eggless caramel bread pudding – step by step recipe of steamed no bake eggless caramel bread pudding.
this is a smooth, melt in the mouth pudding made with caramel and bread slices. here the caramel is made by melting sugar. not difficult but yes does require some practice.
the step by step pics will guide you through the process of caramelizing sugar. the pudding is steamed and hence does not need an oven.
this pudding can be steamed in a pan or pressure cooker or an electric rice cooker. in the step wise pics, i have shown both the methods of steaming in a pan as well as in the electric rice cooker. you can make the pudding with any bread, even a baguette or bun. also works well for 2 to 3 days old bread.
i have made this recipe many times and have even doubled it. so yes the recipe can be easily doubled and tripled. you can also add dry fruits like almonds, raisins or cashews to the pudding. the pics are from two batches of pudding i made some time back.
serve the eggless caramel bread pudding warm or chilled.
if you are looking for similar recipes then do check:
caramel bread pudding
INGREDIENTS FOR caramel bread pudding
for bread pudding
- 4 slices sandwich bread or 6 slices small bread (whole wheat, brown, multi grain or white bread)
- 1.5 cups whole milk or 375 ml whole milk
- 4 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or essence
for making caramel
- 2 to 2.5 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
HOW TO MAKE caramel bread pudding
making the caramel and bread pudding mixture
- chop 4 slices of sandwich bread into cubes. the smaller the better as then they can be easily mashed.
- in a pan, take 1.5 cups milk. add 4 tbsp sugar. then add 1 tsp corn starch.
- keep the pan on a low flame and stir so that the sugar dissolves.
- heat the milk on a low flame. no need to boil.
- once the milk has become hot, remove the pan from fire. add the bread cubes to the milk.
- mash very well with a masher or spatula. the bread crumbs need to be mashed finely. if not, then small pieces of bread will be felt in the pudding.
- add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and stir. keep this mashed bread and milk mixture aside.
- in another pan take 2 to 2.5 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp water. you can use any pan as long as the pudding mixture fits into it keeping about 1/2 to 1 inch space from the top.
- now place this pan on stove top and begin to melt the sugar.
- using a spoon stir this mixture while the sugar is melting.
- a stage will come when you will see lots of big bubbles in the sugar solution. keep on stirring so that the sugar does not start burning from the edges.
- then the solution will start turning brown.
- keep on stirring to get an even color and caramelization.
- when the color turns to a golden with small bubbles appearing, the caramel is ready.
- switch off and with the help of tongs or gloves, lift the pan and quickly start tilting & moving the pan, so that the caramel gets coated evenly on all sides. be careful as the caramel is very hot and the pan too. you have to be quick as once the caramel starts cooling, it sets.
- now in the pan, spoon the mashed bread and milk mixture.
- cover with an aluminium foil and poke holes with a tooth pick in the foil.
option 1. making bread pudding in an electric cooker
- boil about 3 cups water in the cooker. start heating the water when you are making the caramel.
- when the water becomes hot, place the pudding pan in the steamer pan.
- steam for 30 minutes, till the caramel bread pudding is set.
option 2. making bread pudding in a pan on stove top
- boil required amount of water in a broad pan in which the pudding pan can easily fit. the amount of water to be added depends on the size of the pan.
- place the pudding pan carefully in the broad pan. cover with a lid.
- steam on a medium flame for 25 to 30 minutes till the caramel bread pudding is set.
option 3. making bread pudding in a pressure cooker
- add water in the cooker. the amount of water to be added depends on the size of the cooker.
- the water should touch about 1 to 1.5 inch above from the base of the pudding pan. boil water in the cooker. then place the pudding pan in it, carefully.
- cover the lid of the cooker tightly. remove the vent weight/whistle.
- steam the pudding in the pressure cooker for 20 to 25 minutes till its set.
serving caramel bread pudding
- if you remove the bread pudding when it becomes warm, you won't be able to get a neat slice, but the pudding with its soft gooey texture taste yum.
