Donut Bread Pudding
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Treat yourself to a dessert / brunch dream come true with our Glazed Donut Bread Pudding! These soft, glazed donuts soaked in a rich custard will take you to dessert heaven. And let’s not forget the homemade Espresso Whipped Cream that elevates this delight to a whole new level! If you’re looking for a dessert or brunch that’s easy, fun, and absolutely divine, this one’s for you!
I don’t know about you, but I could have brunch for every meal. I think it’s the combination of savory and sweet foods. (The bacon and bellinis help, too. Lol.) If you can relate, I can pretty much guarantee you (and everyone you know!) will be obsessed with this donut bread pudding.
Made with two dozen glazed donuts and topped with espresso whipped cream, what’s not to love about it? It’s perfect for satisfying your sweet cravings in the most delicious way possible!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s the perfect way to use leftover donuts. I know, leftover donuts may not even be a thing in your world. But, if you happen to see an abandoned box or two of donuts in the break room at work, grab them and turn them into a gourmet brunch item!
- Change the flavor with ease. As you’ll see below, I use my favorite donut, plain glazed. But, if you are a blueberry donut fan or like something else, this recipe can easily be adapted.
- This versatile dish is perfect for dessert or brunch. Or, just to snack on. I won’t judge!
Ingredients
You are in for a real treat today. When I think of indulgent brunch, I think of this Donut Bread Pudding! Of course, you don’t need to wait until your next brunch to search for this recipe. It would make a fabulous dessert recipe, too!
Here’s what you need to whip it up:
- donuts – you’ll want them to be stale for this recipe. If you don’t have stale donuts on hand, don’t worry! I have an easy hack to use below. I used glazed donuts, but choose your favorite.
- eggs
- whole milk
- heavy cream
- butter – melted
- brown sugar
- vanilla
- cinnamon
- salt
Part of what makes this bread pudding so yummy is the espresso whipped topping. It sounds fancy, and it tastes like it, but you only need three ingredients!
- heavy whipping cream
- espresso powder
- confectioner’s sugar
How to Make
Let’s get down to business and learn how to make this fabulous sweet. I’ll walk you through the steps I’ve also provided a full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- First, go ahead and preheat your oven to 350.
- Now it’s time to start assembling! Start with two-dozen stale donuts. I bought Krispy Kreme Original Glazed since they are my favorite. But they weren’t exactly stale.
- To make them “stale,” I cut them into bite-sized pieces. Then, I spread the pieces out on sheet trays and let them sit out overnight. By morning, the donuts were just the way I needed them.
- Similar to classic bread pudding, the donut pieces soak in a custard. Making it is easy—grab a bowl and whisk together eggs, whole milk, butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
- Fold in the donut pieces, and let them soak for 15 minutes or so. Then pour it all out into a greased pan.
- Next, all of that deliciousness gets baked for about an hour, or until the top is golden brown.
When the pan comes out of the oven, you have an incredible donut bread pudding. But let’s not stop there!
Espresso Whipped Cream
Because this a special treat, I just couldn’t top it with anything ordinary. That’s why I made espresso whipped cream for the top. A tasty complement to the donuts—we all know how well coffee and donuts go together!
Making this delicious coffee-flavored whipped cream is so simple. You’ll find yourself putting it on practically everything!
All you need to do is add the espresso powder, heavy whipping cream, and confectioner’s sugar to your stand mixer or bowl. Then use electric beaters to whip it all together until peaks form.
To serve, scoop out some of the donut pudding, place it on a plate, and top it with the espresso whipped cream. It doesn’t get more delicious than this, friends!
Also, if you’d like to see more of this colorful table, I’ve shared all the details including where you can find that unique flatware!
Unique Recipe Variations
Looking to try this recipe in a different way? I can help with that. Here are a few recipe variations you’re going to love.
- Chocolate Chip Delight: For all the chocolate lovers out there, why not amp up the indulgence by adding a generous handful of chocolate chips to the bread pudding mixture? As the chocolate melts into the custard, it creates a gooey, chocolatey heaven that pairs perfectly with the glazed donuts.
- Bursting Berries: To infuse a burst of fruity goodness, incorporate fresh or frozen berries into your bread pudding mixture. The berry flavor complements the sugary glaze of the donuts, creating a harmonious symphony of tastes that’s both refreshing and delectable.
