Ultimate Vegan Apple Pie Bread Pudding: Cozy, Eggless & Dairy-Free Comfort Food

If you’ve been on the hunt for a show-stopping yet delightfully simple and economical dessert or a sweet brunch sensation, look no further! My Vegan Bread Pudding recipe is a true game-changer. This warm, inviting casserole is a symphony of flavors, reminiscent of a classic apple pie, making it the perfect indulgence. Imagine serving it warm, crowned with a generous scoop of creamy vegan ice cream and a luscious drizzle of caramel sauce – pure bliss in every bite.

This recipe was first shared with the world on November 13, 2020. To ensure you have the best experience, it was thoroughly updated with fresh photos and enhanced information on February 5, 2023.

Whether you affectionately call it apple pie bread pudding, a French toast casserole, or simply baked French toast, this gorgeously moist and fluffy treat is the epitome of comfort food. Each forkful delivers tender bread infused with creamy custard, studded with perfectly spiced apples that will transport you straight back to cherished childhood memories of enjoying your mom’s or grandma’s homemade apple pie. It’s a nostalgic journey for your taste buds, all while being completely plant-based.

This recipe is not only delicious but also incredibly resourceful, transforming stale bread into a culinary delight. We’ve given the classic American dessert a delightful plant-based makeover, substituting eggs with creamy full-fat coconut milk and nutrient-rich chickpea flour. The result is a truly delectable, affordable, and inclusive dish that the entire family, regardless of dietary preferences, is bound to adore. It’s a testament to how simple ingredients can create extraordinary flavors.

What is Bread Pudding? A Global Comfort Food

Bread pudding is a universally loved dish, celebrated across many cultures, primarily due to its ingenious use of leftover ingredients. At its heart, it’s a wonderfully economical creation, traditionally made by soaking stale bread in a custard mixture of eggs, milk, and sugar, then baking it until golden and puffed. This humble dessert’s history is rooted in preventing food waste, making it a sustainable and satisfying choice long before “sustainability” became a buzzword.

While often enjoyed as a sweet dessert, bread pudding boasts incredible versatility. Savory versions, often referred to as “strata” (meaning “layered” in Italian), incorporate ingredients like cheese, vegetables, and herbs, creating a hearty meal perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner. For those who enjoy a sweet start to their day, simply calling this dish a “French toast casserole” or “baked French toast” makes it an instant breakfast or brunch favorite, offering all the delightful flavors without anyone being any the wiser. 🤓 Its adaptability truly makes it a staple in kitchens worldwide.

Can Bread Pudding Be Vegan? Absolutely!

Traditionally, bread pudding relies on milk and eggs to create its signature custardy texture, which makes it off-limits for those following a vegan diet. However, I’m thrilled to tell you that crafting a truly delectable dairy-free and egg-free bread pudding is far simpler and more satisfying than you might imagine. The secret lies in a clever combination of plant-based ingredients that perfectly mimic the richness and binding properties of their conventional counterparts.

In this recipe, we harness the power of full-fat coconut milk and versatile chickpea flour. The coconut milk provides an unparalleled creaminess and richness, lending a subtle, delightful tropical undertone that I find absolutely irresistible. Beyond its creamy texture, it helps to create that luxurious mouthfeel characteristic of good bread pudding. Chickpea flour, on the other hand, acts as an extraordinary binder, replicating the structural role of eggs without any animal products. Its unique protein structure helps the pudding set beautifully, ensuring a moist, tender, and perfectly cohesive result. This innovative pairing ensures that our vegan bread pudding is not only suitable for a plant-based diet but also incredibly flavorful and satisfying for everyone.

