This slow cooker bread pudding is the easiest bread pudding you’ll ever make! It’s full of warm cozy spices and rich, melted chocolate chips—just add a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream!
Bread pudding is a classic dessert that’s usually made with stale bread, milk, eggs, sugar, and spices. It’s often served with a sweet sauce or cream, and sometimes it’s even made with savory ingredients like bacon or sausage. If you’ve ever made homemade stuffing, strata, or even baked French toast casserole before, the process is similar!
This slow cooker bread pudding is a bit different from the traditional version because it’s cooked in a crockpot. This makes it super easy to make, and it’s the perfect comfort food dessert for a chilly evening.
Easy Slow Cooker Bread Pudding Recipe
I love making this slow cooker bread pudding for parties because once you assemble everything in the crockpot, it’s pretty much hands-off, which frees me up for the main dishes, sides, and appetizers. Plus, your whole house will smell amazing as it cooks!
There are a lot of ways to switch up this recipe and make it your own, and so many different topping options too. As long as you keep the base ingredients the same, feel free to experiment with different mix-ins!
Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Bread – The best bread for bread pudding is a day or two old. If you’re using fresh bread, you can dry it out in the oven for a few minutes before using it. I like using French bread, brioche, or challah, but even a standard loaf of white bread works.
- Whole milk
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter – Melt this in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stovetop.
- Ground cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Nutmeg
- Bittersweet chocolate chips – If you can’t find these, you can use semisweet chocolate chips or chop a bittersweet chocolate bar into chunks.
- Vanilla ice cream – Optional, but highly recommended! It will melt onto the warm bread pudding, like a vanilla sauce.
Variations
- If you want to make a boozy bread pudding, try replacing ½ cup of the milk with ½ cup of rum or whiskey.
- Instead of chocolate chips, add diced apples, raisins, or another fresh or dried fruit.
- You can also top the bread pudding with fresh fruit or toasted pecans before serving, or swap the vanilla ice cream for homemade whipped cream or caramel sauce.
How to Make Slow Cooker Bread Pudding
1. Prepare
Lightly grease the inside of a slow cooker with butter or cooking spray. Add the cubes of toasted bread.
2. Make the Custard
Whisk the milk, eggs, sugar, melted butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl until the mixture is smooth and combined.
3. Assemble
Pour the custard mixture over the cubed bread in the slow cooker. Use a spatula to push the bread down into the liquid to make sure that it soaks up as much of the custard as possible. Do not stir. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips, then let everything soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Cook
Cover and cook on the low setting for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve the bread pudding warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
How to Store Leftover Slow Cooker Bread Pudding
Leftover slow cooker bread pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until warm. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as desired.
FAQs
Bread pudding is done when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. If it’s still wet in the center, give it a few more minutes to cook.
Yes, as long as the bread is not moldy, you can use it for bread pudding. Expired bread is actually ideal for this recipe because it’s drier and will soak up more of the custard mixture.
No, the bread does not have to be stale for this recipe. You can use fresh bread, but I find that it doesn’t soak up the custard mixture as well and the final pudding is a bit more dense. If you’re using fresh bread, you can dry it out in a 250 degree oven for 5-10 minutes before using it.
Yes, this recipe calls for 4 eggs. The eggs help to bind everything together and give the bread pudding a custard-like texture.
More Easy Dessert Ideas
Slow Cooker Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 6 cups bread cubed and toasted
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream optional
Instructions
- Lightly grease the inside of the slow cooker. Add the toasted bread.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg until smooth and combined.
- Pour over the bread in the slow cooker. Using a spatula, push down the bread to ensure that it soaks up as much liquid as possible. Do not stir. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Let everything soak for 15-20 minutes.
- Cover and cook on low setting for 2.5-3 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
