This Hot Cross Buns Bread and Butter Pudding recipe is a perfect way to use up any leftover hot cross buns from Easter. It’s a small batch recipe so it takes only 2 hot cross buns to make and uses a loaf tin to bake in. In addition to the hot cross buns, it takes only 5 other ingredients and is so simple to throw together. The addition of milk chocolate chunks and blood orange zest really helps elevate the pudding and creates an interesting flavour.
Bread and butter pudding is a dessert made from taking stale bread like products like sliced bread, hot cross buns, croissants, brioche etc., and combining them with a simple egg custard. Everything is then baked together until the custard has set. The purist traditional version contains buttered sliced bread and raisins or currants.
According to the Daily Gazette, “Food historians trace the history of bread pudding to the early 11th and 12th centuries, as frugal cooks looked for ways to use stale, leftover bread instead of letting it go to waste. In 13th century England, bread pudding was known as “poor man’s pudding,” as it was a popular dish with the lower classes.” Nowadays, bread and butter pudding is common here in Ireland in gastro style pubs and bakeries and has many variations available.
To begin making this recipe, take a sharp knife, slice the hot cross buns into slices, around the same thickness as sliced bread and the same way. Place the slices into the loaf tin. Take the chocolate chips or chunks and place one or two between each slice. Scater the remaining all over. In a bowl or mixing jug, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined. Add the cream and blood orange zest and whisk until combined. Pour all of this mix over the sliced hot cross buns. Place into the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until the pudding has risen slightly and has a golden brown colour around the edges. To tell if it’s done, you can gently push down a slice of hot cross buns. If any liquid comes up, continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Once baked, allow to cool before slicing and serving.
If it’s not Easter time, but you’d still like to use this recipe, you can use a variety of different products instead. You can use slices of bread, croissants, brioche, anything that has a bready or danish pastry style texture.
Once the pudding has completely cooled, wrap tightly in cling film or place in an airtight container and store in the fridge.
This bread and butter pudding lasts for 3-5 days if stored correctly in the fridge.
As this pudding is custard based, I wouldn’t recommend freezing it. Due to the eggs, it defrosts weirdly and doesn’t keep the same texture.
It’s possible you didn’t bake it for long enough. To check if the pudding has baked completely, I like to gently press a slice of bread into the pudding. If liquid rises up around it, it needs a little bit longer in the oven.
Bread and butter pudding can be served either hot or cold. It can be served fresh out of the oven or cold, by itself or with custard, ice cream, whipped cream, melted chocolate, chopped nuts, fresh fruit etc. Leftover bread and butter pudding can be reheated in the microwave or oven, but only reheat the servings that will be eaten or served. Reheating bread and butter pudding multiple times can lead to an increased risk in food poisoning.
For more Dessert Recipes, check out my Dessert Category, here.
Maybe you have a bunch of Blood Oranges to use up? Take a peek at my Blood Orange Desserts, here.
Light, fluffy muffins with bursts of juicy blackberries.
A small batch version of the classic dessert of sweetened cooked apples and blackberries topped…
Easy, 5 ingredient peach and raspberry compote. Perfect for filling cakes, macarons, pavlovas, cupcakes etc.
Simple vanilla cake with peaches and raspberries
Easy, make ahead breakfast using granola, yoghurt of your choice and stewed rhubarb
Gorgeous, buttery scones with a crispy exterior and a soft, fluffy interior flavoured with bursts…