This Instant Pot Bread Pudding is Easy & Delicious
This Instant Pot bread pudding recipe is unbelievably easy! If you’re looking for a classic baked dessert that is moist and delicious, this bread pudding cooks in less than an hour.
I’m going to be honest – I had never tried bread pudding before this recipe. When my mom told me that we were going to make Instant Pot bread pudding for a fall dessert recipe, I was doubtful. I was thinking, can’t we just stick with pumpkin bread and apple cider donuts?
I wasn’t sure how 1) how delicious pudding could possibly be with bread in it and 2) how cooking bread pudding in the Instant Pot was going to work.
But my mother, per usual, was quite determined to convince me as bread pudding is her favorite dessert of all time.
How have I known my mother for 46 years now and I never knew how much she liked bread pudding??
When she brought the ingredients for the Instant Pot bread pudding over to my house, she pulled out one thing that really intrigued me and make me think “this is going to be good”: a loaf of cinnamon bread.
I’m a huge fan of cinnamon bread and it’s a key ingredient in this bread pudding recipe. And what’s the advantage of cooking it in the Instant Pot?
Well, with this bread pudding you can just toss all of the ingredients into the pot, press a button and forget it.
Then when you open the lid, prepare to receive the most delicious smell . . . and a moist bread with a perfect crust.
I’m all about the tasty crust on the outside with the soft, delicious bread on the inside. Can you tell I quickly became a BP convert?
Note: if you have to buy bread for this recipe anyway, which we did, it’s easier to just buy a loaf of cinnamon bread.
We find that cinnamon bread has a harder crust typically, and so is easy to cut into chunks.
You don’t have to wait for it to go slightly stale so you can cut it. However if you already have bread you’d like to use, then you’ll just need 3/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (also added in the recipe below).
Ingredients
- 1 small loaf cinnamon bread cut in chunks OR 1 loaf of slightly stale bread, 3/4 c sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cans evaporated milk – 12 oz. each
- 5 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 T pumpkin pie spice
- 3 pats butter
Sauce
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cooking in the Instant Pot
You’re going to use the pot in pot method for this dessert.
Pot in Pot Method
Add at least 1 – 1 1/4 cups water to the bottom of the Instant Pot and place in the trivet.
Place in an Instant Pot safe vessel and pour in the mixture. Place the three pats of butter on top.
Close the lid of your Instant Pot, press the Multigrain function and adjust to 30 minutes. Set the valve to Sealing.
Open the lid of your Instant Pot and check the inside of the bread. If it’s moist, it’s done! If it’s still too wet, close the Instant Pot and cook again (Multigrain function) for 10 minutes.
Once the bread pudding is fully cooked, turn off the Instant Pot and let cool. You can do a natural pressure release – we did a quick release.
The bread pudding is so moist that a natural pressure release will be fine. However, I’m impatient and I like quick releases!
Bread Pudding Sauce
Place a pot on medium heat on the stove. Add the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Heat and stir until fully melted and thickened, about 5 – 8 minutes. Cut the bread pudding into 8 pieces and then drizzle the sauce over each piece. Serve.
Vanilla Sauce
Some people have asked about a vanilla sauce for this recipe. To make it, add 1/2 stick butter, 1/2 c white sugar, 1/4 brown sugar, 1/2 cup whipping cream, and 1 tsp vanilla extract to a saucepan.
Heat and stir until fully melted and thickened, about 5 – 8 minutes. Drizzle the sauce over each piece.
This Instant Pot bread pudding just looks amazing. And it tastes better than it looks!
I find that this bread pudding stores well in the refrigerator in a plastic container for a few days. I’d make the sauce right when you serve it, as it doesn’t keep well.
I have to say, I’m a convert now. I see why this Instant Pot dessert is my mom’s favorite recipe of all time. If you try her Instant Pot bread pudding, let me know in the comments. She’ll be absolutely thrilled!
