If you’re like us, you’re always looking for ways to reduce food waste. Repurposing holiday leftovers and putting extra egg whites to use are good places to start, but only scratch the surface of ways to avoid tossing more stuff onto the compost pile. These 18 bread pudding recipes are a beautiful way to transform a (stale) loaf of bread and some other near-death produce into indulgent eats. Knowing that you’ve saved bread from ending up in the bin makes digging into each one of these creamy casseroles extra sweet.
1. Costa Rican Chocolate Bread Pudding: Boost up the chocolate factor here by using chocolate-chip-studded challah. Either way, this custard is top notch. (via The Wanderlust Kitchen)
2. Grilled Cheese Bread Pudding: As if grilled cheese wasn’t already one of our favorite sandwiches, it had to go ahead and become even more irresistible with this extra cheesy pudding. (via Apron Clad)
3. Caramel Croissant Pudding With Rum: Caramel, croissants and rum baked into one buttery, sweet, creamy delight. What more could you ask for? (via Mitzy at Home)
4. Caramelized Onion and Feta Bread and Butter Pudding: We love this as an alternative to traditional stuffing. Outside of the holiday season, it’s an ideal accompaniment to your favorite winter roast. (via Sugar Et Al)
5. Pretzel Bread Pudding With Peanut Butter Sauce: If you love crunchy, peanut-butter-filled pretzels, this bread pudding is for you. All of your favorite flavors are transformed with soft pretzels and a creamy peanut sauce. (via A Local Choice)
6. Savory Bread Pudding: Packed with spicy sausage, veggies and cheese, this one-pot meal is a great casserole to make on busy nights. (via Rice and Bread)
7. Raspberry Custard Croissant Pudding: Loaded with tons of flavor and textures courtesy of fresh raspberries and sugared almonds, these mini puddings are a real treat for the senses. (via The Kiwi Cook)
8. Summer Squash and Vidalia Onion Bread Pudding: We love the flecks of bright yellow squash peeking through the pieces of whole grain bread. This reimagined Southern dish is a must-make during Vidalia onion season. (via Southern Boy Dishes)
9. Cinnamon Crunch Bread Pudding: Talk about a cinnamon toast crunch that is WAY better than anything you pour out of a box. We’ll take two, please. (via Seasons and Suppers)
10. Artichoke Bread Pudding With Bacon and Gorgonzola: No bread cubes here. Instead, brioche is layered beautifully with cheese plus artichokes, bacon and the requisite eggy custard for a slightly more sophisticated presentation. (via Climbing Grier Mountain)
11. Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding: This recipe does a stellar job of replicating the experience of hot-from-the-fryer donuts. Sounds pretty good, right? (via Spicy Southern Kitchen)
12. Savory Bread Pudding With Ham, Cheese and Caramelized Onions: Serve this tempting combo up any time of day. We imagine a runny-yolked egg perched atop each serving would make for one heck of a brunch. (via Buns in My Oven)
13. Chocolate Challah Bread Pudding: You’ll love the pockets of melted chocolate and crisp, buttery bread topping — both features set this puddin’ apart from the rest. (via Food Gays)
14. Savory Rainbow Chard Bread Pudding: Swiss chard basically makes this health food, right? (via Foodness Gracious)
15. Classic Bread Pudding: We’re not sure if it’s the nutty, classic bread pudding or the whiskey cream sauce that’s responsible for us drooling over here. (via Feasts and Fotos)
16. Caprese Bread Pudding: This is a dead ringer for the flavors of Chicago deep dish pizza, but without all the fuss of wrangling fresh dough. We’ve definitely got a winner here. (via Diethood)
17. Chocolate Waffle Bread Pudding: Let’s just say frozen waffles never had it this good. Try a bite and you’ll definitely be warning folks to “Leggo my Eggo.” (via Some the Wiser)
18. Bread and Butter Pudding With Sourdough and Sugar Plums: The secret’s out. It was this bread pudding that made the Sugar Plum Fairy dance and dance all holiday season long. (via Alana Bread)
What’s your favorite way to put an almost-stale loaf of bread to use? Do you make bread pudding or something else? Share your food-waste-reducing secretes with us below!
Heather Sage
Heather Sage is a gluten-free recipe developer and freelance writer living in Orlando by way of the Silicon Valley. When she isn’t playing around with alternative flours in the kitchen, she can be found tackling DIY projects around the house or exploring her neighborhood. Check out her gluten-free recipe blog, A Sage Amalgam.
