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Blueberry Bread Pudding

This blueberry bread pudding is loaded with juicy, fresh blueberries in every bite. You’ll love the addition of cream cheese, which ups the decadence factor and adds the perfect amount of tanginess.

Blueberry bread pudding on plate with sauce

Homemade Bread Pudding With Blueberries and Cream Cheese

As the days of summer are dwindling, I’m trying to squeeze in as many summer fruit recipes as I can. I found myself with an abundance of blueberries after a grocery ordering blunder, ending up with twice as many as I meant to get. But hey, if that’s an occasional consequence of ordering groceries for delivery, I’m okay with that.

Knowing I needed a way to use up a bunch of those blueberries, I started brainstorming some baking ideas. I happened to remember finding a recipe for blueberry bread pudding that used lots and lots of fresh berries in the pudding as well as in a sauce. Knowing how much I love bread pudding, I knew it was meant to be.

This bread pudding has so much going for it besides all those blueberries. Most notably is cream cheese. I adore blueberries and cream cheese together, and the combination doesn’t disappoint here. The cream cheese adds just a bit of flavor to complement all those sweet berries.

The original recipe included some maple syrup, but I opted to go with a bit of vanilla and lemon instead to make it dessert-worthy as well as brunch-worthy. If you’re serving this for breakfast, you might want to skip the lemon and add the maple syrup, or just drizzle a bit on top along with the blueberry sauce.

(Love bread pudding? Me too! Try my Chai Spice Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce, Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding, or Peanut Butter-Chocolate Bread Pudding next.)

Blueberry bread pudding in baking dish

What You’ll Need

Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

  • French bread loaf
  • Cream cheese – Use the full-fat kind that comes in blocks, not tubs.
  • Blueberries – Fresh is best, but frozen will work when blueberries aren’t in season. Learn more: Fresh vs Frozen Fruits in Baking.
  • Eggs
  • Milk – I recommend using whole milk in this recipe.
  • Granulated sugar
  • Unsalted butter – Learn more: Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?
  • Vanilla extract – Almond extract would work well in this recipe, too.
  • Lemon juice
  • Sliced almonds

For the sauce:

  • Blueberries
  • Blueberry preserves

Is Bread Pudding Made from Old Bread?

Traditionally, bread pudding was a way to repurpose stale bread. But if you’re bread’s not stale, no worries! You can dry it out in a 350ºF oven; cut the bread into cubes and let them bake on a sheet pan for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and feel dry on the outside.

How to Make Blueberry Bread Pudding

Like most bread pudding recipes, this one is gloriously easy. Whisk the custard, pour it over the rest of the ingredients, and let the bread soak until you’re ready to bake. 

Prepare. Lightly grease a 9″x 13″x 2″ baking pan.

Assemble. Place about half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Scatter the pieces of cream cheese and 1 cup of the blueberries over the bread, then top this with the remaining bread.

Make the custard. Whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Pour this over the bread mixture, pressing down the cubes of bread to ensure that they soak up the custard. Sprinkle almonds over the top.

Chill. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 8 hours. Start preheating the oven to 350ºF just before the end of the chilling time.

Bake. Bake the bread pudding covered for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for 30 minutes more, or until it’s set and lightly browned. Let the bread pudding rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Make the sauce. Combine the remaining blueberries and preserves in a saucepan set over low heat and cook until the mixture is warm. 

Serve. Plate the bread pudding with the warm blueberry sauce.

Tips for Success

This blueberry bread pudding is an easy breakfast or dessert, but these simple tips will make it even better!

  • Make sure the cream cheese is evenly distributed. You want cream cheese in every bite, so cut it into small pieces.
  • Use stale (or toasted) bread. Otherwise, it will fall apart in the custard, resulting in a mushy consistency.
  • Take it to the next level. A dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream is delicious with the warm bread pudding and blueberry sauce!

Is Bread Pudding Eaten Hot or Cold?

Bread pudding is traditionally served warm, but there’s no reason you can’t serve it at room temperature or even cold, if you prefer.

Blueberry bread pudding on white plate

Make Ahead Instructions

This is a great recipe for prepping ahead of time, making it an excellent choice for a special breakfast or brunch. Once assembled, it needs to chill for at least 8 hours, so you can easily put it together the day before you want to serve it and then just pop it in the oven for a warm, freshly baked treat.

How to Store

Leftover bread pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the entire dish in a 350ºF oven until warmed through.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Yes, this blueberry bread pudding freezes well. Let it cool completely, then cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Blueberry Bread Pudding

Yield 10 to 12 servings
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

This Blueberry Bread Pudding is full of fresh blueberries and cream cheese. A great choice for a morning meal or dessert!

Blueberry bread pudding on plate with sauce

Ingredients

For the bread pudding:

  • 16 ounce (454g) French bread loaf, cut into cubes
  • 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese cut into small pieces*
  • 1 cup (170g) blueberries**
  • 6 large eggs
  • 4 cups (946ml) milk
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds

For the sauce:

  • 2 cups (340g) blueberries**
  • 10 ounces (283g) blueberry preserves

Instructions

To make the bread pudding:

  1. Lightly grease a 9"x 13"x 2" baking pan.
  2. Place about half of the bread cubes in pan. Place the cream cheese and 1 cup of the blueberries evenly over the bread. Top with the remaining bread.
  3. Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice. Pour over the bread mixture. Press the bread down into the egg mixture as needed. Sprinkle with almonds.
  4. Cover and chill 8 hours.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  6. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Then, uncover and bake 30 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
  7. Let the bread pudding stand for 5 minutes before serving.

To make the sauce:

  1. Place the remaining blueberries and preserves in a saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over low heat until warm.
  2. Serve the bread pudding with warm blueberry sauce.

Notes

*The smaller you can cut the cream cheese, the better. You want to get a little cream cheese in every bite!

**Weights can vary from 140 to 170g per cup. You don't need a high level of accuracy for this recipe.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living.

Leftover bread pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or reheat the entire dish in a 350ºF oven until warmed through.

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    12 Comments on “Blueberry Bread Pudding”

  1. Looks wonderful and I LOVE blueberries so much, this is a must make!

  2. This sounds soooo great! I’m loving blueberries in baking lately!

  3. I don’t want to let go of all the summer berries! Summer baking is my favorite because I am berry-crazed. Which means I end up buying them year round even though they are not as good.

  4. This bread pudding looks awesome! I love bread pudding and with the blueberries and cream cheese, you just took it to a whole new level of delicious…thanks for sharing!

  5. Lovely! This looks scrumptious!

  6. Holy crap!
    That looks… AMAZING! I seriously want to make that and eat it. I am a huge lover of bread pudding, and this one looks like it could take the cake for being the best.

    Thanks for the recipe:)

  7. Oh man I haven’t had bread pudding in forever and now I am craving it big time! Total comfort food and I love it all the more with the berries on top!

  8. Thanks for the recipe. My GF cooked it for me and it was delicious!

  9. omg! this is the first bread pudding recipe that looks good to me. i particularly like the substitution of lemon and vanilla. that was very creative. i’ve got some left over sourdough bread and i’m gonna try this recipe this weekend. i’ve got some blueberries frozen in the freezer. they’ll work just fine. thanks!

  10. Great recipe. Can I use Raspberries instead of blueberries ?

  11. These recipes are really awesome, i’m too much excited to taste them. I will surely prepare these recipes for my husband on this Valentines Day.

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