Gluten-Free Southern Bread Pudding
Published
Bread pudding was always served at my family gatherings growing up. Creating this gluten-free Southern bread pudding was an ode to the past. The way the bread soaks up the sweet custard and bakes into a soft, golden dessert feels like pure comfort food. It’s one of those simple recipes that instantly makes the whole house smell inviting, and it always disappears fast when I bring it to the table.
Buttery and warm comfort food! We had this Christmas morning and loved it!
-Robin
Easy Gluten-Free Southern Bread Pudding Recipe
Bread pudding has always felt like such a classic, old-fashioned dessert to me. I love how simple it is to make with just a few pantry staples and some gluten-free bread (the staler the better). Southern versions are often baked with raisins and finished with a boozy bourbon or rum sauce, but I like to keep mine family-friendly. I pair the soft, custard-soaked gluten-free bread with a rich homemade caramel sauce that’s perfect for both kids and adults. I’ve even included easy dairy-free options so everyone at the table can enjoy it. I usually serve it during the holidays when everyone wants something cozy and nostalgic, but truthfully, it’s just as good on a weeknight when we’re craving a little something sweet.
Gluten-Free Baking Tips
- Avoid mushy pudding. If your pudding turns out mushy, the bread may have been too fresh. Day-old or lightly toasted gluten-free bread works best because it holds its shape while still soaking up the custard. If you only have fresh bread, cube it and toast it in the oven at 300°F for 10–15 minutes to dry it out before using.
- Bake evenly. Every oven bakes differently, so if the center is still jiggly after the bake time, keep it in the oven a bit longer. For extra insurance, you can place the dish in a larger pan filled with hot water (a water bath) to help the custard bake evenly without curdling.
- Make it less sweet. Several readers have mentioned that they prefer reducing the sugar a bit, especially if they don’t have much of a sweet tooth. You can also skip the caramel sauce for a less sweet version—it’s still just as comforting and delicious on its own.
Gluten-Free Southern Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 6 cups gluten-free bread, day old, cubed
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup raisins, soaked and drained
- 1¾ cups milk, dairy-free use almond, coconut, or cashew milk
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted, dairy-free use Smart Balance butter
Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter, dairy-free use Smart Balance butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup milk, dairy-free use almond, coconut, or cashew milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅕ tsp salt, just a pinch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with gluten-free cooking spray.
- Place raisins in a small bowl of hot water to soak for 10 minutes, drain.
- Cut the bread into 1″ pieces and place them on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes to toast the bread.
- In a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup whisk together eggs, brown sugar, sugar, pure vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Melt butter in a small bowl and allow to cool a little. Add the milk and the butter to the egg mixture and stir until combined.
- Place half of the toasted bread cubes into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the raisins over the cubes. Place the rest of the bread cubes into the baking dish. Sprinkle the rest of the raisins over the bread cubes.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread and raisins. Gentle stir to make sure all the bread has been coated with the egg mixture.
- Bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes, then place a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the baking dish and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges are brown.
- Serve warm or room temperature. Drizzle slices with caramel sauce. Enjoy!
Caramel Sauce
- In a small saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar and milk and cook over medium heat bringing to a low boil, stirring occasionally.
- Lower heat and allow to boil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and stir in pure vanilla extract.
- Drizzle caramel sauce over a slice of the bread pudding.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Gluten-Free Southern Bread Pudding Step by Step
Gather the ingredients: Gather all the ingredients together. Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with gluten-free cooking spray. Place ½ cup raisins in a small bowl of hot water to soak for 10 minutes, then drain well.
Prep the bread: Cut 6 cups of gluten-free bread into 1-inch pieces and spread them on a baking sheet. Bake for 5–10 minutes, until lightly toasted.
Make the custard: In a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup, whisk together 3 large eggs, ½ cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon, and ¼ tsp ground nutmeg until smooth.
Add the milk and butter: Melt ¼ cup unsalted butter and let it cool slightly. Stir in 1¾ cups milk, then add this mixture to the egg mixture and whisk until combined.
Layer the bread and raisins: Add half of the toasted bread cubes to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of the raisins. Layer the remaining bread cubes on top, followed by the remaining ¼ cup raisins.
Pour the custard over the bread: Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread and raisins. Gently press the bread down so it soaks up the liquid.
Bake the bread pudding: Bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and bake for another 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the edges are golden brown.
Make the caramel: In a small saucepan, combine ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, and ¼ cup milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a low boil.
Gently boil caramel: Lower the heat and let it boil gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 tsp pure vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
Cool and serve: Let the bread pudding and caramel cool slightly, then serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle with caramel sauce before serving. Enjoy!
Flavor Variations
- Classic Raisin & Cinnamon: Stir in ½ cup of raisins and an extra teaspoon of cinnamon for that traditional Southern flavor.
