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Cranberry Bread Pudding
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5 from 18 votes

Cranberry Cream Cheese Bread Pudding

Cranberries and rich sweet cream cheese smothered in a custardy creamy bread pudding. It's a perfect Christmas breakfast or dessert! 
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 5
Author April Boller Wright

Ingredients

  • 6 slices of white bread stale is best for this recipe. If it's not stale you can toast it just until it hardens up some. You can also use Texas toast.

Cranberries

  • 1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp butter (dice 2 tbsp of the reserved butter) only add 1 tbsp and reserve 2 tablespoons

Batter

  • 1 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream cheese mixture

  • 6 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Cranberries

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place all of the cranberry ingredients into a small saucepan  (except for the vanilla extract, reserve the 2 tbsp of butter) pan over high heat and bring to a boil. The cranberries will began to burst. Cook uncovered and stirring frequently 5-8 or right until the sauce starts to thicken.  Place in a bowl and set to the side. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. 
  • Add all of the cream cheese ingredients to a medium bowl and with an electric mixture mix until combined. 

Bread pudding prep

  • Place slices of bread in a 10.5 x 7.5 baking pan side by side. Until the pan is full. Stack by placing another slice on top of each slice of bread.
  • Add all of the milk mixture ingredients into a medium sized bowl. Mix well. With your hands, tear a hole into the top slices of bread. You will be adding the cream cheese mixture into the holes of the bread soon. Alternatively you can skip making holes in the bread and just add the cream cheese mixture all over the top of the bread (do this step after you add the milk mixture). 
  • Pour the milk mixture all over the bread. Press the bread gently into the milk. Wait about 10-15 minutes so the bread can absorb the milk.  Drop spoonfuls of half of the cream cheese mixture into each teared hole. Reserve the rest of the cream cheese mixture. I was able to fit 8 slices of bread into my pan.
    ***SEE NOTES***
  • Add the cranberry sauce all over the top of the bread. Next, scatter butter all over. Cook until golden brown for about 35-40 minutes. Add the reserved cream cheese all over the top of the bread pudding 10 minute before the bread pudding is done. 

Notes

Use a 9X13 pan if you want. You should be able to fit 12 slices of bread (stacked on top of each other)  in the pan and it should look like this --> HERE. So six slices side by side in the pan then another 6 on top of that. 
  • To make in a 9X13 pan using a regular sandwich or loaf bread only: 1/2 cup of milk, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup of sugar or a bit more if you like, 3 tablespoons of butter and a  bit more vanilla extract. If using thicker slices of bread you will definitely need to add more ingredients. 
  • Cranberries: 1/2 cup water, 2 cups cranberries, 1/2 cup sugar, 1.5 tablespoons of butter and vanilla extract.
  • Cream cheese mixture: 8 oz of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sugar, one egg and a bit more vanilla extract. Follow the same recipe steps.
Overnight bread pudding:
  •  Cover pan with tin foil and put it in the fridge overnight.
  • Once you are ready to bake it in the morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Bake uncovered for 40-55 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.
Make it Same Day:
  • Bake uncovered for 40-55 minutes, until puffed and golden brown