Our easy apple bread pudding recipe with a loaf of bread and a can of pie filling is what we're calling this but you can call it good!! It's the solid Fall dessert made with only 5 ingredients and canned fruit on top.

A square of apple pie bread pudding with glaze on a white plate, next to a baking dish and green patterned napkin.

We've been making a lot of easy dessert recipes recently, but we think these bread pudding recipes top the list. They only need a few ingredients and are super simple to throw together. We promise, let us share what we did to make this fabulous warm quick and easy dessert.

Ok so this creation started at a friends house……. Our families were hanging out and amongst our conversations her husband spoke up and said “ok, we have what you need to make next. You need to combine bread pudding with like apple pie filling together!!” So we went to work the next day.

You can use a loaf of bread from the store and leave out overnight or if you have day old French bread loaf that is even better. With some sugar, eggs and milk you soak it to make the base until tender. After baked in the oven spread any fruit pie filling on the top.

We LOVE new ideas so if you have something in mind you seriously need to send us an email and tell us your thoughts. Who knows…it might end up on the blog like this apple pie bread pudding!!

Ingredient notes

We have made it both ways using bread cubes. French bread is great if we happen to think of grabbing a loaf when we're at the store. BUT another way that has worked well is using a loaf of bread like the Artesano you see above with thick slices.

You'll need a large bowl for your milk sugar and egg mixture to pour into a rectangle 9×13″ baking dish. Cooking spray is kinda' a must if you ask us so you can get the pieces out easily too.

On top to make things super easy we use a can of apple pie filling with the sweet ooey gooey sauce + fruit that is already peeled and softened so there is no prep necessary on your part, you pour it on top when done before serving.

Can you use fresh apples?

You could slice fresh fruit over the top but you wouldn't have that sweet goo which is kinda' a must. You could use them to make your own homemade apple pie filling though which would be better. We like when done to put scoop 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream on top too.

Three steps showing apple pie bread pudding: bread pieces, apple filling added to create good layers, and the finished apple pie bread pudding drizzled with sweet icing.

We went back to our easy banana bread pudding recipe we made years ago to look at how we made the bread pudding portion of that, grabbed some apple pie filling and started layering.

He had suggested, bread pudding, pie filling, then bread pudding again but using 1 loaf of French bread there wasn't quite enough to cover the bottom. We decided to skip the top layer and put it all on the bottom and it worked great.

How Long to Bake Apple Bread Pudding

Let us tell you that not all of our creations turn out, so this was an experiment. We threw it into the oven and checked it about 30 minutes later and it looked like it was working. We did it a few more times and that was dead on.

One of the most important parts in making the solid homemade bread pudding is the cook time. You DO NOT want to overbake it, it should be moist. BUT you need to ensure the egg is cooked too, it's a fine balance.

A glass dish filled with warm apple pie bread pudding, topped with sliced apples and a sweet glaze.

How do you know when bread pudding is done?

You want the breading to be super moist but you also want the egg to be cooked. There is a fine balance so the best bet is to look and test the center of the dish that takes the longest to firm up. Look at it and once the egg has turned white and no longer clear or opaque in color and slightly firmed to the touch it is done. The edges will start to pull away from the sides of the pan as well.

Tips for Success

Use day old thick slices of bagged bread that is a bit stale. If not, the pieces will fall apart and become mush when mixing ingredients. If it is fresh leave the end open overnight and you'll be set.

Always preheat oven to 350 degrees before putting it inside or the texture won't be ideal so wait until it is ready for you. As for the dish you are using you want to prep it with non stick spray or it won't slide out easily.

Gently spread apple filling on top as a top layer, don't mix it together. Make sure it is spread evenly so one part isn't thicker than the rest. Ensure the egg is cooked before taking it out, but not overcooked (tricky part, but after 1 batch you'll know what to look for – no clear egg left, lightly browned. on top)

Close-up of a glazed apple pie bread pudding slice, reminiscent of bread pudding, on a white plate.

Apple Bread Pudding Recipe

By Easy apple pie bread pudding with apple pie filling is what we're calling this but you can call it good!! The solid Fall dessert with only 5 main ingredients. Prep: 15 minutes minsCook: 35 minutes minsTotal: 50 minutes minsServings: 12 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

1 loaf bread, day old French bread, or thick sandwich bread slices like Artesano from Sara Lee – ends removed
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar white, granulated
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cup milk, we used 2%, whole is great too
1 can apple pie filling, 21 oz.

Instructions

Spray the inside of your 13×9 pan with non stick spray and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice your french bread into thick slices (discard ends), then cut each slice into about 6 equal pieces. Put all of these pieces into a bowl. Pour your milk on top.
In another bowl whisk together you sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon.
Pour your egg mixture on top of your bread pieces and gently mix together so bread pieces are coated well.
Dump this bread mixture into your pan and spread out so it's even across your pan.
Empty your can of apple pie filling on top of this bread mixture making sure to evenly distribute the apples across the pan.
Bake for approx 35 minutes or until the egg in the pan is cooked and bread is no longer wet.
Allow to rest 5 minutes so you can cut a clean slice, can serve with a drizzle of vanilla frosting on top.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast, DessertCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

Can you freeze leftover bread pudding?

Frozen bread pudding, baked ahead of time, is fine stored in airtight containers for 2 to 3 months. To reheat leftover bread pudding in the microwave do so in 30 second intervals. Cutting your piece in half before heating will give you a more even heating too which helps and adding frosting to the top will make it more moist too.

Other fruit desserts you'll love

If you want a slightly sweet treat that can be a breakfast too, try our apple zucchini muffins using fresh produce.

Oh yeah, you can make this with other pie fillings too. Strawberry bread pudding is like this but if with berries of course. When to do more in the near future we will share those too, but if you prefer another fruit then go for it!!

Raisin bread pudding is a version of this but without the pie filling. Cherry monkey bread is a fun one if you like ooey gooey breakfast ideas. Cherry pineapple dump cake recipe for birthdays in our house

For another fall favorite you should try our pumpkin pie sheet cake after this one.