Vegan Bread Pudding

If you’ve been searching for an easy, impressive, and inexpensive dessert or sweet brunch dish, my Vegan Bread Pudding recipe is just what you’ve been looking for. This warm and cozy dessert casserole is loaded with the flavors of apple pie, perfect for serving warm with a scoop of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce.

This recipe was originally published on November 13, 2020. It was updated with new photos and information on February 5, 2023.

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Whether you call it apple pie bread pudding, french toast casserole, or baked french toast, treat your loved ones to this deliciously moist and fluffy treat that is the ultimate expression of comfort food. Every bite comes with pieces of spiced apples that'll take you back to childhood eating your mom's or grandma's apple pie!

Put your stale bread to good use in this plant-based twist on the classic American dessert. Made with creamy coconut milk and nutty chickpea flour in place of the eggs, this is a truly delectable and affordable dish that the whole family is sure to love.

What is bread pudding?

Bread pudding is a popular dish across the world, most likely because it’s super economical. It’s typically made using stale bread, eggs, and milk as the main ingredients. While it can be either sweet or savory, you’ll more often see it served as a dessert.

Savory versions often go by the name strata, which means “layered” in Italian. If you want to serve it for breakfast or brunch, simply call it french toast casserole and nobody will be any the wiser. 🤓

Is bread pudding vegan?

The milk and eggs in traditional bread pudding recipes usually make it unsuitable for vegans. That said, making bread pudding dairy-free and egg-free is easier than you might think.

A smart combination of coconut milk and chickpea flour does an amazing job of working as the binder, plus the coconutty flavor of the coconut milk adds a lovely tropical undertone that I can’t get enough of.

Why you'll love this bread pudding recipe

With the prices of eggs these days, I’ve been leaning more and more toward vegan-izing some of my favorite desserts. Not to toot my own horn, but turning my favorite sweet casserole into an eggless bread pudding may just be one of my most brilliant hacks yet.

Aside from being rich, tender, and brimming with tasty flavors, this apple bread pudding recipe is also:

• Quick & Easy - You’ll only need about 20 minutes of active time to make this scrumptious dessert dish.
• Budget-Friendly - While stale bread is a staple ingredient of this economical dish, making bread pudding without eggs adds another layer of affordability. 
• Meal-Prep & Freezer-Friendly - This is the perfect make-ahead breakfast/brunch or dessert because the bread needs some time to soak up all the custardy goodness. Whip up the apple pie filling and assemble the casserole the night before you plan on serving it so that all you have to do is bake and serve!
• Super Versatile - Making this vegan bread pudding with apple pie filling is but one option of many! Read on below for lots more inspiration.

Ingredients & Substitutions

While there are 14 ingredients in this dairy-free bread pudding, I’d be willing to bet that you probably already have at least half of them on hand in your pantry. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Stale bread - While fluffy white bread is the most popular for making bread pudding, you’re welcome to use any variety (or a mixture thereof) that you have on hand. Feel free to swap gluten-free bread!
• Coconut milk - Any full-fat canned coconut milk will do, but I’m loyal to Chef’s Choice for its simple and clean ingredients!
• Chickpea flour - Also called chichi flour, gram flour, or besan, this humble ingredient is a true kitchen powerhouse. While it’s used as an egg replacement in this bread pudding with coconut milk, it can also be used as a thickener in soups and stews, for making gluten-free batter for frying, or for making these incredible french fry-esque treats called panisse, just to name a few.
• Baking powder - Not to be confused with baking soda, this is an essential leavening agent for producing and light and fluffy result.
• Ground cinnamon & ground nutmeg - For extra warming power.
• Nutritional yeast - While “nooch” is often used as a cheese-flavoring in vegan dishes, I find that it helps this vegan sweet bread recipe achieve the vaguely eggy flavor I associate with custard.
• Vanilla extract - For added richness and complexity. You’re welcome to use an equal amount of vanilla paste or powder, or use half as much ground vanilla bean instead.

Apple pie filling ingredients:

• Apples - I generally like to use a mix of tart Granny Smith and sweet Honeycrisp or Fuji apples for my apple pie mix, but feel free to use any variety of apples you have on hand.
• Vegan butter - A touch of butter in the apple pie filling gives this vegetarian bread pudding recipe an extra layer of richness that is *chef’s kiss* amazing.
• Brown sugar - For sweetness with an underlying hint of molasses. You can use either light or dark brown sugar here, or opt for a less processed version like muscovado sugar, grated piloncillo, or jaggery.
• Apple pie spice - This warming mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom is one of my favorites, especially during the fall and winter. Feel free to use either a store-bought blend or make your own. In a pinch, pumpkin pie spice is also an acceptable replacement.
• All-purpose flour - For thickening. Feel free to swap in your favorite gluten-free cup-for-cup flour mix if needed. You can also use cornstarch, but make sure you only use 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon.
• Fine salt - Just a bit of seasoning helps to wake up all the bright flavors of the apple filling.

