9 recipes for sweet and savory bread pudding

Sometimes nothing beats a warm serving of bread pudding for dessert ... that is, unless you top it with a drizzle of rich caramel and creme anglaise. Recipe: Pete's bread pudding

Nov. 13, 2015 8:30 AM PT

We love bread pudding. That's why we're sharing nine of our favorite recipes. Whether you're a fan of the simple, custardy classic, or you like to dress it up with white chocolate, whiskey sauce, caramel and more, we have a bread pudding recipe that will please every sweet tooth. We even have a couple of savory options, because bread pudding shouldn't be limited to dessert. Click on the photos below for links to the recipes.

La Boulange's croissant bread pudding

Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times

A deliciously different take on the classic, La Boulange sandwiches a rich, not-too-sweet croissant bread pudding between two crumbly short dough crusts. Dust the puddings with powdered sugar, and serve with whipped cream, chocolate sauce or fresh fruit.

Nopa's goat cheese bread pudding

Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times

Nopa's savory take on this classic comfort food is wonderfully rich yet amazingly light in texture. Served alongside a simple salad, it makes the perfect meal.

The Dearborn Inn’s bread pudding

Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

“If you find yourself in Michigan, you can find an amazing bread pudding at Edison's restaurant at the Marriott Dearborn Inn.

Warm chocolate bread pudding

Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

This bread pudding is rich with thick, almost pudding-like custard and deep chocolate flavor. Served warm, it's pure comfort on a plate.

Savory bread pudding

This bread pudding is is a savory combination of prosciutto, mushrooms, goat cheese and Gruyere, with a nice lift from chopped fresh thyme. Recipe: Savory bread pudding

Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

Executive chef Deepak Kaul shares Serpentine's recipe for savory bread pudding. He mentions that you can substitute whatever seasonal vegetables you like, and that the restaurant has used fall and summer squashes, sweet corn, fresh spring peas and wild nettles. The version we tested combines sweet carrots with smoky ham, and is scented with earthy sage and tied together with creamy Gruyere.

Zea's sweet potato bread pudding with rum sauce

Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

Unapologetically rich, Zea's dense sweet potato bread pudding has an almost cake-like texture, with a crunchy pecan topping. It's great on its own, but baptized with a thick, sweet rum sauce, it's downright inspired.

Chocolate brioche bread pudding

Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times

Chocolate and brioche. Need we say more?

Caramel banana bread pudding

Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

Cafe 14's take on bread pudding calls for croissants, which lend a soft, buttery texture to this classic comfort food. Rich caramel and crushed, ripened bananas are folded in before the pudding hits the oven. The resulting dish is a wonderfully rich play on flavors, at once looking like a classic bread pudding, but tasting almost like bananas Foster. We liked it even better after a quick trip under the broiler to crisp the top layer.

Pete's bread pudding

Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

The downtown Los Angeles restaurant may be gone, but the bread pudding recipe lives on. Top it with a drizzle of rich caramel and creme anglaise and dig in.

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