Challah Bread Pudding takes bite size pieces of challah and bakes them with a flavorful custard and crispy walnuts! It’s a scrumptious Hanukkah dessert or special breakfast that the whole family will enjoy!
From my kids’ first taste of challah bread years ago they were totally in love! It’s soft texture, buttery taste and beautiful braid made them instantly hooked. When thinking about what I wanted to serve as a special treat when our family celebrates Hanukkah this year, I thought about how much the kids (and hubby and I) would love Challah Bread Pudding. After a meal of Roast Chicken and Zucchini or Potato Latkes I know the kids will freak out to have bowls of this luscious dessert offered to them. The best part is that you can serve it as both a dessert or decadent breakfast during this holiday season.
What is Challah?
Challah is a Jewish braided bread traditionally served at the three Sabbath meals – Friday night, Saturday lunch and late afternoon. The dough is made with eggs, water, flour, yeast and salt and has a rich flavor. Some challah recipes call for raisins, honey or seeds. It all depends on the celebration! If you’re wondering how to pronounce challah, most English speakers say it haa-luh (no ch sound). It’s a Hebrew word that starts with a letter there isn’t an equivalent for in English — the “ch” represents that letter. It’s the same reason you might see the winter holiday Hanukkah written as “Chanukah.”
Why I Love Challah Bread Pudding
This recipe takes no time to prepare and is a great use of any type of leftover bread. The creamy mixture the challah is baked in soaks into the bread as it cooks making it super soft inside with a nice crust on the outside. With the added crunch of the chopped walnuts, it’s out of the world tasty! Serve Challah Bread Pudding on its own or topped with maple syrup, honey, or whipped cream and you’ve got a unique dish to make this holiday season that will have your whole family thinking you’re a super star!
More Hanukkah Recipes
- Holiday Challah French Toast
- Chocolate Dipped Matzah with Sprinkles
- Apple Cinnamon Matzah Brei
- Potato Latkes
- Carrot Parsnip Latkes
- Eggnog Sugar Cookies
- Matzah Brei
How to Make Challah Bread Pudding
- Chop the Challah Bread: You’ll need about 1 pound of Challah chopped into 1 inch cubes.
- Make the Custard: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. This custard mixture is creamy, delicious and will give your Challah Bread Pudding TONS of flavor.
- Combine: Add your challah bread cubes and chopped walnuts to the custard mixture and stir to evenly coat.
- Bake: Place the mixture in a greased 8×8 baking dish. Bake at 350F covered for 30 minutes. Then, continue to bake uncovered for an additional 30-40 minutes until golden brown and set.
Whether you celebrate Hanukkah or not, this Challah Bread Pudding will be an absolute showstopper of a breakfast or dessert this holiday season!
Challah Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 loaf challah, about 1 pound, chopped into 1-inch cubes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the challah cubes and walnuts. Stir to coat evenly.
- Place the mixture in the greased baking dish and press down lightly.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake for 25-30 more minutes or until golden brown and set.
It was very easy to make and has a very good flavor. I tried it with whipped cream but I think it needs a custard or some type of icing on top.
Hi! Can I make this ahead of time? Can it sit overnight and nake in the morning? I’m thinking Christmas morning 🙂
Thank you for sharing hannukah recipes. This looks amazing!