Instant Pot Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 small loaf cinnamon bread cut in chunks OR 1 loaf of slightly stale bread if your bread isn't cinnamon, add 3/4 c sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 28 oz evaporated milk 2 cans
- 5 eggs
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 T pumpkin pie spice
- 3 pats butter
Drizzle Sauce
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the bread (cut into chunks) into a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix the evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Pour over the bread, mix thoroughly, and soak for an hour in the fridge.
- Spray your Instant Pot with cooking spray and pour in the mixture. Place the three pats of butter on top.
- Close the lid of your Instant Pot, press the Multigrain function and adjust to 30 minutes.
- Open the lid of your Instant Pot and check the inside of the bread. If it's moist, it's done! If it's still too wet, close the Instant Pot and cook again for 10 minutes (on the Multigrain setting).
- Once the bread pudding is fully cooked, turn off the Instant Pot and let cool. You can do a quick release of the steam or a natural release. We did a quick release.
For the Drizzle Sauce
- Place a pot on medium heat on the stove. Add the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Heat and stir until fully melted and thickened, about 5 – 8 minutes.
- Cut the bread pudding into 8 pieces and then drizzle the sauce over each piece. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might like the other recipes that use an Instant Pot:
I own a 3qt. IP.
Do I simply half the recipe?
I can’t really rate this yet as I’m STILL waiting. I followed your recipe exactly and I’ve been waiting a long time on this multigrain setting to pressurize. So while waiting I’ve read that setting takes 60 minutes before it even starts. So my 30 minutes bread pudding is going on 1.5 hours. Is this what you’ve experienced using this setting? I think adding that in to the instructions would be very helpful. Fingers crossed that if it ever cooks it will be worth the wait.
Hi Donna! I’m sorry you had trouble with the recipe 🙁 I’m going to do a little research – I didn’t have this issue with the setting but I want to make sure the instructions are accurate, so I’ll investigate and update!
I, too, am still waiting over an hour for my 30 min coon time to actually begin. I’m new-ish to the Instant Pot, but this seems silly??
Donna, I’m so glad you said that. I thought I was doing something wrong. Mine has about 10 minutes left to cook. Can’t wait to try it!
How much cook time if you halved the recipe? Thank you this recipe looks delicious can’t wait to try it!
there is such a variety of loaf sizes these days, can you give an approximation of cups of cut up bread and how packed for the measure (loosely, moderately)?
Hi Becky! We used a 10 oz loaf. We didn’t pack the bread too much. Moderately but not completely pressed in.
This looks easy. I want to try, but don’t have a pot like that. Another thought, while living in near Little Rock, AR, a few years ago, we bought Wonderful! bread pudding from a Barbecue place. I believe they had brandy either in the pudding or the sauce. Sooo good. Any ideas?
If you want to use fresh, and I mean fresh from the cow raw milk *only kind we have in our house* what would the conversion be for the 2 cans of evap milk? Hubs fave is his Memaws bread pudding so I really want to impress. Thanks!
Connie check out this conversion chart: https://food52.com/blog/25012-best-substitutes-for-evaporated-milk
What size IP? I have an 8 qt. Also, do you set it on “Steam” or “Venting”?
Hi Harriet Ann! We have a 6-quart. And the lid on mine says Sealing vs. Venting – we did Sealing.
Want to try this recipe. I love bread pudding. Only thing is, I feel really stupid. What is an Instant Pot?
Hi Donna! It is essentially a pressure cooker! It’s a countertop device that uses pressure to cook items within it’s little belly. Looks like a slow cooker. 😀
It gave me tingles, REALLY! If you make it with Challa Bread, try adding some chunks of cream cheese and spoonfuls of jam. Absolutely divine! I am going to try it with cinnamon raisin bread and add canned pineapple chunks to it! It really is worth a little extra gym time to be able to eat this bread pudding!
It gave me tingles, REALLY! If you make it with Challa Bread, try adding some chunks of cream cheese and spoonfuls of jam. Absolutely divine! I am going to try it with cinnamon raisin bread and add canned pineapple chunks to it! It really is worth a little extra gym time to be able to eat this bread pudding!