Pudin de Pan (Classic Cuban Bread Pudding)
Mami loves pudin de pan. It was one of those easy Cuban desserts we all loved growing up. She was the one who suggested I make this recipe for the blog. And I’m so glad I did!
Typically, the recipe calls for stale bread. I chose to make it with stale brioche bread. Why? Because brioche is the BEST for soaking up rich custards and caramel. Its buttery, enriched dough is absorbent and holds up well, making it the ideal choice for bread pudding, in my opinion.
And I have to say this Cuban bread pudding came out INCREDIBLE. It’s Mami-approved! She’s making me make it for Noche Buena, too. Ha! Let me show you how to make it.
How To Make Cuban Pudin De Pan
Now I’ve made my fair share of pudin de pan in the past. I even created a guava caramel bread pudding variation a few years ago that I loved. It was truly chef’s kiss!
Today’s recipe, however, is more of a classic Cuban-style bread pudding. Soft and creamy on the inside, with a caramel-glazed exterior that slices clean but melts in your mouth.
This version also has a handful of rum-soaked raisins (because if we’re going to use raisins, they better taste good!) and sliced almonds for some crunch. Hello, texture!
The full recipe is below. Here are a few step-by-step photos.
If you’ve never made caramel before, don’t stress. You’ll melt down sugar until it’s golden and pour it straight into the bottom of your baking dish. It’s the same way you make it for a flan de calabaza or flan de queso.
The pudding mixture then gets layered on top and baked in a water bath to get that classic silky texture. Once it’s fully cooled and chilled, all that’s left to do is invert, slice, and serve.
I mean, how GOOD does that look!? I can’t wait for you to make it!
Pudin de Pan (Cuban Bread Pudding with Rum Raisins + Almonds)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons spiced rum
- 4 large eggs
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup white sugar
- 4 cups torn soft bread, (brioche, challah, or any stale white loaf)
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add raisins with the rum. These will soak for a few minutes and get plump and delicious. Set aside.
- Add the torn bread in a bowl, gently pressing the bread into the custard so it soaks it all evenly. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Immediately pour into a baking dish (an 8×8 works well). Swirl to coat the bottom. Let it set before adding the custard. Set aside.
- Gently fold in the raisins with the rum (yes, add the rum too!) and sliced almonds into the custard.
- Using a ladle, transfer the mixture in the baking dish over the set caramel.
- Place the baking dish inside a larger baking dish. Add hot water to the larger baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the pudding dish.
- Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the toothpick does not come out clean, continue to bake in 10 minute increments until the toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven. Allow to cool completely before placing the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Run a knife around the edges. Invert onto a serving plate to release the loaf. Serve and enjoy!
