Classic British Bread and Butter Pudding

Bread and butter pudding with golden bread layers and creamy custard, dusted with powdered sugar.

Classic British Bread and Butter Pudding

A traditional British bread and butter pudding with almond-scented raisins and a silky custard, baked until just set and finished with toasted almonds.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Resting Time20

Total Time1 20

Servings: servings

Calories: 368kcal

Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

⅓ cup golden raisins
2 teaspoons almond extract with ¼ cup water
12 slices white bread crusts removed
¾ cup unsalted butter melted (12 tablespoons,
9 large egg yolks
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla paste
½ cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
⅓ cup sliced almonds toasted
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

US Customary - Metric

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Soaking the Raisins

In a small bowl, combine the golden raisins with ¼ cup water and the almond extract. Cover and soak at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight.

Preparing the Bread

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Trim the crusts from the bread. Cut 4 slices into ½-inch cubes and place them in the bottom of a buttered casserole dish or square baking pan. Sprinkle the soaked raisins evenly over the bread cubes, then pour any remaining soaking liquid over the bread. Cut the remaining 8 slices of bread in half diagonally, then cut each half diagonally again to create four even triangles per slice.

Assemble the Pudding

Dip each bread triangle into the melted butter and arrange them over the raisins in an overlapping pattern. Pour any remaining butter over the top.

Make the Custard

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla paste until well combined. In a heavy saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a high simmer. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Pour the warm custard evenly over the bread, ensuring all pieces are coated. Let the pudding rest at room temperature for 20 minutes so the custard can fully soak into the bread.

Bake

Place the casserole dish into a larger roasting pan. Carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the casserole dish. Bake on the middle rack for 30–45 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center is just set with a slight jiggle.

Serve

Remove the pudding from the oven and water bath. Sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds and dust lightly with powdered sugar. Cool slightly and serve warm.

Notes

Almond Flavor: Almond extract diluted with water recreates the classic almond note traditionally used in British versions of this pudding.
Baking Time: Bake just until the center is softly set with a slight jiggle—this ensures a silky custard and natural sauce.
Make Ahead: Raisins can be soaked overnight, and the pudding assembled several hours before baking.

Nutrition