So…bread pudding has not always been my thing. Any of the times I used to make it it always seemed to come out soggy. This is certainly not an ideal dessert texture. Who wants to waste their sweet stuff calorie stipend on something with such a heinous texture? Certainly not I!
I vowed to discover where I was going wrong and I’ll admit that I was kind of embarrassed once I found out how simple the fix was. So ladies and gentlemen…stale bread is the key! I know this seems counterintuitive. Who wants to eat stale bread? You do! When it is covered in gooey, pudding-y sweetness of course.
If you attempt to make this recipe with fresh bread your results will be less than stellar. In fact, they may be downright dismal. Bread pudding truly is very low fuss but you need to adhere to this one golden rule: stale bread or no dice.
When bread is stale it is able to hold up its form and flaky texture while it is marinating in the chocolatey dressing this recipe calls for. When baked, the chunks can come together in a more natural way as opposed to just forming bread soup.
I like to use leftover sandwich bread that I wasn’t able to finish but feel free to use whatever it is you have on hand. For the most part, bread pudding is very forgiving and doesn’t take a lot of work. If you simply adhere to the golden rule, you are looking at an awesome dessert tonight. Cheers!
Chocolate Strawberry Bread Pudding
Fudgy, chocolate bread pudding full of fresh strawberries and topped with a sweet glaze.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Vegan, Baking
Ingredients
20 oz cubed, stale bread (about 6-8 cups packed)
1 c non-dairy milk
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 c canned coconut milk
1 tbsp vegan butter
1/2 c chocolate chips
1/4 c cocoa powder
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
For the glaze
1 c powdered sugar
2 tbsp non-dairy milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C) and lightly grease a 9 in square pan. Place cubed bread in a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a small measuring cup, combine non-dairy milk and cornstarch and whisk with a fork until cornstarch completely dissolves. Set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat coconut milk and vegan butter until mixture is warm and butter is completely melted. Do this in thirty second increments. Remove from microwave and stir in chocolate chips until completely melted.
3. To the bowl with the melted chocolate add in the non-dairy milk/cornstarch mixture slowly while whisking continuously. Once combined, whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla extract. Pour over cubed bread chunks and let sit for about 10 minutes. Fold in the strawberries.
4. Add bread pudding to prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until top looks crisp and golden. While the bread pudding is in the oven, whisk glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Add to finished bread pudding once it has cooled slightly. Bread pudding can keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or be frozen for up to a month.
Keywords: vegan, chocolate, strawberry, bread pudding
Looking for more fudgy recipes? Be sure to check out Perfect Vegan Brownies! I promise you they will make a wonderful addition to your chocolate repertoire.
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