Optional Toppings

While this egg-free, dairy-free bread pudding is simply marvelous on its own, you can easily take it over the top by adding your choice of the following:

• Vegan vanilla ice cream
• Nature's Charm coconut caramel sauce 
• Maple syrup (perfect for breakfast!)
• Whipped coconut cream
• Chopped, toasted nuts

What is the best bread for bread pudding?

Generally speaking, I suggest reaching for soft-crusted bread like sandwich loaves, hamburger or hot dog buns, or dinner rolls to make this sweet bread casserole. Avoid hard-crusted artisan loaves, as the crusts resist soaking up the custard base.

Aside from that, you’re welcome to use any kind of bread you like! Whole wheat, multigrain, cinnamon raisin swirl, white bread, sourdough, or challah — they’re all welcome here!

How to make vegan bread pudding

Making bread pudding vegan is just as easy as making regular bread pudding. Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1: Make apple pie filling. In a pan, melt the vegan butter and add the slices of apples along with brown sugar, salt, and apple pie spice. Once the apples have softened a little, add the flour and coat the apples. Pour the water in and cook for 15 minutes while stirring continuously.

Step 2: Assemble bread pudding and let it soak. Cut the stale bread into cubes and place them in a baking dish. Mix the coconut milk, chickpea flour, water, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, and vanilla extract. Pour it over the bread, add the apple mixture, and mix. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Pour the mixture into a casserole dish.

Step 3: Bake the pudding for 50 to 55 minutes until it's nicely browned on top. Take it out of the oven and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Expert tips & tricks

• I like to keep a plastic bag in the freezer to toss in all my leftover hamburger & hot dog buns (I swear it’s a conspiracy that they sell 10 hot dogs and 8 hot dog buns in a pack 🤔), bread heels, and leftover dinner rolls that aren’t going to be used. When I have a sufficient amount, this coconut milk bread pudding is always at the top of my list of things to make!
• Don’t rush the soaking step. You want all of the custard to get soaked up into the bread so that each bite is soft and fluffy.
• Add a little sparkle to the top of your bread pudding by sprinkling some coarse turbinado sugar over the top immediately before baking.

Optional variations & dietary adaptations

• Swap the filling. Use pears instead of apples to make the pie filling. Or, instead of the pie filling, add your choice of mix-ins like sliced bananas, chocolate chips, toasted nuts, and/or dried fruits instead.
• If coconut milk is off the table, swap in a different high-fat milk option like oat or soy milk. If dairy isn’t an issue, you can also use regular milk! If you only have a thin option like almond milk on hand, use a 50/50 split of non-dairy creamer and plant-based milk.
• Make it completely gluten-free by swapping in your favorite gluten-free bread and a GF all-purpose flour blend.

How to make bread pudding ahead of time

There are two ways you can prepare this vegan apple pie bread pudding ahead of time.

1. Soak the bread overnight in the fridge (or up to 2 months in the freezer) and bake it when you’re ready.
2. Bake the bread pudding ahead of time, refrigerate it for up to a week, and reheat the entire pudding in the oven or reheat individual servings in the microwave.

Storage, freezing, & reheating instructions

The assembled, unbaked bread pudding can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, defrost overnight in the fridge, then bake as instructed.

The baked pudding can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to a month. 

To reheat baked pudding, allow to defrost overnight in the fridge, then cover with foil and warm in a 250F oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. You can also warm individual portions in the microwave or toaster oven if you prefer.

FAQs

Tools needed

• Serrated knife
• Cutting board
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Silicone spatula
• Casserole dish

More vegan dessert recipes

• Shiratama Dango
• Dairy-Free Fudge
• Coconut Macaroons
• Magic Bars
• Rice Pudding
• Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies
• Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

Alright, friends. I hope you love this recipe for Apple Pie Vegan Bread Pudding as much as we do! For more delicious dessert inspiration (with plenty of vegan and gluten-free options!), be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, or TikTok. You can also get all of my newest content delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for my email newsletter. 😉

Disclosure – Thank you to Chef’s Choice Foods and Nature’s Charm for sponsoring this post! I love both their products and brand values, and I’m so excited to be working with them!

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