- to get neat slices, you will have to refrigerate the bread pudding for a couple of hours and then unmold. you can even serve this pudding once it cools down at room temperature.
- slice and serve caramel bread pudding once its refrigerated. you can top the pudding with caramel sauce or chocolate sauce.
step by step eggless caramel bread pudding recipe:
1. chop 4 slices of sandwich bread into cubes. the smaller the better as then they can be easily mashed. you can use whole wheat, brown, multi grain or white bread. here i used a mix of both white and whole wheat bread.
2. in a pan, take 1.5 cups milk.
3. add 4 tbsp sugar.
4. then add 1 tsp corn starch.
5. keep the pan on a low flame and stir so that the sugar dissolves. heat the milk on a low flame. no need to boil.
6. once the milk has become hot, remove the pan from fire. add the bread cubes to the milk.
7. mash very well with a masher or spatula. the bread crumbs need to be mashed finely. if not, then small pieces of bread will be felt in the pudding.
8. add ½ tsp vanilla extract and stir. keep this mashed bread and milk mixture aside.
9. in another pan take 2 to 2.5 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp water. here i used my rectangular cake pan. you can use any pan as long as the pudding mixture fits into it, keeping about 1 inch space from the top.
10. now place this pan on stove top and begin to melt the sugar on a low flame.
11. using a spoon stir this mixture while the sugar is melting. stirring ensures uniform browning.
12. a stage will come when you will see lots of big bubbles in the sugar solution. do stir here too as the sugar may start burning from the edges.
13. then the solution will start turning to a light pale brown. keep on stirring to get an even color and caramelization.
14. when the pale golden color turns to golden with small bubbles appearing, the caramel is ready.
15. switch off and with the help of tongs or gloves, lift the pan and quickly start tilting so that the caramel gets coated evenly on all sides. be careful as the caramel is very hot and the pan too. you have to be quick as once the caramel starts cooling, it sets.
16. here is a pic of the caramel coated on all sides. let the caramel set in the pan. that is allow the caramel to cool down.
17. another pic with a round pan.
18. now spoon the mashed bread and milk mixture into the pan evenly.
19. a pic of the pudding mixture poured in a round cake pan.
20. cover the pan with an aluminium foil and poke holes with a tooth pick in the foil.
steaming in an electric rice cooker:Â
21. boil about 3 cups water in the cooker. start heating the water when you are making the caramel. by the time you are done adding the pudding in the pan, the hot water is ready and the pudding can be steamed.
22. when the water becomes hot, place the steamer pan on the rice cooker. now keep the pudding pan on the steamer pan.
23. cover with a lid & steam for 30 minutes, till the caramel bread pudding is set.
steaming in a pan on stove top:
24. boil 3 cups water in a broad pan in which the pudding pan can easily fit. this pan was a large pan, so i added 3 cups of water. please note that the amount of water to be added depends on the size of the pan. the water should touch about 1 to 1.5 inch above from the base of the pudding pan.
25. place the pudding pan carefully in the broad pan.
26. cover with a lid.
28. steam on a medium flame for 25 to 30 minutes till the caramel bread pudding is set. if you remove the pudding when it becomes warm, you won’t be able to get a neat slice with an even caramel coating on top, but the pudding with its soft gooey texture taste yum. to get neat slices, you will have to refrigerate the pudding for a couple of hours and then unmold. you can even serve this pudding once it cools down at room temperature.
29. below a pic of the pudding once it cooled down at room temperature.
30. in a round pan made with doubling the ingredients.
slice and serve caramel bread pudding once its refrigerated. you can top the pudding with caramel sauce or chocolate sauce.
