Have any leftover cider donuts from your trip to the cider mill? Try making this Easy Apple Cider Donut Bread Pudding topped with vanilla sauce and an apple compote.
Recipe Origins
Bread Pudding is one of my FAVORITE desserts, especially when it has wonderful toppings!
This year we went to one of our favorite cider mills — an autumn tradition in Michigan — and ordered far too many cider donuts.
We needed ideas of what to do with the leftover donuts, so this is what I came up with! Delicious cider donuts baked into a bread pudding, which is then topped with vanilla sauce and an apple compote.
You’re going to love this recipe!
Why Make this Recipe
- Great for Using Up Old Donuts: Ever get a little over-zealous at the cider mill and order too many donuts? Same. This is my favorite recipes to make with the leftovers after they’ve gone stale!
- Unique: You’ve had bread pudding, but you’ve never had it like this! The flavor of the donuts add a tasty, cider flavored base to this tasty treat.
- Toppings: The vanilla sauce and apple compote on this bread pudding are amazing! They add so much flavor and deliciousness to this already yummy recipe.
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
Ingredients
- Donuts: I used leftover cider donuts from a trip to our local cider mill! I chose plain cider donuts, not cinnamon sugar ones, though I’m sure the cinnamon sugar ones would work just fine. You can also try other donut varieties, like these Air Fryer Pumpkin Donuts.
- Half and Half: Half and half is a combination of heavy cream and milk. If you cannot find half and half, you can replace it with ½ cup heavy whipping cream and ½ cup milk.
- Apples: Granny Smith Apples. Wash the outsides but you do not need to peel them.
- Milk: I am using whole milk but you can use 2% as well.
Tools
- 9×13 Pan: I prefer a nonstick or a ceramic pan.
How to Make this Recipe
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Make the Bread Pudding
Step 1: Prepare the Donuts
Cut the donuts into eighths and allow them to sit out on the counter for a day so that they are stale.
Once the donuts are stale, make the bread pudding.
Step 2: Make the Filling
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs.
Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, half and half, whole milk, cinnamon, vanilla, baking soda and salt to the bowl. Mix until fully combined.
Add the melted butter into the combination and mix again.
Step 3: Prepare and Bake
Place all stale donut pieces in an ungreased 9×13 pan.
Pour the liquid mixture into the pan with the donut pieces, and use a rubber spatula to stir the donut pieces around so that each cube is coated in the mixture. Allow the donut pieces to soak for about 15 minutes.
Place in the oven at 350 for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Cut slits in the top of the aluminum foil and then place the pan back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes. The bread pudding should be set but not dried out. It should also not be too liquidy.
Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Make the Vanilla Sauce
Place all ingredients in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a low boil. Once the boil starts, start your timer. Whisk constantly for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the Apple Compote
In a small bowl add the diced apples and cinnamon and stir. Set aside.
Put a medium pot over medium heat, and add your butter. Stir until the butter melts, then add brown sugar and cinnamon-covered apples.
Let the mixture simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assemble
Once the bread pudding has finished baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
Then, add the apple compote to the top of the bread pudding and drizzle vanilla sauce over the top.
Cut into pieces and serve. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- You can pour all of your vanilla sauce on your apple pudding right away if you’d like. However, I prefer to only pour half of it on the bread pudding at first. Then, I reserve the rest for when I have leftovers. Simply microwave the sauce for 20 seconds, and it will thin out enough for you to add to your bread pudding.
- Feel free to include additional add-ins to your Apple Cider Donut Bread Pudding. Some good options are raisins, chocolate chips, or anything else that sounds delicious.
- If you don’t like vanilla sauce, this recipe would also be great with ice cream!
Recipe FAQs
I recommend storing your Apple Cider Donut Bread Pudding in the fridge between enjoying it. Make sure to keep it in an airtight container or covered with aluminum foil.
The bread pudding can stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days.
When it’s time to serve, cut yourself a piece of Apple Cider Donut Bread Pudding and microwave it.
Then, microwave any leftover vanilla sauce, and add it to the top of your bread pudding. Enjoy!
Did you enjoy this Apple Cider Donut Pudding Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
- Canadian Christmas Fruit Cake
- Italian Pistachio Cookie Recipe
- Cinnamon Bun Recipe from Finland
- Tufahije from Bosnia
Apple Cider Donut Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 12 Cider Donuts
- 4 eggs, room temp
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 cup half and half, room temp
- ¼ cup whole milk, room temp
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tbsp melted butter, unsalted
Vanilla Sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ stick butter
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
Apple Compote
- 2 Granny Smith apples, diced (peels on)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
Bread Pudding
- Cut 12 cider donuts into eighths and allow them to sit out on the counter for a day so that they are stale.
- Once the donuts are stale, make the bread pudding. In a large bowl, whisk 4 eggs.
- Add ¾ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 cup half and half, ¼ cup whole milk, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 ½ tsp vanilla, ½ tsp baking soda and ½ tsp salt to the bowl. Mix until fully combined.
- Add 4 tbsp melted butter into the combination and mix again.
- Place all stale donut pieces in an ungreased 9×13 pan.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the pan with the donut pieces, and use a rubber spatula to stir the donut pieces around so that each cube is coated in the mixture. Allow the donut pieces to soak for about 15 minutes.
- Place in the oven at 350 for 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Cut slits in the top of the aluminum foil and then place the pan back into the oven for an additional 10 minutes. The bread pudding should be set but not dried out. It should also not be too liquidy.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Vanilla Sauce
- Place all ingredients (1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, ¼ cup butter, and ¼ tsp cinnamon) in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a low boil. Once the boil starts, start your timer. Whisk constantly for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
Apple Compote
- In a small bowl add the 2 diced Granny Smith apples and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and stir. Set aside.
- Put a medium pot over medium heat, and add 2 tbsp butter. Stir until the butter melts, then add 2 tbsp brown sugar and cinnamon-covered apples.
- Let the mixture simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the apples are soft. Remove from heat and set aside.
Assembly
- Once the bread pudding has finished baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
- Then, add the apple compote to the top of the bread pudding and drizzle vanilla sauce over the top.
- Cut into pieces and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Donuts: I used leftover cider donuts from a trip to our local cider mill! I chose plain cider donuts, not cinnamon sugar ones, though I’m sure the cinnamon sugar ones would work just fine.
- Half and Half: Half and half is a combination of heavy cream and milk. If you cannot find half and half, you can replace it with ½ cup heavy whipping cream and ½ cup milk.
- Apples: Granny Smith Apples. Wash the outsides but you do not need to peel them.
- Milk: I am using whole milk but you can use 2% as well.
- You can pour all of your vanilla sauce on your apple pudding right away if you’d like. However, I prefer to only pour half of it on the bread pudding at first. Then, I reserve the rest for when I have leftovers. Simply microwave the sauce for 20 seconds, and it will thin out enough for you to add to your bread pudding.
- Feel free to include additional add-ins to your Apple Cider Donut Bread Pudding. Some good options are raisins, chocolate chips, or anything else that sounds delicious.
- If you don’t like vanilla sauce, this recipe would also be great with ice cream!
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