This easy Vegan Bread Pudding recipe inspired by the New Orleans dessert is topped with a delicious vanilla whiskey sauce. Gluten-free.
Bread pudding is one of those wonderfully comforting desserts. Its versatility though, makes it suitable for breakfast or brunch too!
Typically made with heavy cream, eggs, butter, and white sugar, this plant-based version makes the traditional dessert more allergy-friendly.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The perfect dessert for a holiday or special occasion
- A decadent vegan bread pudding that works for many dietary needs
- Simple ingredients and no refined sugar
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.
Gluten-free bread - Vegan gf loaf is what you'll want to use for this recipe. I like using the Little Northern Bakehouse brand. If eggs are not an issue for you, use the best type for your dietary needs. White bread varieties are better than using a whole-grain or multi-grain option.
Almond milk - This non-dairy milk helps make up the rich batter. You can substitute another plant milk if needed such as soy milk.
Full-fat coconut milk - You'll want unsweetened coconut milk from a can. This will help create that creamy custard base.
Unsweetened applesauce - In combination with the arrowroot, this acts as an egg replacer in the vegan custard.
Arrowroot starch - This helps thicken the liquid mixture. Cornstarch can be substituted.
Maple syrup - Our refined sugar-free sweetener!
Vegan butter - We don't use much, but it adds that buttery flavor and keeps it dairy-free.
Raisins - This ingredient is optional but keeps it close to New Orleans's traditional bread pudding.
Bourbon whiskey - You can soak the raisins in water instead of alcohol. Rum or brandy will work here too.
Vanilla extract - Key for the best flavor in our pudding mixture but also necessary for the vanilla sauce!
Step-by-Step Instructions
Before you start: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine arrowroot starch and water. Whisk to combine then set aside. In a separate small bowl place raisins and whiskey and set aside.
Step 1: In a large bowl, combine almond milk, applesauce, coconut milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. Add arrowroot starch mixture and whisk again to incorporate.
Step 2: Add the cubed bread to the mixture and then gently fold with a large spoon or rubber spatula until most of the pieces are saturated. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Step 3: Brush the tops of the cubes with melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, tenting with foil at the 30-minute mark (50-55 minutes was perfect for me). The result should be golden and slightly crisp on top and a custard consistency on the bottom.
Step 4: Prepare the vanilla sauce by mixing those ingredients in a small saucepan.
Serving Suggestions
In lieu of the vegan vanilla sauce, you could also make the following as a garnish on top of the pudding:
- Sugar glaze
- Date caramel
- Powdered sugar
- Coconut whipped cream
- Pecans
- Vegan ice cream
Tips
- Stale bread over fresh is best for this recipe as it absorbs the liquid better. You can use homemade gluten-free bread or store-bought gluten-free options.
- Need to dry out your bread faster? Lay the cubes out on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Toast for 20-30 minutes until it feels dry to the touch, any longer than that and you'll have croutons!
FAQs
Bread pudding can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. This New Orleans-style delicious dessert is best served warm with sauce on top.
To reheat leftover bread pudding, cover the casserole dish with foil and warm it in a 350-degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
More Vegan Desserts
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!
Vegan Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ cup raisins
- ¼ cup bourbon whiskey or water
- 18 ounces gluten-free and vegan bread I use Little Northern Bakehouse brand
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter melted
Vanilla Sauce, optional
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
- ¼ t salt
- 1 T vegan butter
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine arrowroot starch and water. Whisk to combine then set aside. In a separate small bowl place raisins and whiskey and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine almond milk, applesauce, coconut milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to combine. Add arrowroot starch mixture and whisk again to incorporate. Add the cubed bread to the mixture and then gently fold with a large spoon or rubber spatula until most of the bread is saturated.
- Transfer the bread mixture and any remaining liquid to the prepared baking pan. Strain the raisins from the whiskey (save the whiskey) and sprinkle them over the top. If making vanilla sauce, the whiskey will be used there.
- Brush the tops of the bread cubes with melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, tenting with foil at the 30-minute mark (50-55 minutes was perfect for me). The result should be golden and slightly crisp on top and a bread pudding custard consistency on the bottom.
- To Make Vanilla Sauce: In a small saucepan, add almond milk and arrowroot starch. Whisk until arrowroot is dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and turn to medium-high heat, whisking often, for about 3 minutes. Lower heat for one minute and then remove from heat.
- Serve bread pudding with a generous drizzle of vanilla sauce on top of each serving.
Notes
- To reheat leftover bread pudding, cover the casserole dish with foil and warm it in a 350-degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Stale bread or day-old bread over fresh bread is best for this recipe as it absorbs the liquid better. You can use homemade gluten-free bread or store-bought gluten-free bread.
- Need to dry out your bread faster? Lay the cubed bread out on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Toast the bread for 20-30 minutes until it feels dry to the touch, any longer than that and you'll have croutons!
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