Rhubarb Bread Pudding with Custard

Who can resist vanilla, get a double dose with this spring time dessert. Crusty bread baked in a vanilla custard combined with rhubarb and raspberry jam form an amazing custard bread pudding. Don’t stop there, add a vanilla creme anglaise to the top. It’s a show stopper.

A bowl of rhubarb bread pudding with creme anglaise over the top

Bread Pudding with Custard

You can make the creme anglaise in advance so all you have to do is bake the bread pudding. It’s scrumptious warm or at room temperature.

Rhubarb is showing up in the groceries, so surely Spring is on its way. One of the first fruits/vegetables to break through the ground with the promise of warm weather. It’s officially a vegetable but since people in the United States eat it as a fruit, the Customs department declared it a fruit to lower duties on it. Who knew the US government had the power to change a vegetable into a fruit.

Normally I’ll pair it with strawberries which compliment the tart flavor in strawberry rhubarb jam, strawberry rhubarb crumble, or berry rhubarb crisp. However for this rhubarb custard bread pudding, I used raspberries instead and the combination is delicious.

A spoonful of rhubarb bread pudding in a baking dish

This is the most amazing dessert, my new favorite. I‘ve always been a bread pudding fan but no bread pudding I’ve tried can even come close to this one. It’s not too mushy and not overly sweet.

Not only is the rhubarb raspberry combination great, but you infuse cream with a vanilla bean and then pour that wonderful infusion over the bread to make a custardy bread pudding.

Rhubarb syrup being poured over bread pudding

This would also be wonderful in the dead of winter if you can find frozen rhubarb.

Pro tip: You can buy rhubarb frozen or it’s easy to freeze, just wash, dry, and cut into chunks. Rhubarb is one of those foods that freezes beautifully.

Why you’ll love this Custardy Bread Pudding

The vanilla custard is like eating a homemade cream pie.
The bread pudding is soft but not mushy.
Rhubarb and raspberries are a great combination.
It’s not overly sweet.
You could serve it for brunch or dessert, a great choice for Christmas morning or Easter brunch.

Custard Bread Pudding Recipe ingredients

Rhubarb – fresh or frozen, you’ll need about 4 cups once it’s chopped. For information on when rhubarb is in season and where to find it, check out this article.
Raspberry preserves – my favorite brand is Bonne Maman
Vanilla Bean – one for the custard and ½ of one for the creme anglaise. You can use just vanilla extract but you won’t get that deep vanilla flavor without the vanilla bean itself.
Bread – a loaf from the bakery section, Italian or French. It needs to be day old bread. If it’s too soft, cut it into pieces and let it sit on the counter until it dries out, or place the cut pieces in the oven for a few minutes.
Cream and whole milk – you could use all cream but half cream and half milk is pretty decadent. You need the fat to make this a creamy custard.
Pantry items – eggs, butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cloves.

How do you make Custard Bread Pudding

Step 1:

For the rhubarb mixture. Add rhubarb to raspberry preserves and some water and cook just until the rhubarb is tender but not mushy.

Fresh rhubarb cut into chunks. — Chop the rhubarb

Rhubarb in a saucepan. — Add rhubarb with the preserves and water to a saucepan.

Rhubarb cooking in a saucepan. — Cook until it’s soft but not mushy.

Step 2:

Place half of the bread in a baking dish and cover with some of the rhubarb mixture.

Bread cut into cubes. — Cut the bread into cubes.

Bread and rhubarb in a casserole dish. — Place half of bread in dish and cover with rhubarb.

Step 3:

For the custard, combine butter, cream and milk and brown sugar and scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean into it. Let it simmer, then let it cool for 15 minutes. Once slightly cooled, add it slowly to whisked eggs.

A vanilla bean in a saucepan of custard. — Add a vanilla bean to the brown sugar, cream and milk.

Custard combined with eggs. — Add the slightly cooled milk mixture to the eggs.

Step 4:

Add the rest of the bread to the baking dish and pour the custard over the top. Let it sit for 30 minutes so the custard can absorb into the bread. Finally add the remaining rhubarb over the top.

Custard poured over the bread mixture. — Add another layer of bread and pour over egg mixture.

Rhubarb on top of bread mixture. — Add the rest of the rhubarb to the top.

Step 4:

Place the baking dish inside a roasting pan and add water coming half way up the baking dish. Bake for about an hour, just until the pudding is set.

A rhubarb bread pudding in a water bath. — Fill a roasting pan with water and add the baking dish.

Step 5:

While the bread pudding is baking, cook the reserved raspberry rhubarb liquid until it has reduced by half and is slightly thickened. Pour over the bread pudding and top with ice cream.

How to make creme anglaise for Custardy Bread Pudding

As an alternative to adding the reduced rhubarb syrup to the top, an equally good topping is to make a vanilla sauce for bread pudding, or a creme anglaise. This can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Just let it come to room temperature before spooning over the bread pudding.