I'm not a big bread pudding fan. I'm not a fan of the texture. I had some old croissants and didn't want to toss them so I decided to make bread pudding out of them. Wow what a game changer! I also had a bunch of oranges so I added some zest to it and it really added a nice flavor. In the video I added fresh orange juice, but it didn't give it the flavor like the zest.
I don't like mine super soggy so I do add a little more croissants then normal and bake it longer too.
I actually forgot to add the brown sugar mixture on top & rum sauce in the video. That is another game changer...DON'T FORGET THAT!
I couldn't eat this without ice cream. My favorite all time favorite vanilla ice cream is Farr's Old Fashioned Style.
Chocolate Orange Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce
- 6 cups cubed, dried-out croissants
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 large eggs, beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ TBSP orange zest
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup softened butter
For the Rum Sauce:
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 2 tbsp spiced rum, dark rum, or butter rum extract (optional)
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Prepare the Baking Dish: Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and add 6 cups of cubed, dried-out croissants.
Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of sugar, 5 beaten eggs, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of cream, 2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 ½ TBSP of orange zest.
Combine with Croissants: Pour the egg mixture over the croissants in the baking dish, gently folding to ensure they are fully coated. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to allow the croissants to soak up the liquid.
Add Chocolate Chips: Sprinkle in ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and ¼ cup milk chocolate chips. Gently fold them into the croissant mixture.
Prepare the Brown Sugar Glaze: Mix together 1 cup packed light brown sugar, ½ cup melted butter, and ¼ cup softened butter. Drizzle this glaze over the top of the bread pudding.
Bake: Bake the bread pudding for 45-55 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The center should be set and puffed up when done. Let the pudding stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Prepare the Rum Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup packed brown sugar and ½ cup (1 stick) butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the mixture is melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in ½ cup whipping cream, 2 tbsp spiced rum (or extract), and ¾ tsp cinnamon. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Continue simmering until the sauce thickens and reduces to about 1 ½ cups, which should take approximately 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly before serving.
Serve: Serve the bread pudding warm with a scoop of ice cream and a generous drizzle of the rum sauce. Enjoy!