Enjoy this blueberry bagel bread pudding recipe any morning of the week, or save it for special occasions and weekends. Bursting with flavor, fresh berries, and sweetness, this bread pudding is sure to become a fast favorite!
Save This Recipe to Your Inbox
Enter your email and we’ll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you’ll join our email list and can unsubscribe anytime.
We are big fans of bread pudding around here (or at least, I am), but my kids are still undecided. Of course, that just means more for me!
We always buy bagels and keep them in the fridge, but on a busy week, they can easily get tucked in the back and forgotten. I love making Bread Pudding (with Hamburger Buns) with other stale bread, but bagels? Yes, them too!
Don't forget to check out this Oreo Bread Pudding and Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread Pudding too!
Jump to:
💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Great for leftover stale bagels. Bagels are always best when fresh, but tossing them out when they get stale can feel like a waste of money. Turn them into a fabulous breakfast by meal planning the leftovers into a tasty new dish.
- You can make it in advance! Have a busy morning planned, or want special Christmas Breakfast Ideas that doesn't take away from the morning festivities? This bread pudding can be prepped the night before and baked in the morning.
- Minimal effort. We use simple and basic ingredients as well as simple steps from chopping the bagels to whisking liquids, combining the two, and baking. This Blueberry Bagel Bread Pudding is very simple and pretty foolproof too!
🛒 Ingredients
Blueberry bagels- You can use blueberry bagels or plain bagels for this recipe. Honestly, almost any bagel would work well here. Even homemade bagels like Bread Machine Bagels, Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, or Banana Nut Bagels would work well.
Sugars- You will need granulated and brown sugar for added sweetness, caramelization, and depth of flavor.
Blueberries- You can use fresh or frozen blueberries, depending on what you have on hand. If you still have blueberries on hand, try this Small Batch Blueberry Muffins.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Bagel Options: You can use almost any sweet bagel flavor for this recipe, including mixed berry, cinnamon raisin, plain, French toast, pumpkin spice, or cinnamon
Bread Pudding Sauce: If you'd like to add a sweet drizzle on top, whisk together 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ⅔ cup powdered sugar, and 2 teaspoons milk or water until smooth.
Drizzle over the warm bread pudding, or skip the sauce and serve with maple syrup instead.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use stale bagels. This recipe was made for them! Stale bagels soak up the custard better and keep waste (and grocery costs) down.
Buy blueberries in season, or frozen. Frozen berries are usually cheaper and work just as well, especially when baked.
Stretch the custard. If you're short on bagels, add a handful of leftover sandwich bread or hamburger buns. Bread pudding is very forgiving.
Make it a complete breakfast with low-cost sides. Scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, or fresh fruit help feed more people without doubling the cost of the main dish.
🥄 Instructions for Blueberry Bagel Bread Pudding
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease the inside of an 8x8 baking dish or a 2 quart-sized casserole dish. Set it aside.
Step 2: Cube your bagels into 1-inch-sized pieces and place them into the prepared baking dish.
Step 3: Drizzle melted butter over the top of the bread.
Step 4: In a mixing bowl, combine all the other ingredients,
Step 5: Mix until smooth and well blended.
Step 6: Pour the mixture over the top of the bagel pieces. Try to get it to coat as much surface space as possible.
Step 7: Lightly press down on the bread so that it's submerged into the egg mixture and becomes wet.
Step 8: Top with some whole blueberries, if desired.
Step 9: Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a knife can be inserted and come out clean.
Serve with maple syrup and enjoy.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Mixing Eggs. Ensure the egg mixture is thoroughly combined to avoid any streaks of unmixed egg white. Use a blender or electric mixer if necessary for optimal results.
- Adjusting Sweetness. You can customize the sweetness of this dish to suit your taste preferences. While it's perfectly balanced as-is, feel free to add more or less sweetness according to your liking.
❄️ Storage, Reheating & Make Ahead
Storage: Keep leftover bread pudding covered in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze (without sauce) for up to 4 months in a well-sealed container.
Reheating: Warm individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.
Make Ahead: Assemble the pudding the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Let the dish sit at room temperature while the oven preheats, then bake as directed. If using a glass dish, allow it to warm on the counter for 30-60 minutes to prevent cracking.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve your blueberry bagel bread pudding with fresh fruit like berries or melon, or add protein with turkey bacon or sausage links. It also pairs beautifully with yogurt, a fruit smoothie, or a hot cup of coffee or tea for a cozy, complete breakfast.
- Maple Syrup Iced CoffeeRecipe $0.43
- Strawberry Blueberry ParfaitRecipe $2.97 / Serving $1.49
- Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and TomatoesRecipe $2.25 / Serving $1.13
- Pineapple Watermelon Banana SmoothieRecipe $2.20 / Serving $1.10
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes! Eggs help to make bread pudding more pudding-like. The goal is to have a crispy golden outer crust filled with a creamy pudding-like center, similar to what you'd find in french toast.
You will know that your bread pudding has finished cooking when it's golden in color and no longer looks wet. The egg whites shouldn't be translucent or jiggly. Using a food thermometer is the best way to know it's safe to eat. The internal temp should be a minimum of 160 degrees F.
It can be served hot, cold, or anywhere in between. I enjoy bread pudding when it's warm (mostly because of my sensitive teeth), but if you eat it after it's chilled, you'll find it's softer and more set, so it's also just as tasty.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Crustless Veggie QuicheRecipe $3.73 / Serving $0.47
- Peanut Butter Banana Overnight OatsRecipe $0.73
- Salted Caramel Banana PancakesRecipe $4.78 / Serving $0.34
- Egg White French ToastRecipe $0.81 / Serving $0.41
🐝 If you tried this Blueberry Bagel Bread Pudding, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Bagel Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 4 whole bagels, cubed - ($1.32)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted - ($0.50)
- 4 large eggs, lightly beaten - ($0.60)
- 2 cups milk - ($0.40)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar - ($0.09)
- ¼ cup brown sugar - ($0.11)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon - ($0.04)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - ($0.03)
- ¼ teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- ¼ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen - ($0.50)
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8x8 baking dish or a 2 quart casserole dish.
- Assemble. Place the cubed bagels in the prepared dish and drizzle evenly with the melted butter.
- Mix Custard. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
- Pour. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bagels, pressing gently so the bread absorbs the liquid.
- Top. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the top.
- Bake. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F.
- Serve. Serve warm, with maple syrup if desired.
Notes
- Even Mixing. Whisk the egg mixture thoroughly to avoid streaks of egg white.
- Make Ahead. Assemble the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Let sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before baking.
- Storage. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 5 days or freeze baked portions for up to 4 months without sauce.
- Reheating. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
Nutritional Information
Save This Recipe to Your Inbox
Enter your email and we'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
By signing up, you'll join our email list and can unsubscribe anytime.
Barb says
This is exactly what I was looking for. Planning on making tomorrow morning. Do you think I could sub out milk for almond milk? As ask this as I know it doesn’t work with instant pudding I’ve tried to make. Hate for the custard to not work in the bread pudding
Thank you
BeeyondCereal says
We've used low fat milk and almond milk for this recipe and it turns out great. I understand that almond milk doesn't always work in recipes, but this one is fine for it 🙂