December 1, 2022

Cranberry Bourbon Vegan Bread Pudding

It’s the perfect easy holiday dessert- vegan bread pudding, flavored with bourbon and marzipan, studded with apples and cranberries, and all topped with an easy cardamom custard. The top of the pudding is crispy and sweet, and the inside is soft and slightly mushy. I was trying to find a more appetizing way of saying mushy, and the best I found was a writer describing bread pudding as the dessert equivalent of a snuggly warm blanket in winter. This “blanket” is punctuated with tart cranberries and sweet apples. The sweetness from the bourbon and the melted bits of marzipan adds just that bit of magic to transform bread pudding from homely to spectacular. Top with a silky, cool oat milk cardamom custard, and dessert is made. From Christmas eve to New Year’s, this dessert is perfect for the holidays.

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How to Make Vegan Bread Pudding with Cardamom Custard

Bread pudding is a really easy dessert to make- it just involves chopping, mixing, and throwing it into the oven. Cut your bread into cubes- about 1/2-1 inch large. It’s best if the loaf is fairly stale before starting. The apples should be cut even smaller than the bread. Place both in the bowl with cranberries and ground chia seeds- you could use ground flax seeds instead, if you prefer. The whole mix is going to get rehydrated with a mixture based in oat milk. You’re going to combine oat milk, brown sugar, spices, and bourbon in a saucepan, and heat them to combine. If you would rather not use bourbon, you can substitute with another liquor, use a 1/4-1/2 tsp. of almond extract, or just omit. Let the whole mixture soak for a while. After about an hour, all the liquid will have been soaked up by the bread. Cut your marzipan into small pieces and fold it in. I didn’t actually know until recently that you can find marzipan in your average grocery store in the US. In my store it was near the vanilla extract. If you can’t find it in your store, you can always try buying it online. You can also make your own- I’ve never done it personally, but you can follow a simple recipe, like this one, if you want to give it a try. Transfer the bread pudding mixture to the oven, and bake so the top gets a little crispy, and the insides set.

While that is cooking, make a custard to go with it. The custard is a mix of oat milk, cornstarch (to thicken it), sugar, vanilla, cardamom and turmeric. The turmeric is added just to give a slight yellow flavor to the custard, otherwise the cardamom can turn your custard slightly gray. I added about 1/8th of a tsp. of the turmeric, but if I was doing it again I might add even less. Blend the ingredients together, heat to thicken, and blend again to remove lumps.

And you’re done! You have an amazing cranberry bourbon bread pudding with a silky cardamom custard.

Cranberry Bourbon Vegan Bread Pudding

Ingredients

For the Pudding:

1 lb. stale sourdough bread
2 large apples
6 oz. fresh cranberries
¼ cup chia seeds, ground
3 cups oat milk (or other plant-based milk)
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup bourbon
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cardamom
¼ tsp. ground cloves
5 oz. marzipan
2 tbsp. vegan butter

For the Custard:

2 cups oat milk (or other plant-based milk)
¼ cornstarch
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground turmeric

Instructions

Slice the bread into small cubes and place them in a large mixing bowl. Cut the apples into small cubes and add them to the bowl. Place the cranberries and ground flax in the bowl as well.
Add the 3 cups milk, brown sugar, bourbon, and spices to a small saucepan. Heat, stirring, until all the sugar is dissolved. Pour the warmed milk mixture over the bread, stir well, and set aside for 30-60 minutes, mixing it up once or twice, until all the milk is soaked in.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Chop the marzipan into small pieces, and fold it into the bread pudding. Pack the mixture into a 9x12 inch glass baking dish. Dot the top with small bits of plant-based butter. Once the oven is heated, transfer the pudding to the oven and bake for about an hour.
As the bread pudding gets near the end of the cook time, start on your cardamom custard. Add the 2 cups of oat milk to a saucepan, along with the cornstarch. Use an immersion blender to combine the two together well, so there are no lumps. Add the sugar, and turn on the heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring, and the mixture will quickly thicken. Take off the heat, add the vanilla, cardamom, and turmeric. Use your immersion blender to incorporate the additional ingredients and remove any lumps.
When the pudding is cooked, let it cool for a few minutes to help it set. Serve with the cardamom custard, and enjoy!

https://veryveganval.com/2022/12/01/cranberry-bourbon-vegan-bread-pudding/

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