By Jehan Yusoof  |  Updated September 26, 2026  |  ★ 4.4 (7 reviews) | 2 comments

Bread and butter pudding is a traditional pudding made with bread, butter, milk, eggs and a few other staple pantry ingredients.
Cinnamon-spiced, then baked in an egg-and-milk custard with a golden-brown crust, sprinkled with a dash of brown sugar and cinnamon.
This easy dessert-breakfast dish will have your whole house smelling like a bakery in an hour.

★★★★★
If you try this, I’d love to know how it turned out. Just tap the stars in the recipe card; it helps other cooks find this recipe.

Bread and butter pudding: served morning, noon and night

Go ahead and serve the bread pudding for breakfast; It’s one of our favourite family weekend breakfast dishes.
I make it into a large dish so the kids can have it whenever they feel like they want a snack.
While studying or watching a late-night movie. It’s better than any store-bought biscuits or snacks since the bread pudding is homemade.
Serve for the holidays
This old-fashioned bread and butter pudding casserole makes the perfect dessert for the holiday season.
You can serve the dessert for breakfast instead of pancakes for the holiday season as well.
Especially in Ramadan, Sinhalese-Tamil New Year or Christmas, when you want the house to smell of Cinnamon.

Ingredients to make the bread and butter pudding

You’ll find exact quantities in the recipe card below

• White bread: day-old is best, but any type of leftover bread works
• Butter softened and used three ways: greasing the baking dish, melted and poured over the bread, brushed on top.
• Egg and milk: to make the custard
• Sugar, cinnamon and vanilla: to flavour the custard
• Chocolate chip (optional)
• For the topping
  • Sugar and cinnamon: for a crunchy topping.

Tips and suggestions for a crispy top and a soft middle

• Use day-old bread; it soaks up the custard without turning too soggy.
• Try to place the crust and sides on top for a crispy finish.
• Let the bread soak well in the custard.
• Be generous with the butter in the custard and on top to give the crust a golden colour.

What you will need in the kitchen

• Bowl to make the egg-milk custard.
• 8 x 8 Pyrex or baking dish.

How to make the bread and butter pudding

Prepare the bread

Lightly brush butter on the Pyrex dish.
Tear or cut the bread slices into 3-inch pieces.
Place the pieces of bread in the Pyrex dish, and make sure that the crust and sides of the bread slices are placed on top.
Placing the crust on top gives an extra layer of crunch once the bread pudding is baked.

Melt a few tablespoons of the butter (about 20 seconds in the microwave) and drizzle it over the bread.
Add a few extra teaspoons of butter and scatter some chocolate chips, as well.

Make the custard and soak

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla until the sugar has dissolved.

Pour the custard over the bread; press down so the bread pieces get a good soaking.
Brush the remaining butter over the top layer, brushing liberally to give the crust a golden colour.
You can add extra dollops of butter and some chocolate chips, which are optional.
Leave the bread pudding to rest for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).

Baking the pudding

While the oven preheats, combine sugar with the cinnamon powder.

Sprinkle the sugar-cinnamon mix over the bread pudding evenly.
Bake for 45 minutes at 170°C (340°F)or until the top turns dark golden.
Serve it warm or cold.

FAQ: Bread and butter pudding recipe

• Can I make the bread pudding the night before?
  • Yes, combine all the ingredients and refrigerate to bake in the morning. The more the bread soaks in the egg custard, the better it will taste.
• What type of bread can I use to make the bread pudding?
  • You can use any type of leftover bread which is a day old.
• Want to give the bread and breakfast pudding a Sri Lankan twist?
  • If you want to use pieces of bread and buns to turn it into a Sri Lankan bread pudding version, then use a few coco buns(kibula banis).
• Do I serve the pudding hot or cold?
  • You can enjoy the bread pudding warm, but we love to have ours when it is chilled and cold.
  • They turn out perfectly crunchy on top, with the sugar already on top caramelising to give it a darker crust. 
  • Drizzle a bit of melted chocolate or treacle, and you’ve got a bread and butter casserole the kids would love.

How to serve bread and butter pudding

• Serve as breakfast, late-night movie, or a midnight snack with some chocolate sauce drizzled over it.

More bread and butter pudding recipes

• Chocolate bread pudding
• Caramel bread pudding
• Easy pineapple bread pudding

Watch more recipes on my YouTube channel

Continue to Content

Classic baked bread and butter pudding.

Yield: 5

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Bread and butter pudding is a traditional pudding made with bread, butter, milk, eggs and a few other staple pantry ingredients.

Cinnamon-spiced, then baked in an egg and milk custard with a golden-brown crust on top, sprinkled with a dash of brown sugar and cinnamon.

4.4 Stars (7 Reviews)

Print

Ingredients

• Ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
• 9 to 10 slices of bread white bread (you can use any type of bread)
• 1/2 cup butter at room temperature (includes butter for brushing and a few extra on the pyrex dish).
• 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chip (optional)
• 3 eggs whisked lightly
• 1 and 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon powder
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• For the topping
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Instructions

Prep the bread

1. Lightly brush butter on the Pyrex dish.
2. Break the bread (9 to 10 slices)into 3-inch square pieces.
3. Place the pieces of bread in the Pyrex dish, and make sure that the crust and sides of the bread slices are placed on top.
4. Placing the crust on top gives an extra layer of crunch once the bread pudding is baked.
5. Take three tablespoons of the butter, microwave it for 20 seconds and drizzle over the bread.
6. I like to add a few extra teaspoons of butter and chocolate chips ( 1/2 cup to 1 cup-optional)as well.

Making the custard for the bread and butter pudding

1. In a medium-sized bowl, break the eggs (3), whisk well with milk (1 and 1/2 cup), sugar (1/2 cup), cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon), and vanilla(1 teaspoon).
2. Combine well till the sugar is dissolved.
3. Pour the egg-milk mixture over the bread, press down, soak the pieces with the wet mixture, and ensure all the bread gets a good soaking.

Baking the bread and butter pudding 

1. Brush the remaining butter over the top layer, brushing it liberally to give the crust a golden colour.
2. Leave the bread pudding to rest for 10-15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).
4. Before you place the bread pudding in the oven, combine a tablespoon of sugar with half a teaspoon of cinnamon.
5. Sprinkle over the bread pudding.
6. Bake for 45 minutes at 170°C (340°F) or until the top layer turns dark golden.
7. Serve warm and cold.

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Notes

More tips

• Butter: a little to grease the dish, some to melt and drizzle, the rest brushed on top.
• Make ahead: assemble the night before, cover and refrigerate, then bake in the morning

Variations

• Make with raisins or sultanas: scatter 1/2 cup between the bread pieces.
• Add a Sri Lankan twist: use a few coco buns
• Make individual portions: bake in buttered ramekins for lunchboxes and parties.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 580Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 162mgSodium: 536mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 3gSugar: 39gProtein: 12g

Nutritional information on islandsmile is provided as a courtesy. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on the site. these figures should only be considered as estimates.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JEHAN
Recipe creator. Food Blogger. Video creator
I’ve been cooking and sharing Sri Lankan recipes, along with other dishes I love making at home on Island Smile since 2015. I’ve tested every recipe on this site more than once in my own kitchen before it goes on the blog.
I grew up eating this food, and I still cook it the way my family taught me, just written down clearly enough for you to follow.
If a recipe doesn’t work the way I say it will, tell me in the comments; I read every one, and I’ll help you fix it.