Savory Bread Pudding with Apples and Cheese

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For a fabulous brunch dish, make this savory bread pudding with apples and cheese. It’s simple to prep the night before, so you just toss it in the oven in the morning!

Apples are one of the fruits that instantly connects most people to the change in seasons. We all have wistful memories of changing leaves, apple picking, and warm cups of cider, regardless of whether we’ve actually enjoyed those autumnal traditions.

While most of us are turning to sweet recipes, apples work equally well in savory recipes like my pork cabbage skillet, a family favorite.

This savory bread pudding is inspired by my apple crumble pie with cheese. While we typically think of bread pudding as a dessert, this version is perfect for a fall brunch or to make before heading out to the apple orchard (or for another day on the soccer sidelines).

It comes together easily—you can even assemble everything the night before and simply pop into the oven when you wake up. Breakfast doesn’t get much easier than that!

Key ingredients for savory bread pudding

I recommend using a loaf of French bread for this recipe. You’ll need 8 cups of cubed bread, so if your loaves are on the smaller side, you might need to grab two. Stale bread works better than fresh. I don’t use challah for this recipe since it is already sweet.

For the apples, I recommend a good all-purpose apple like Gala, not one that is too sweet or too tart. Right now my family has been enjoying Cosmic Crisp and Envy apples, but there are so many others to try! You don’t need to peel the apples, but make sure to wash them, of course.

For the cheese, I prefer to use an aged, sharp white cheddar. White cheddar does not taste different from “regular” yellow cheddar; it just doesn’t have the annatto coloring. You can swap in your favorite cheddar, but make sure you buy it in a block and shred or grate it yourself. It’s cheaper and melts into dishes so much better!

How to make this recipe

Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or unsalted butter. I prefer to use a ceramic casserole dish. It bakes evenly and can go from the oven right to the table.

Cut the bread into even-sized cubes, about 1 inch. Combine the bread with the diced apples and grated cheese in the casserole, making sure everything is evenly distributed.

In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until lightly frothy. Carefully pour it over the bread mixture, pressing down to make sure the bread gets coated.

If you prefer, you can add the bread, apples, and cheese to the mixing bowl and then pour it all into the baking dish. However, I find this way makes it harder to ensure the apples and cheese are spread out in the pan.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap, then pop it into the fridge. It needs to rest for at least 2 hours to allow the custard to soak into the bread. It can rest overnight, but try to not let it go longer than 12 hours.

When you’re ready to bake the bread pudding, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the bread pudding from the refrigerator and take off the plastic wrap. Don’t forget this step unless you want a melted mess! Let it rest at room temperature while the oven preheats.

Gently press down on the top of the pudding to compress it a bit. Slide into the oven and bake for 55-65 minutes, until nicely golden brown.

The bread pudding will puff during baking, but as it cools, it will deflate slightly. Serve this warm alongside your fall brunch favorites like a pumpkin spice latte!

Recipe tips

Use a stale loaf of bread rather than fresh, so it can soak up the custard without falling apart. A loaf of bread that is 2-3 days old is perfect. If you need to, you can quickly toast the bread cubes in the oven to dry them out, much like if you were making stuffing.

Bread pudding needs to soak before baking, or you won’t get the classic texture. Make sure you have enough room in your refrigerator for a casserole dish before starting this recipe.

Don’t overbake the bread pudding, or it can dry out. The edges should be pulling away from the sides and the bread will be beautifully brown, but not too crispy. If your pudding is jiggly but the bread is browning quickly, cover it with foil to continue baking.

Try this savory bread pudding with different herb combinations, or swap the apples for pears! It’s a great fall-forward dish to make again and again.