Breakfasts, Desserts ·
Vegan Bread Pudding with Pears Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
This classic bread pudding is upgraded with tender pears, cardamom and walnuts. This vegan dessert is dairy-free, yet total comfort food with the addition of sprouted grain bread which makes it high in filling fibre and plant-based protein. It’s an amazing dessert or even a deluxe brunch!
You are in for a real treat…this decadent vegan bread pudding is a cozy and comforting dessert that will fill your kitchen with the most intoxicating scent as it bakes. Honestly, I should probably apologize in advance because it smells so good that it is really hard to wait until it’s time to eat!
The dietitian in me LOVES that this recipe is not only tasty but actually really high in fibre to keep your tummy happy too, thanks to the sprouted grain bread and pears. I believe that healthy and tasty aren’t mutually exclusive…which is why I started creating plant-based recipes in the first place!
Savoury bread pudding used to be one of my go-to special occasion mains but I don’t actually cook sweet bread puddings all that much – so I thought it would be fun to partner once again with my friends at Silver Hills Bakery to create this nutrient-dense and comforting dessert. Bread pudding is about as classic as it gets: it actually dates back to the 11th century Europe, where it originated as a way to make use of stale scraps of bread. It’s one of those plant-based dessert recipes that is super versatile, making it a great back pocket recipe for using up whatever fruit, nuts or flavourings are on hand.
What you’ll need for this healthy vegan bread pudding recipe
Sometimes, I just want a classic treat…and sometimes, I want something that’s as nutrient dense as it is tasty. Eat More Plants Cookbook is filled with nutrient-dense, lower sugar treats. And this pear bread pudding – which almost has the texture of a baked french toast – fits the bill beautifully too!
It’s really easy to make with just 9 everyday ingredients and 20 minutes of hands on time:
- 6 slices of sprouted grain bread
- oat milk or soy milk (makes it creamy!)
- One pear
- Maple syrup
- Walnuts
- Cornstarch
- Cardamom
- Vanilla
- Salt
How to make a Vegan Bread Pudding Sauce
Bread pudding is really quite simple: some bread, a few add-ins and a custard. Once you have the basics down, the variations are literally endless! Of course, it’s the custard that can be tricky from a vegan perspective…because custards typically rely on eggs for thickening and texture. You can’t just add a bit of flax and hope for the best. For this vegan bread pudding, I’m starting with a creamy plant-based milk like oat or soy and then thickening it even further by boiling with cornstarch. It’s a super simple fix – no egg replacers necessary!
What is the healthiest bread?
When it comes to comfort food, I find that using filling ingredients really ups the comfort factor. This recipe features Silver Hills Bakery’s brand new protein + fibre-rich Oat So Lovely Sprouted Grain bread to create a filling and nutrient-dense treat. Sprouted grain breads are made without flour, and sprouting helps improve digestibility of the plant-based minerals found in whole grain wheat.
Oat So Lovely is high in energizing B vitamins as well as selenium, manganese and copper. Two slices even contain 9% of your daily intake of zinc, which is an important mineral for gut health and immunity. Right now you can find Oat So Lovely at Costco locations in NW Canada, but more of you will be able to try it January 2020! If you need a swap, The Big 16 works beautifully too…as would any of their other loaves.
Vegan Bread Pudding Tips and Tricks
- Sprouted grain bread has a dense texture that holds up well with the sauce. If not using sprouted grain bread, use stale, day old sourdough so it doesn’t turn to mush.
- I was mindful of sugar creating this recipe, so you if like your bread pudding a bit sweeter, feel free to double the maple syrup
- Feel free to use whatever nuts you have on hand. Nut free? Try pumpkin seeds!
- Don’t have cardamom? Try cinnamon!
More Healthy Vegan Comfort Food Recipes
- Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
- Easy Vegan French Toast with Caramelized Bananas and Walnuts
- Roasted Tomato Soup with Sunflower Fennel Gremolata
- 5-Min Vegan Cashew Cream Alfredo Sauce
- Macadamia Ginger Banana Bread (Vegan, Gluten Free)
Vegan Bread Pudding with Pears
This classic bread pudding is upgraded with tender pears, cardamom and walnuts. This vegan dessert is dairy-free, yet total comfort food with the addition of sprouted grain bread which makes it high in filling fibre and plant-based protein. It’s an amazing vegan dessert, or even a deluxe brunch! Prep Time20 minsCook Time50 minsTotal Time1 hr 10 mins Course: Breakfast, DessertCuisine: AmericanDiet: Vegan, VegetarianKeyword: bread pudding, cardamom, pear, sprouted grainDietary Preference: dairy free, egg free, vegan, vegetarian Servings: 6 servings Author: Desiree Nielsen, RD
Ingredients
- 6 slices Silver Hills Oat So Lovely Sprouted Grain Bread or another sprouted grain variety
- 3 cups unsweetened oat milk or soy milk vanilla is nice here if you have it
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 apple or firm pear peeled, cored and diced
- ½ cup pecan or walnut pieces
Imperial – Metric
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) and place a sheet of aluminum foil on the oven rack to catch any drips as the bread pudding cooks.
- Grease a 8 inch round baking dish and cut a piece of parchment to fit the bottom.
- Cut each slice of bread into 1 inch (2.5cm) cubes. Layer half the bread, half the pear, half the walnuts into the baking dish, repeating with remaining ingredients. Set aside.
- Whisk together oat milk, cornstarch, vanilla, cardamom salt and maple syrup in a small pan until smooth. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Let boil gently for ten minutes, whisking frequently, to thicken and infuse milk.
- If you need to, lower the heat so it doesn’t bubble over or scald. The custard will coat the back of a spoon nicely when you’re done.
- Evenly pour the custard over the bread and gently press bread into the custard so every piece gets soaked.
- Sprinkle a bit more cardamom on top, then carefully place in oven (it will be hot!). Bake for 45-50 minutes until bread tops are golden and the custard is thick and bubbling at the edges.
- Let cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy warm or room temperature with a little scoop of cashew ice cream if you like!
Notes
This is a really adaptable recipe!! Try a few of these fun variations: Ginger: add 1/3 cup diced crystalized ginger, swap 1 tsp cinnamon for the cardamom, and chopped macadamia nuts for pecans Cinnamon Bun: swap cinnamon for cardamom, add ¼ cup raisins Dark Chocolate: Whisk ½ cup of dark chocolate chips into custard in last two minutes of cooking.
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Posted By: Desiree Nielsen · In: Breakfasts, Desserts
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Comments
Karen Vader says
If I swapped out the bread would the recipe be low fodmap? Thanks. Just starting out on the fodmap plan… Lots to figure out.
Reply
Desiree Nielsen says
Hi Karen,
It wouldn’t I’m afraid – pears are high FODMAP as are the nuts. Low FODMAP fruits like strawberry or pineapple wouldn’t work here. It’s tough when you’re just starting out on low FODMAP – did you know that my Banish the Bloat PDF has a full 7 day meal plan? The recipes are super delicious and it might help make low FODMAP living a bit easier. Also, be sure to check out https://georgeats.com lots of low FODMAP vegetarian and vegan recipes.
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