A tantalizing, warm and creamy bread pudding with flavors of mango, blueberry and spices like cinnamon and ginger. It's a delicious make-head dish for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
Are you a fan of bread pudding? At their simplest, they're made by combining pieces of stale bread with milk, eggs, sugar and flavorings. The bread soaks up the liquid and once cooked, the whole thing transforms into a soft, sweet, custardy treat.
You can get really creative with bread puddings by adding in fruit, varying the spices and also the breads you use. While messing around with bread pudding possibilities, this recipe can into being!
It's silky and sweet, but also vibrant with mango and blueberry. Cinnamon and freshly grated ginger complement the juicy blueberries and mango nestled in the bread pudding.
Why you'll love this bread pudding
It's a really special treat to bring out of the oven for breakfast or brunch! The flavors are unique and refreshing - your family, friends or guests will love digging into this bread pudding.
Because the bread pudding needs to wait in the fridge overnight (so that the bread can soak up all that lovely batter) this is a convenient make-ahead breakfast dish for the morning.
And if you've never tried the trick of using a drinking glass to remove the peel from a mango, well here's your chance!
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Toast the bread cubes
Slice the bread into cubes and spread them on a baking sheet. Toast the cubes in the oven until they're lightly toasted. (Another option is to leave the bread cubes out for a day or two until they're stale.)
Step 2: Layer bread and fruit in a baking dish
Spread the toasted or stale bread pieces in a baking dish coated with nonstick spray. Add in the cut mango and blueberries and mix them into the bread. Grate the fresh ginger over the top.
Step 3: Add the batter
Whisk together the eggs, sugar, extract, spices, milk and cream. Pour this batter over the bread and fruit in the pan, making sure all the bread is moistened.
Step 4: Let the dish rest overnight
Wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge to rest overnight (or at least 8 hours.)
Step 5: Bake the bread pudding
The next morning, preheat the oven. Remove the plastic and bake the bread pudding for just under an hour. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes and then serve it up!
Notes
- Bread puddings rely on a good rest before baking, so that the liquid has time to soak into all the bread cubes and the flavors have time to develop. Include the overnight refrigeration (or at least 8 hours) in your planning for this recipe.
- Use sweet breads for this bread pudding - great choices include Portuguese sweet bread, challah and brioche.
- Do give that mango trick a try: slice vertically down through a fresh mango to cut the two outer halves away from the tough center core. Push the halves down on the rim of a drinking glass to separate the peel from the fruit. You can also use fresh, pre-cut mango if your store has it available.
- If using frozen blueberries, don't add them to the pan until after the dish has rested in the fridge overnight: otherwise the blueberries will thaw and release a lot of juice, which will turn your bread pudding very blue! Just toss the frozen berries into the bread pudding right before baking instead.
Try this make-ahead Spiced Blueberry & Mango Bread Pudding for your breakfast or brunch gathering, or to feed overnight guests. Or hey, just make it to give your family a really delicious and special treat! (It's a tasty dessert, too.)
The recipe is below. And here are a few other make-ahead dishes to try:
>> Have you made this Blueberry & Mango Bread Pudding? Please scroll down to leave a comment - let me know what you think!
Spiced Blueberry & Mango Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sweet bread, like Challah or Brioche (about 16 ounces)
- 1 ½ cups fresh blueberries (if using frozen see Notes.)
- 2 cups cut, fresh mango (about 3 whole mangoes worth)
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (from a ½-ounce piece)
- 7 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup half & half
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Spray the bottom and sides of a 9" x 13" casserole pan with nonstick cooking spray, and hold the pan aside.
Toast the bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Slice the sweet bread into chunks, roughly 1-1/2-inch cubes. Spread the bread chunks out on a large baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for 15 minutes or until they are lightly browned - do not over-brown them. Remove the bread cubes from the oven and give them a couple of minutes to cool down.
Add fruit and bread to the pan:
- Once the bread cubes have cooled a little, spread them across the bottom of the prepared pan. Add in the cut mango and the blueberries, spreading them evenly over and throughout the bread cubes. Add the ginger by sprinkling the grated flecks over the top of the bread and fruit, or by grating the piece of peeled ginger directly over the pan.
Make the batter:
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt in a large measuring cup with a pouring spout or in a large bowl. Add in the half & half and the milk and whisk everything together very thoroughly.
- Pour this liquid over the bread and fruit in the pan, distributing it evenly over everything in the pan. Cover the whole pan tightly with plastic wrap and place the pan in the refrigerator. It should rest in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Remove the plastic wrap and place the bread pudding in the oven on a rack positioned in the center. Bake the dish for about 50 minutes: the bread on the top should be nicely browned but not too dark, and there shouldn't be any liquidy pockets left. Remove the pan to a cooling rack and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Spoon the bread pudding into serving dishes and enjoy it while it's warm! Leftover bread pudding can be wrapped and stored in the fridge for up to three days - you can rewarm it in the microwave or in the oven if you prefer.
Notes
- Bread puddings rely on a good rest before baking, so that the liquid has time to soak into all the bread cubes and the flavors have time to develop. Include the overnight refrigeration (or at least 8 hours) in your planning for this recipe.
- Use sweet breads for this bread pudding - great choices include Portuguese sweet bread, challah and brioche.
- Do give that mango trick a try: slice vertically down through a fresh mango to cut the two outer halves away from the tough center core. Push the halves down on the rim of a drinking glass to separate the peel from the fruit. You can also use fresh, precut mango if your store has it available.
- If you decide to use frozen blueberries, don't add them to the pan until after the dish has rested in the fridge overnight: otherwise the blueberries will thaw and release a lot of juice, which will turn your bread pudding very blue! Just toss the frozen berries into the bread pudding right before baking instead.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2018. Recipe and post updated December 2019.
Oh my gosh, I can't believe you mentioned my French toast casserole! I love bread pudding and this recipe you created sounds delicious. I'm definitely pinning it. I also can't wait to try your tip for peeling the mango.
Well your FTC is famous so I had to mention it! I hope you get to try this recipe, we really liked it!