Holiday Treats to Try: Nutella Bread Pudding

Today's post is in honor of... nope! Not Valentine's Day. Well it could be if you'd like it to be... That's fine too. But I'm truly dedicating this one to Alice Ricks. Happy Birthday my dear! You get a whole holiday to yourself. 

The following recipe was passed around the office via email a few months ago, and I totally wanted to test it. Simple enough, and involving Nutella, this bread pudding is easy to make and versatile. I’ll give you the basic recipe – and then you fly with it.

Ingredients:

3 large croissants (best if 1-2 days old)

1 cup Nutella

1/3-cup pecan halves or pieces

2 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4-teaspoon salt

1/2-cup powdered sugar

Serving size: 4 – 6 depending on pan. Recipe also doubles easily. 

Step 1: Preheat the over to 350 degrees F.

Step 2: Slice the 3 croissants lengthwise, like shown below. Cover one half with the Nutella spread. Then place the halves together to make a sandwich.

Step 3: Cut the croissant sandwiches into 2-inch pieces. Remember this is not a science. Don’t fret – some pieces will be bigger than others.

Step 4: Place the pieces into a pan, and then add the pecans to the top. I used a 9.5in x 9.5in pan, but the originally recipe called for a 10in x 5in loaf pan. See what you have that will fit all the croissant pieces, and take the size into account when baking. But we’ll discuss this in a few minutes.  

Step 5: Add the eggs, cream, salt, sugar, and vanilla extract into a separate medium-sized bowl. Whisk together until the liquid is fully mixed. This will be your custard.

Step 6: Pour the custard evenly over the bread pieces. Then use a fork or your finger to gently push down the bread into the liquid so that it absorbs the custard.

Step 7: Cover with aluminum foil. Let the dish bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Next, remove the foil, and place the dish back into the oven for another 10 minutes. Here is where you should use your own judgment. Possibly because I used different pan sizes, my bread pudding cooked at least another 5 minutes in the oven uncovered. 

Step 8: Let your Nutella Bread Pudding cool, and then sprinkle a little leftover powdered sugar on top.

There are a ton of things you could add to this recipe. I put cinnamon and brown sugar on top of one of my bread puddings, which then made me wish I’d stuck some chopped green apples into the croissant!

On that note, I’m digging in.

Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Birthday Alice!