For a decadent breakfast or tasty brunch treat, try this cream cheese bread pudding. It is quick, easy and scrumptious. This Berry bread pudding is so creamy and smooth, and no one will guess how easy it is to make this amazing dessert.
This Cheesecake Bread Pudding with berries has all the elements of traditional comfort food. It is so delicious you can eat it for dessert or breakfast.
Bread pudding is a great way to use up leftover bread, since the bread soaks up all the warm, creamy sauce making a rich and delightful sweet treat.
We make this berry bread pudding for breakfast on special occasions like Mother’s Day, Long weekends, Valentine’s Day or casual family get togethers.
Since we are a dessert lover family, one fine day it stuck me why not combine best of two worlds. Cheesecake and Bread Pudding. Immediately I experimented this idea and Ta Da… this fusion got created. This Pudding is always a show stopper of the table and pairs well with Chai Tea, Hot Cocoa or Sweet Iced Tea.
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Ingredients
This divine berry bread pudding uses the ingredients that are simple, inexpensive and easy to find in regular grocery store. That makes it truly the best comfort food !
- Bread : I love Brioche Bread to make this recipe. You can use sandwich bread, Italian bread or any other bread that is readily available. This is a great recipe to use leftover stale old bread.
- Cream Cheese : Softened cream cheese or cream cheese spread adds that classic cheese cake style rich texture to the bread pudding.
- Fruits : Any sturdy fruit like banana or berries of your choice. We like our berry bread pudding. So I typically use strawberries and blueberries. Fresh or frozen fruit, both work well
- Milk : Almond milk or any other plant or dairy milk
- Egg : Brown or white egg
- Honey : Or any other sweetener of your choice like agave nectar, maple syrup
- Vanilla Extract
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese with honey. In another bowl combine milk, egg and vanilla essence. Whisk well.
Cut the edges of of bread slices. Arrange them on cutting board and apply cheese and honey mixture on each. Cut your fruit or berries in bite size pieces and arrange on top of the slathered slice of the breads.
Cover with other halves of the slices and cut each sandwich in three equal pieces. Arrange these cut sandwiches vertically and neatly in greased cake pan or spring foam pan. Fill in the gaps with bread pieces, if any.
Pour the milk egg mixture over the arranged cream cheese and berry filled sandwiches. Let the milk mixture get soaked in bread for at least an hour. Bake or Air Fry per instructions below.
Hint: Bread pudding tastes best if you keep this prepared dish overnight and bake the next day. But if you don't have that much time to spare, prepare an hour or so earlier and then bake. This is a great prep ahead recipe. We usually prepare the baking dish night prior when we make for breakfast.
How To Make Air Fryer Bread Pudding
- Prepare the bread pudding custard mixture as described above. Make sure to use a spring foam pan that fits inside your air fryer. 6x6 inch pan fits.
- Place the prepared baking pan in the air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 350 degree Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, or until the custard is set in the middle.
- Insert a knife and check. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
How to Make Instant Pot Bread Pudding
- Prepare the bread pudding custard mixture as described above. Make sure to use a spring foam pan that fits inside your Instant Pot. 6x6 inch pan fits. Cover the pan with a paper towel and aluminum foil, so the condensation does not go into the pudding.
- Add 1.5 cups of water to the instant pot steel insert and place a trivet in. Put the covered pan on the trivet. Close the lid. Vent SEALED position.
- Press Manual or Pressure Cook mode. Choose high pressure for 30 mins. When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then move the valve to venting to release the leftover pressure.
- Open the Instant Pot and carefully lift the trivet with the pan, and take it out. Insert a knife to check if the pudding has cooked through.
Make Cheesecake Bread Pudding in Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until the center is set.
Substitutions
- Make It Vegan : Make vegan bread pudding using all plant based ingredients. Use plant based milk and cream cheese. Almond milk works best. Also use maple syrup, sugar or agave nectar instead of honey.
- Make it Gluten Free : Use certified gluten free bread instead of regular wheat or rye based bread to make gluten free bread pudding.
- Oven or Air Fryer : I am including timing and temperature for both these options.
Variations
Cream Cheese - instead of cream cheese you can use whipped cream, heavy cream or condensed milk.
Make It Gourmet - Add PB&J instead of cream cheese filling. You can also add Mascarpone cheese and espresso to make it Tiramisu bread pudding.
Kid friendly – top it up with whipped cream and some sprinkles or M&Ms
Similar to Vegan Banana Bread, Chocolate Zucchini Bread, Hot Milk Cake and Carrot Cake with Dates, this breakfast for dessert recipe is a crowd please and perfect when you are hosting a party or get together. This easy bread pudding can also be prepped a day ahead to keep the menu planning simple.
Equipment and Useful Kitchen Items
Including my Amazon Affiliate Links for my favorite kitchen tools and appliances.
Storage
Store the pudding in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. You can also freeze it for a month if needed.
Top tip
For best results, serve the bread pudding warm or at room temperature. Top it with freshly cut fruit or berries, and drizzle some maple syrup or honey on top. Sift or sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. This takes the classic bread pudding to the next level gourmet! Serving a dollop of ice cream also tastes heavenly.
Our Favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Avocado Toast
- Custard Yogurt Toast
- Savory Sweet Potato Stir Fry
- Egg Bites
- Vegan Egg Scramble
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
📖 Recipe
Cream Cheese Bread Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 Slices Bread Brioche Bread preferred but any other bread works including stale leftover bread.
- 1 8 oz. Cream Cheese
- ½ cup Fruit , Berries
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
Prepare the Cheesecake Bread Pudding
- In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese with honey. In another bowl combine milk, egg and vanilla essence. Whisk well.
- Cut the edges of of bread slices. Arrange them on cutting board and apply cheese and honey mixture on each. Cut your fruit or berries in bite size and arrange on top of the slathered slice of the breads.
- Cover with other halves of the slices and cut each sandwich in three equal pieces. Arrange these cut sandwiches vertically and neatly in greased cake pan or spring foam pan. Fill in the gaps with bread pieces, if any.
- Pour the milk egg mixture over the arranged cream cheese and berry filled sandwiches. Let the milk mixture get soaked in bread for at least an hour. Bake or Air Fry per instructions below.
How To Make it in the Air Fryer
- Prepare the bread pudding custard mixture as described above. Make sure to use a spring foam pan that fits inside your air fryer. 6x6 inch pan fits.
- Place the prepared baking pan in the air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 350 degree Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, or until the custard is set in the middle. Insert a knife and check. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
How To Make it in Instant Pot
- Prepare the bread pudding custard mixture as described above. Make sure to use a spring foam pan that fits inside your Instant Pot. 6x6 inch pan fits. Cover the pan with a paper towel and aluminum foil, so the condensation does not go into the pudding.
- Add 1.5 cups of water to the instant pot steel insert and place a trivet in. Put the covered pan on the trivet. Close the lid. Vent SEALED position.
- Press Manual or Pressure Cook mode. Choose high pressure for 30 mins. When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then move the valve to venting to release the leftover pressure.
- Open the Instant Pot and carefully lift the trivet with the pan, and take it out. Insert a knife to check if the pudding has cooked through.
How to Make it in Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit. Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until the center is firm and set.
How To Serve
- Serve the bread pudding warm or at room temperature. Top it with freshly cut fruit or berries, and drizzle some maple syrup or honey on top. Sift or sprinkle some powdered sugar. A dollop of ice cream is awesome too. Enjoy !!
Notes
Nutrition
Susan Masse
Take it up one more notch: use day-old croissants instead of bread.
Prajakta Sukhatme
Yes. That will be amazing too.