Why This Vegan Bread Pudding Recipe Will Be Your New Favorite

Given the fluctuating prices of eggs and a growing desire for healthier, plant-based options, I’ve dedicated myself to veganizing some of my all-time favorite desserts. Transforming my beloved sweet casserole into an eggless bread pudding might just be one of my most brilliant culinary achievements yet! This apple bread pudding is not just incredibly rich, tender, and bursting with delicious flavors; it also comes with a host of practical benefits:

• Quick & Easy: Don’t let the impressive outcome fool you. This scrumptious dessert requires only about 20 minutes of active preparation time. The majority of the work is hands-off, allowing you to relax while the flavors meld and the oven does its magic. It’s perfect for busy weekdays or when you need an effortless yet elegant dish.
• Budget-Friendly: One of the core principles of bread pudding is its economical nature, utilizing stale bread that might otherwise go to waste. By making this recipe entirely egg-free, we add another layer of affordability. Plant-based staples like coconut milk and chickpea flour are generally more stable in price than eggs, making this a smart choice for your wallet.
• Meal-Prep & Freezer-Friendly: This recipe shines as an ideal make-ahead breakfast, brunch, or dessert. The bread truly benefits from ample time to soak up all that custardy goodness, which means you can easily whip up the apple pie filling and assemble the entire casserole the night before. This way, all that’s left to do on the day of serving is pop it in the oven and enjoy a stress-free meal! It also freezes beautifully, perfect for future cravings.
• Super Versatile: While we’re celebrating this vegan bread pudding with a delightful apple pie filling, the possibilities don’t end there! This recipe provides a fantastic base for endless creativity. Read on below for plenty more inspiration, from swapping fruits to experimenting with various spice blends and mix-ins.

Essential Ingredients & Smart Substitutions

While this dairy-free bread pudding recipe features 14 ingredients, don’t be intimidated! You’ll likely find that at least half of these are already regulars in your pantry. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need to create this comforting dish:

• Stale bread: This is the hero of bread pudding! While fluffy white bread is a popular choice for its softness, feel free to use any variety you have on hand – a mix works wonderfully. The staleness is key, as it allows the bread to perfectly absorb the custard mixture without turning mushy. For a gluten-free option, simply swap in your favorite gluten-free bread.
• Coconut milk: Opt for full-fat canned coconut milk for maximum richness and creaminess. I personally love Chef’s Choice for its pure and simple ingredients, but any quality brand will do. It provides the luxurious base for our vegan custard, imparting a lovely subtle sweetness and tropical depth.
• Chickpea flour: Also known as gram flour, chichi flour, or besan, this humble ingredient is an absolute kitchen marvel. In this recipe, it acts as a fantastic egg replacement, providing the necessary binding power for our custard. Beyond bread pudding, it’s excellent as a thickener in soups, a base for gluten-free batters, or even for making savory French fry-like treats called panisse.
• Baking powder: A crucial leavening agent that ensures our bread pudding achieves a light, airy, and fluffy texture, preventing it from becoming too dense. Be sure not to confuse it with baking soda!
• Ground cinnamon & ground nutmeg: These warming spices are essential for that classic apple pie flavor. They add depth, aroma, and a comforting warmth that truly elevates the dish.
• Nutritional yeast: Often lauded for its cheesy flavor in savory vegan dishes (“nooch”), here it plays a subtle but important role. I find it helps to imbue this vegan sweet bread recipe with a vaguely eggy, umami richness that mimics the complexity of traditional custard.
• Vanilla extract: A touch of pure vanilla extract adds an incredible depth of flavor and aromatic richness. You can substitute with an equal amount of vanilla paste or powder, or use half as much ground vanilla bean for an intense vanilla hit.