I follow all your recipes with great zeal.I write them down in my cook book.I came across this recipe and tried it. It was delicious.I wanted to ask you, can I use brown sugar instead,if so ,is the caramelization procedure same with brown sugar?Thankyou for your wonderful recipes and picture explanations.
thank you sindhu for sharing this. yes, you can use brown sugar. brown sugar will caramelize faster than white sugar. to caramelize brown sugar, add some water. brown sugar has more moisture than white sugar, so you will need to add less water. so you can add about 1/2 to 2/3rd tablespoon water for 2 to 2.5 tablespoons sugar. the amount of water to be added will also depend on the size and type of brown sugar. so add less or more water accordingly.
does anybody have any recipes to make cookies cake or puddings in a nuwave oven?
can I use custard powder instead of cornstarch?
shilpa, you can use custard powder.
What is corn starch ? Can I use anything else instead of it ?
corn starch is called as corn flour in india and is easily available.
Thanks for the great vegan dessert recipe. It came out great. Added some cardamom powder to the milk and bread mixture. The result was pretty good. Nice and easy recipe.
Welcome Dr. Shruti. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback and the variation you did.
I tried this pudding and it turned out great..!! Thank you for sharing the recipe. Looking forward to more such simple yet tasty dishes.☺
Welcome Sharanya. Glad to know this.
Hi..I tried to make the pudding just now but it didn’t turn out like yours. It turned out to be kinda like creamy? Like not solid like a pudding supposed to be. Was I overheating it? And I didn’t mashed it but I blended the bread instead. 6 slices of bread with 375ml milk right? Please help out.
the quantities of bread and milk os right. could be since you blended the bread, thats why it needs to be steamed more. no worries. just steam for some more minutes. you can put the pudding back in the pan and steam for some more minutes.
I have been looking for an easy stove top bread pudding reciep for a long time. So glad that you have posted this. I am gonna try it today in a stove top pressure cooker.
I want to know a few things before I do. Do we have place the pan on stand in the cooker? And do we have to cook it on high heat first for a few minutes (after closing the lid)?
thanks ayesha. you can place the pan on a stand. it will be better as then the chances of water falling in the pan will be less. no need to cook on high heat.
Hii Dear Dassana. ..today I tried ur pudding . It came out very well..but the texture of this pudding turned out somewhat gooey and dense…is it right or texture might be light…wt about the texture of pudding made by u?? Plzz let me know and guide me..
samreen, the texture of the pudding is soft and not dense or gooey. its exactly the bread pudding one gets outside. if the pudding gets over steamed, then it will become dense. i am not sure about the gooey part. why the pudding was gooey. either it will become dense or gooey.
Yess…it was not like the soft pudding we get outside….it was dense.. yess…as per ur guess…I might overcooked it?
Next time..I ‘ll take care while cooking the pudding. ..thanxx for ur guidance Dear Dassana di?
fine. denseness will be due to over steaming. sure, cook for less time and then see the results. most welcome samreen 🙂
Can we use a steamer ( Tupperware’s SteamIt) !? If yes, pls temme de method and suggestions!
you can use. but i do not know how this tupperware is used. so unable to help you. if you have the instructions manual, then you can check in it or see on their website or a youtube video.
Shall i use a steel container instead?
usually with steel containers, it becomes difficult to remove or unmold the pudding. if you are fine with having or serving the pudding from the steel container, then you can use it.
I made the pudding today in a steel container and it easily came off from it.
thats great. i had made a couple of times in steel containers and the pudding was difficult to remove. thanks for letting me know.
How can I make caramel sauce for topping off the pudding with? I imagine the method above will give a saucy caramel.?
the recipe for caramel here will give less amount of caramel sauce. there is a good recipe i found online and you can try this one – http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caramel_sauce/
Seems great! I’m definitely trying this one. Can I replace vanilla and corn starch with custard powder?
Also for caramel what will work better- white sugar or brown sugar?
yes you can use custard powder instead of vanilla and corn starch. personally i feel white sugar works better.
