milk bread pudding instead!
This bread pudding recipe only requires a handful of ingredients, all of which are common household items.
Bread pudding is a low-effort dessert anyone can make!
This is a great dessert for holidays such as Thanksgiving as well as parties, movie nights, and potlucks!

🛒 What You Need For Condensed Milk Bread Pudding

condensed milk bread pudding ingredients.

📝 Recipe Modifications And Substitutions

Bread: I like to use French bread but you can also use challah bread, brioche, croissants, or sourdough.
Apples: I like to use golden delicious and red delicious apples, but you can use gala, pink lady, honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or whatever varieties you have on hand.
Coconut milk: Can be swapped out for your preferred milk or milk substitute.
Pumpkin pie spice: Apple pie spice works too if you have it! If you don’t have either you can make your own homemade pumpkin spice mix.
Heavy cream: Or half & half.
Butter: Unsalted butter works best here, but you can also use coconut oil.
Optional: You can also add a splash of rum or brandy if you prefer a boozy bread pudding!

Like I said earlier, I think the salted caramel is what takes this recipe to the next level, but if you don’t have what you need to make it you could use storebought caramel sauce instead.

*See above images or recipe card for full list of ingredients.

🍎 How To Make This Recipe

Preheat oven to 325℉

Step 1: Spray 9″ x 13″ baking dish with nonstick cooking oil. Cube stale bread and add it to the dish.

Pro Tip: The more stale the bread, the better! My bread was about as stale as croutons, which is ideal, but you can get away with using day-old bread. If you only have fresh bread, I recommend leaving it out overnight prior to making the bread pudding.

Step 2: Combine condensed milk, coconut milk, eggs, vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt. Whisk until consistent and pour over cubed bread, then set aside.

Pro Tip: Try to get it as smooth as possible, but it’s okay if there are some small clumps.

custard ingredients in measuring cup (unmixed).

Step 3: Peel, core, and chop apples into cubes, then add to a pot along with butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix and cook over low-medium heat until butter melts and apples are evenly coated, then add water and boil for 5 minutes or until apples are slightly softened.

apple filling ingredients in pot before cooking.

Step 4: Strain apple mixture, then distribute over the top of the bread pudding. Place the baking dish, uncovered, on the middle rack in a preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until set.

Pro Tip: Instead of pouring the spiced water down the drain, you can add it to a fall simmer pot to fill your house with the sweet aromas of autumn!

apple filling distributed over condensed milk bread pudding.

Step 5: Add butter and brown sugar to a saucepan, stirring over low heat until butter melts and mixture is consistent (about 2 minutes). Add heavy cream, salt, and vanilla, then mix another 5 minutes over medium heat until sauce is creamy and pourable.

liquid ingredients added to caramel sauce.

Step 6: Drizzle caramel sauce over the bread pudding, then serve!

condensed milk bread pudding in a pan beside fresh apples and caramel sauce.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

bread pudding with condensed milk in spoon over bowl with bread pudding and ice cream beside fresh apples.

Here are a few topping ideas to enhance this bread pudding recipe with condensed milk even more:

Finish it off with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream.
Drizzle with additional condensed milk!
Top with raisins, chocolate chips, or nuts.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Add a small drizzle of Earl Grey syrup.

🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

Why does bread need to be stale for bread pudding?

Stale bread works better for bread pudding than fresh bread because it absorbs more of the custard, ultimately making it less soggy

What does condensed milk do in baking?

Adding condensed milk to baked goods can provide additional sweetness, as well as a thick, creamy texture.

What happens when you cook sweetened condensed milk?

When cooked for a long enough period of time, usually around 3 hours on the stove or 4 hours in the oven, condensed milk will caramelize, becoming Dulce de leche.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro Tips

Baking times may vary, as all ovens are different! I recommend checking after 45 minutes, and then in 10-minute increments until it is done baking.
If you’re unsure whether the bread pudding is done baking, stick a knife through the middle. If it comes out clean, the bread pudding should be done!
You may have leftover caramel sauce depending on how much you prefer to use. Store in a mason jar in the refrigerator.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.