Apple Pie Filling Ingredients: The Heart of the Pudding

The apple pie filling is what truly makes this bread pudding sing, and these ingredients work in harmony to create that beloved taste:

• Apples: For the best apple pie filling, I typically use a delightful combination of tart Granny Smith apples (for their firm texture and bright flavor) and sweeter varieties like Honeycrisp or Fuji. This mix provides a balanced flavor and interesting texture. However, feel free to use any firm-fleshed apple variety you have on hand – just adjust sugar to taste if your apples are particularly sweet or tart.
• Vegan butter: A small amount of vegan butter in the apple pie filling adds a luscious, rich undertone and a wonderful mouthfeel, truly making it *chef’s kiss* amazing. It also helps in sautéing the apples to perfection.
• Brown sugar: Provides deep sweetness with lovely notes of molasses, which caramelizes beautifully with the apples. Both light or dark brown sugar work here, or you can opt for less processed options like muscovado sugar, grated piloncillo, or jaggery for even more complex flavor.
• Apple pie spice: This pre-blended mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and often cardamom, is my go-to for fall and winter baking. It brings a comforting, aromatic warmth. You can use a store-bought blend or make your own. In a pinch, pumpkin pie spice is an acceptable and delicious substitute.
• All-purpose flour: A small amount of flour helps to thicken the apple filling, ensuring it clings to the apples and doesn’t make the pudding soggy. If you need a gluten-free option, a good quality gluten-free cup-for-cup flour blend works perfectly. Alternatively, you can use cornstarch, but use only 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon, mixed with a little cold water first to form a slurry, then add to the apples.
• Fine salt: Just a pinch of salt is essential! It doesn’t make the dish salty but rather enhances and balances all the sweet and tart flavors of the apple filling, making them pop.

Optional Toppings: Elevate Your Bread Pudding

While this egg-free, dairy-free bread pudding is utterly marvelous on its own, adding toppings can take it from simply delicious to absolutely extraordinary. Here are some of my favorite ways to crown this comforting dessert:

• Creamy vegan vanilla ice cream, melting into the warm pudding.
• A decadent drizzle of Nature’s Charm coconut caramel sauce for an extra layer of sweetness and richness.
• Golden maple syrup, a perfect companion if you’re serving it for breakfast or brunch.
• Light and airy whipped coconut cream for a delicate finish.
• Toasted chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or almonds) for added crunch and nutty flavor.

Choosing the Best Bread for Your Bread Pudding

The type of bread you choose can significantly impact the final texture of your bread pudding. Generally speaking, I highly recommend using soft-crusted breads. These varieties absorb the custard base much more effectively, leading to a uniformly moist and tender pudding. Excellent choices include standard sandwich loaves, brioche, challah, hamburger or hot dog buns, or even leftover dinner rolls.

It’s best to avoid hard-crusted artisan loaves, as their dense crusts tend to resist soaking up the liquid, resulting in a less integrated texture. However, don’t let a specific bread type limit you! You’re welcome to use any kind of bread you like, as long as it’s cubed and a little stale. Whole wheat, multigrain, cinnamon raisin swirl, plain white bread, or even sourdough – they can all be transformed into a delicious bread pudding!

If you only have fresh bread on hand and an immediate craving strikes, don’t despair! Simply cut your fresh bread into cubes, spread them out evenly on a baking sheet, and bake at 325°F (160°C) for about 15-20 minutes, tossing once or twice, until they are dried out and slightly firm. This quick trick will prepare your bread perfectly for soaking up all that wonderful custardy goodness.

How to Make This Irresistible Vegan Bread Pudding

Making this vegan bread pudding is just as straightforward and rewarding as preparing its traditional counterpart. Follow these easy steps to create a truly memorable dessert:

Step 1: Prepare the Spiced Apple Pie Filling.

Begin by melting the vegan butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the peeled and sliced apples, along with the brown sugar, a pinch of fine salt, and the aromatic apple pie spice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften but still hold a slight bite – about 5-7 minutes. Next, sprinkle in the all-purpose flour and stir well to coat all the apple slices. This will help thicken the filling. Pour in the water and continue to cook for another 8-10 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens and coats the apples beautifully. Once done, remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Step 2: Assemble the Pudding & Let it Soak.