- Nutty Crunch: For those who appreciate a little texture in their desserts, why not toss in some chopped nuts, such as pecans, almonds, or walnuts, to the bread pudding mixture? The nuts add a delightful crunch that beautifully contrasts with the soft donuts and custard.
- Cinnamon Spice Twist: Infuse your Glazed Donut Bread Pudding with warm and comforting flavors by adding a sprinkle of ground cinnamon to the custard mixture. This simple addition will give your dessert a cozy touch, perfect for those chilly days or holiday gatherings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is donut bread pudding?
This Donut Bread Pudding is similar to classic bread pudding, but instead of bread, you use cut-up donuts. How yummy is that?
Sidenote: This kind of reminds me of that time I used leftover pancakes to make a delicious Blueberry Almond Pancake Pudding!
What can you serve with Donut Bread Pudding?
Putting together the perfect brunch is somewhat of an art that I fine-tuned during my time running my bed and breakfast years ago. Here’s what I would pair with this sweet treat to round it out:
- Spinach Bacon Swiss Quiche
- Mango Mimosas or my Raspberry Peach Bellinis
- My Favorite Bacon Recipe
- Overnight Breakfast Casserole
- Fruit (I highly recommend this fruit salad recipe!)
You could even set-up this adorable coffee bar to serve alongside this Donut Bread Pudding. I think that would be so cute! And, besides, every good breakfast bar needs to have coffee.
As I mentioned above, this donut bread pudding is fabulous for dessert or brunch! I know you’ll have fun making it and eating it!
More Brunch Recipes You’ll Love
In short, you MUST try this donut bread pudding recipe. You’ll be so glad you did! If you do, please leave a comment and a 5-star rating below.
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Donut Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 dozen stale glazed donuts* cut into bite-sized pieces
- 12 eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 tablespoons vanilla
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Coffee Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
- In an extra large bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- Fold in the donut pieces and let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes.
- Spray a 13×9-inch pan with baking spray. Add the donut mixture to the pan.
- Baked for 60-70 minutes or until golden brown** and set up
- To make the espresso whipped cream, beat together cream, espresso powder, and confectioners’ sugar until peaks form.
I really liked this donut bread pudding. I’m not a fan of bread pudding, but this one was very tasty.
Delicious recipe but how you got all this into one 9×13 dish I don’t know… must be some of that Harry Potter magic. 🙂 If it says somewhere this makes two pans I could not find it. I used a 10×15 dish and it was filled to the brim. I also ended up baking at least an hour an a half because of the size. You’ll need a huge bowl to mix it up also. I did not make the whipped topping though mainly because too may personalities telling me what type topping we needed so we had maple syrup from New Hampshire. All that said, this is fantastic!!! I took it to church for mother’s day brunch and despite having other brunch options I only ended up bringing home 1/3 of the dish. I will definitely make it again I’ll just half the recipe. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was worth every calorie in it.
Great recipe. I had only 4 1/2 donuts left plus two slices of leftover cinnamon raisin bread, so I used that. I quartered the recipe which was more than enough, and used an 8×8 pan. My donuts were not stale nor did I take time to dry them out in the oven. (too lazy, no time!) The donuts were maple glazed and my kids wouldn’t eat them because they were too sweet! I was afraid with the added brown sugar, the pudding would be too sweet too, but it is definitely not. I used 1/4 cup for the quartered recipe. After it baked, I added milk to each serving, and it was gobbled up and some asked for seconds! Thanks for a great recipe!
Love your variations! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe.
xo Michael
How clever. I’ve seen all sorts of things used in bread pudding, but never before donuts.
Looks delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
wow, hadn’t come across this over the top recipe before, haven’t even tasted anything like it, I like where you’re going with this, even though it’s a dangerously decadent desert!
Bread pudding holds a special place in my heart! 💖
So, can you make this recipe with only 3 donuts? Because if I left a tray of donut parts out unattended I’d only have about 3 donuts worth of pieces left come morning! LOL! Looks delish Michael! We call bread pudding “Soggy bread dessert” it doesn’t sound as appetizing, but I’ll hide the pieces and give “Soggy donut dessert” a whirl! I’m sure the family will scarf it down!