Apple Cinnamon: Add 1 cup of diced apples and a pinch of nutmeg. A drizzle of caramel sauce on top makes it taste like apple pie. - Chocolate Chips: Fold in ½ cup of chocolate chips or chunks for a rich, indulgent twist.
- Berry Bread Pudding: Mix in 1 cup of blueberries, raspberries, or a blend of both for a tart, fruity balance to the sweet custard.
- Pumpkin Spice: Replace ½ cup of milk with pumpkin puree and add pumpkin pie spice for a fall-inspired version.
- Bourbon or Rum: Add 2 tablespoons of bourbon or dark rum to the custard for a warm, grown-up flavor.
- Lemon Blueberry: Mix in blueberries and finish with a light lemon glaze for a bright, springtime dessert.
Serving Suggestions
Gluten-free Southern bread pudding makes such a cozy dessert that I wouldn’t hesitate to serve it for any occasion. I especially love serving it during the holidays like Christmas or Easter with other desserts like gluten-free pumpkin pie or gluten-free apple cake. It’s wonderful on its own, but you can dress it up with a scoop of almond milk ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. For extra indulgence, try drizzling it with caramel, chocolate sauce, or even a bourbon sauce if you want something more traditional.
Storage Instructions
You can leave this bread pudding out on the counter, covered, for 1 day. If you have more leftovers and need to keep them for longer, store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4 days. You can also wrap individual slices and freeze them for up to 2 months, though it’s never lasted this long in my house.
Reheat slices in the microwave for 30-40 seconds or throw the pan in the oven at 325°F until heated through.
This is also a great dessert to make ahead of time. Prepare as directed, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you are ready to bake it. When you are ready to bake the bread pudding, just leave it out on the counter while your oven preheats, then bake as directed.
More Cozy Gluten-Free Desserts
- Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
- Gluten-Free Olive Oil Cake
- Gluten-Free Tres Leches Cake
- Gluten-Free Apple Pie
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Our Gluten-Free Southern Bread recipe was originally published 11/30/19. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 10/27/25.
I made this and it was delicious. I can’t wait to make it for my grandmas 90th birthday coming up. She always talks about her love of bread pudding but since her celiac diagnosis she hasn’t been able to enjoy any. I can’t wait to surprise her. Only thing I’m going to change is to add a little bourbon to the Carmel sauce the way her mother used to make it. Thanks for the recipe!
Very good but the bread pudding needs a pinch of salt. This would probably depend on the gf bread you use tho.
I’ll be honest, I was a little bit tipsy when I made this. But I really wanted some bread pudding! Unfortunately I didn’t have some of the ingredients on hand. I only had two eggs, not 3. I didn’t have any brown sugar so I just did a full cup of regular sugar. I decided to use Canyon Bakehouse gluten free English muffins since they were already kind of firm. I didn’t have any raisins so I used some chocolate chips and instead of milk I used Chocolate Almond milk (which I accidentally mixed in a step early). I didn’t want to make a caramel drizzle so instead I mixed some melted butter with some melted chocolate peanut butter to drizzle on top. All in all it still turned out pretty good! I can’t wait to try making it again when I have all of the ingredients!
I made this with leftover irish soda bread with cranberries. I didn’t do the caramel sauce because of the cranberries. I really enjoyed it, so yummy.
Buttery and warm comfort food! We had this Christmas morning and loved it!
I would like to use oatmeal. You do not mention it as an option. What are your thoughts?
Hi Francie! For this recipe, you’ll definitely need to use a gluten-free bread because it’s the base of the recipe. If you’re looking for an oatmeal-based recipe, check out my baked oatmeal cups recipe!
I used Canyon Bakehouse Hawaiian Sweet bread (toasted 1/2 loaf), a few pieces of Schar GF white, 1 sliced banana instead of raisins, and unsweet cashew milk. This is by far the best bread pudding recipe that I have tried. The carmel sauce does need a thickener and I needed more liquid to cover the bread, but this is getting made again!
I had a couple loaves of bread that didn’t bake right, so I cubed them up and tried this recipe. I am not disappointed. It was very easy to make and turned out delicious. I do agree that is it a bit sweet (but I enjoy that), so if you don’t like that, maybe cut the sugar a bit. You could also just skip the caramel sauce, as that’s where I found most of the sweetness.
This doesn’t come out quite as custardy as it would using milk, but still VERY good. I thought that a full cup of sugar seemed like a lot (and I say that as someone with a sweet tooth). I cut the sugar back to about 3/4 cup and it was still very sweet. If I made this again I’d probably cut back to 1/2 – 1/3 cup total. I used the raisins and threw in one small peeled, chopped apple. I used a 6″x6″ baking dish and found that I needed to add another 10 minutes to the bake because it still looked a bit soupy at 30 min. 40 min was perfect.