Hi,
Can I make caramel with Jaggery?
i have thought about making caramel with jaggery. but i think it can be made. good idea though.
noth my pan loaf and cake pan are too big to steam…can I bake this instead? what would be the ideal temperature and time?
you can bake at 180 degrees celsius for 20 to 25 minutes or till the top gets cooked with a golden color.
Hi Dassana. I want to try this recipe but I don’t have cornstarch. Can you recommend me any other substitutes for cornstarch? Thank you.
you could try adding rice flour hope this help’s you.
I ve been making a lot of ur recipes for a long time… As I am from Mumbai n married to an UP Jain family, it was world’s apart for me. But ur blog helped me a lot. I made this Caramel bread Pudding n Lauki halwa today for a gtg, n got lots of praises all thanks to u dear. Just love you
we are very pleased to know you got to learn recipes from our food blog and got praises too. thankyou samta for your kind words god bless you 🙂
very clear we can realize what to do by step by step thanking a lot
welcome nethma pleased to know this thankyou so much 🙂
Hi dassana, all your recipes are very gud and I have tried some of these too.
I want to add egg to this recipe. So, in which step I should add it.
Is that adding one egg enough?
Please advice.
thanks jameela. one egg is enough. don’t add corn starch if adding eggs. beat the egg first very well. then add the beaten egg to the milk along with sugar and just lightly warm it. don’t heat too much. just warm the milk till the sugar dissolves.
hi dassana,
after reading the recipe i made this caramel pudding thrice, my MIL makes excellent caramel pudding, but along with bread she also adds eggs.. the first time i made the water from the cooker went into the mixture .. somehow we could eat it .. taste was OK … then second time i made it in the Idli maker … and yesterday again i made and it looked nice and tasted good.. practice makes a man perfect ….. thanks a lot for sharing dassana .. take care
regards
marina
welcome marina. in the first try did you keep the whistle on the cooker? because then the water can go inside. the whistle has to be removed and then steamed. i agree practice brings perfection. thanks for sharing positive feedback.
Hey dassana. no ya i dint keep the whistle… probably there was to much water and when it was boiling the water went inside … but the idle maker also works.. in that there is no chance of water going inside….. and today i made your leftover rice pudding recipe … which was very nice… just did not add the cinnamon powder… and tomorrow will make mango falooda … wow ………
take care and thanks for replying…
regards
marina
welcome marina. yes, too much water will also go inside the pan. thanks for your feedback.
Dont u think if we will add custard powder without mixing in water then it can cause lumps?
anamika, 1 tsp of custard powder will not give lumps. if you want then you can mix it.
And please also tell that the custard powder need to be mixed in 1 or 2 spoons of water like when we make custard and then added to milk or it should be added raw to the milk? Please reply to this and the previous question as soon as possible. I need to make it tomorrow itself.
anamika, you can add 2-3 tsp of water or milk.
And also, this is my last question, do i need to add vanilla extract though i am adding custard powder?
anamika, no need to add vanilla extract.
So the amount of custard powder should be the same as corn starch because i am using custard powder instead of corn starch?
And i have to add custard powder without mixing it in water?
anamika, yes same amount. no need to mix in water. just add directly.
Can we add brown n polson’s custard powder instead of corn starch? Please reply as soon as possible.
yes anamika, you can add custard powder.
Hi. We tried this pudding & it was delicious. We do have one suggestion & one correction. The suggestion is that only white bread should be used because using brown bread makes the pudding look an unappetising grey color. The correction concerns the steaming-in-a-pan process. You say that “please note that the amount of water to be added depends on the size of the pan. the water should touch about 1 to 1.5 inch above from the base of the pudding pan.” However, the pudding pan floats in the water!! So there’s really no control over the level of water.
thanks rajiv. yes white bread will look more appealing. but brown bread is more healthy. if you use homemade brown bread then the color does not become grey. when you soak store bought brown bread in the milk then milk becomes brown in color and may not look appealing. for me, the pan never floats. some times i use pots and pressure cooker for steaming and it has never happened that the pan is floating.