I have a question. Who decided that soaking bread in milk and eggs and baking it would be so damn good!

Every holiday season at family gatherings, there always seems to be bread pudding on our Christmas Eve dessert tables. It’s such a delicious dessert! Sometimes, part of a delicious breakfast too.

Traditional bread pudding (at least the way it was made when I was growing up) is usually made with condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, eggs, sweet spices, and… raisins. Not a fan.

Instead, we’re giving it a modern twist to regular bread pudding by adding candied pecans and drizzling some homemade guava caramel. This is the best bread pudding recipe ever!

Let me show you how to make it!

Ingredients You’ll Need

This bread pudding recipe is made with a few simple ingredients.

• Stale bread. You can use Cuban bread, French bread, challah bread, brioche, any thick, day-old bread works!
• Eggs. 
• Sugar.
• Vanilla extract.
• Spiced rum.
• Sweetened condensed milk.
• Evaporated milk.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, salt. 
• Candied pecans. You can use walnuts or other nuts, if you prefer. These candied pecans are life changing though!
• Guava caramel. Game changer!

How to Make This Guava Caramel Bread Pudding Recipe

• Cube the bread. Preheat the oven at 350ºF. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray. Add the bread cubes first. Set aside.
• Make the egg mixture. In a large bowl, whisk sugar and eggs together until creamy. Add the vanilla, rum, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until everything is well combined. Slowly pour the custard mixture on top of the bread cubes.
• Pour the mixture over the bread. Bake for 45-50 minutes until bread is browned or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Make the candied maple pecans. This recipe moves fast so make sure to have all the ingredients measured and ready to go before you begin. In a skillet, add maple syrup, sugar, and cinnamon and heat over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add pecans and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring to coat pecans with glaze. Remove from heat and let cool. Set aside.
• Make the guava caramel. In a medium saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until it turns amber-colored. Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream and add the butter while stirring. Careful as it may splatter. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in guava marmalade and salt. Let it cool slightly. Set aside.
• Serve! Cut and serve bread pudding into squares, drizzle with guava caramel sauce and add pecans. Enjoy!

Common Questions About Bread Pudding

I really hope you get to make this bread pudding this holiday season. Whether you make it for a potluck or for your family, I know you’ll LOVE it!

You may also like:

• Guava Swirl Cheesecake with Maria Cookie Crust
• Pastelitos de Guayaba + Queso (Guava Cheese Pastries!)
• Almond Butter & Guava Jelly Muffins
• Guava Cake Bars (Cuban Masa Real de Guayaba)

Guava Caramel Bread Pudding Recipe

4.43 from 14 votes

By: Jamie Silva

A sweet, moist, cinnamon-spiced, and boozy bread pudding recipe drizzled with a homemade guava caramel sauce and candied maple pecans.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Cuban

Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

 

Bread Pudding

• 1 loaf day-old thick bakery bread cut 1-inch cubes
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons spiced rum
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 12 ounces evaporated milk
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray

Candied Pecans

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup pecan halves

Guava Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream room temperature
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut in pieces
• 1/3 cup guava marmalade*
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven at 350ºF. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the bread cubes first. Set aside.
• In a bowl, mix sugar and eggs together until creamy. Add the vanilla, rum, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until everything is well combined. Slowly pour the milk mixture on top of the bread cubes.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes until bread is browned or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Make the candied maple pecans. This recipe moves fast so make sure to have all the ingredients measured and ready to go before you begin. In a skillet, add maple syrup, sugar, and cinnamon and heat over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add pecans and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring to coat pecans with glaze. Remove from heat and let cool. Set aside.
• Make the guava caramel. In a saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until it turns amber-colored. Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream and add the butter while stirring. Careful as it may splatter. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in guava marmalade and salt. Let it cool slightly. Set aside.
• Cut and serve bread pudding into squares, drizzle with guava caramel sauce and add pecans. Enjoy!

Notes

*if you can’t find guava marmalade, you can cut guava paste into cubes and boil it down with some water until you get a marmalade consistency.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 353 kcalCarbohydrates: 37 gProtein: 6 gFat: 20 gSaturated Fat: 9 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3 gMonounsaturated Fat: 7 gTrans Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 130 mgSodium: 172 mgPotassium: 197 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 33 gVitamin A: 530 IUVitamin C: 2 mgCalcium: 121 mgIron: 1 mg

Did You Make This?I want to know! Leave a comment & recipe rating below or tag @asassyspoon on social media!

Originally posted in November 2017. Updated photos + retested recipe in November 2021.