Bread Pudding: Recipe Makeover

By Sidney Fry, MS, RD
January 01, 2012
Photography: Randy Mayor
No, we're not sabotaging your healthy eating habits! This has just 300 calories.
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Lighter Bread Pudding

Photography: Randy Mayor
Can a decadent, rich pudding really be made from plain old white bread? Yes, especially when that bread is drenched in heavy cream and eggs and then drowned in a butter-based caramel sauce. This hearty dessert can weigh in at 800 calories and 30 grams of saturated fat per warm, gooey bowl. Thanks, but no thanks. Our bread pudding is a slimmer, trimmer, and top-rated (by our picky Test Kitchen judges) redesign.

The Classic: 
• 843 calories per slice
• 50.3 grams total fat
• 30.2 grams saturated fat

The Makeover: 
• 300 calories per slice
• 4.8 grams total fat
• 2.4 grams saturated fat

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Ingredient Swap: French Bread

Photography: Randy Mayor
At only 80 calories per ounce, crusty French bread is a healthy choice; heavier recipes may use challah, croissants, or even doughnuts!

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Ingredient Swap: Caramel Sauce

Photography: Randy Mayor
Brown sugar, bourbon, and a pinch of salt are made rich with half-and-half instead of heavy cream, saving 6g of saturated fat per drizzle.
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Ingredient Swap: Low-Fat Milk

Photography: Randy Mayor
A combination of low-fat milk and fat-free evaporated milk subs in for heavy cream and butter, saving 275 calories and 21g of saturated fat per serving.

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Step 1

Photography: Randy Mayor
The success of this succulent pudding starts with how you treat the bread. Here's how to obtain that perfectly moist, creamy interior with a crisp outer crust.

Toast the bread cubes in the oven until lightly browned. This dries them out and allows them to soak up more of the creamy custard.

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Step 2

Photography: Randy Mayor
Soak the bread cubes in the egg-milk mixture for at least 20 minutes to ensure maximum custard absorption. Gently press on the bread once or twice while the cubes soak.
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Step 3

Photography: Randy Mayor
Drizzle a thin layer of sauce in the middle of the pudding to keep the bread supermoist while baking. Bake in a loaf pan to create a crispy crust around the creamy interior.

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By Sidney Fry, MS, RD