A delightful twist on classic comfort food, combining the homey feel of bread pudding with the flavors of apple pie.
Ingredients:
- 8 cups bread, cubed (preferably dried out)
- 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons additional
- ½ cup raisins
For the Sauce:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup brown sugar
Instructions:
- Prepare Bread and Apples:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, milk, eggs, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and ½ cup sugar until well combined.
- Stir in chopped apples and raisins.
- Gently fold in the bread cubes until they are well coated with the liquid mixture.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Top with Cinnamon Sugar:
- Combine 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the top of the pudding mixture.
- Bake:
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the pudding is puffed up and golden brown.
- Make the Caramel Sauce:
- While the pudding is baking, prepare the caramel sauce by melting butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir in the heavy cream and brown sugar and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer until it thickens, which should take about 5 minutes.
- Serve:
- Once the bread pudding is done, remove it from the oven and pour the warm caramel sauce over the top.
- For an extra treat, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Pro Tips:
- Drying the Bread: To get the best texture for the pudding, the bread cubes should be dry. Leave them out for a few hours, or toast them lightly in the oven.
- Make-Ahead Option: Assemble the pudding the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The flavors meld together, and it bakes up beautifully in the morning for a hassle-free breakfast or brunch treat.