Cut your stale bread into uniform cubes, about 1-inch in size, and place them evenly in your chosen baking dish. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, chickpea flour, water, a pinch of salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth. This creates your rich, egg-free custard base. Pour this glorious mixture evenly over the bread cubes, ensuring every piece is coated. Now, gently fold in your prepared apple pie mixture. Mix everything thoroughly but gently, making sure the apples are distributed and the bread is fully saturated. This is a crucial step: let the mixture soak for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or even better, cover and refrigerate it overnight. This extended soak ensures the bread becomes incredibly tender and infused with all the delicious flavors.

Once soaked, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Transfer the mixture into your prepared casserole dish (if not already assembled in it).

Step 3: Bake to Golden Perfection.

Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the top is beautifully golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out relatively clean (it will still be moist). The pudding should feel set and lightly spring back when gently pressed. Once baked, carefully remove it from the oven and, here’s another crucial tip, let it rest for at least 30 minutes before attempting to slice or serve. This resting period allows the pudding to set completely and for the flavors to deepen, ensuring a perfect texture. Serve it warm or slightly cooled, with your favorite vegan toppings!

Expert Tips & Tricks for Perfect Vegan Bread Pudding

Achieving a consistently perfect vegan bread pudding is easy with a few insider tips:

• I always recommend keeping a dedicated plastic bag in the freezer specifically for leftover bread. This is a brilliant way to prevent food waste! Toss in those extra hamburger and hot dog buns (it’s a universal mystery why they sell 10 hot dogs and only 8 buns!), bread heels, and any dinner rolls that are nearing their end. Once you’ve accumulated a sufficient amount, this coconut milk bread pudding is always the first recipe that comes to mind!
• Do NOT rush the soaking step. This is perhaps the most crucial part of the process. You want every single piece of bread to fully absorb the rich custard mixture. This ensures that each bite is incredibly soft, moist, and fluffy, rather than dry or unevenly textured. For the best results, an overnight soak in the refrigerator is highly recommended.
• For an extra touch of gourmet appeal and a delightful crunch, add a little sparkle to the top of your bread pudding. Immediately before baking, sprinkle a generous amount of coarse turbinado sugar over the surface. As it bakes, the sugar will caramelize, creating a beautiful, glistening crust.
• Don’t overmix the bread once the custard and apples are added. Mix just enough to combine to keep the bread from breaking down too much.
• To prevent the top from browning too quickly, you can loosely tent your casserole dish with foil for the first 30-40 minutes of baking, then remove it for the remainder of the time to get that lovely golden crust.

Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations

This vegan apple pie bread pudding is a fantastic base, easily adaptable to your taste preferences or dietary needs:

• Swap the Filling: Instead of apples, consider other seasonal fruits! Use pears for a delicate autumn twist. Or, get creative with your mix-ins: add fresh berries, sliced bananas, dark chocolate chips, toasted pecans or walnuts, or dried fruits like cranberries or raisins. For a truly decadent twist, a swirl of pumpkin puree with pumpkin pie spice in the custard would be divine.
• If Coconut Milk is Off the Table: If you have allergies or simply prefer another option, you can easily swap the coconut milk. Other high-fat plant milks like oat milk (especially “barista” blends for extra creaminess) or full-fat soy milk are excellent alternatives. If dairy isn’t a concern for you, regular cow’s milk can also be used. If you only have thinner plant-based milks like almond milk on hand, use a 50/50 split of almond milk and a non-dairy creamer to maintain richness.
• Make it Completely Gluten-Free: Achieving a gluten-free version is straightforward! Simply swap in your favorite gluten-free bread (ensure it’s stale or dried as described above) and use a reliable gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for thickening the apple filling. Many excellent GF bread options are available that work wonderfully in bread pudding.
• Nut-Free Adaptation: If you’re avoiding nuts, rest assured this recipe is naturally nut-free (assuming your vegan butter and milk alternatives are nut-free, and you skip nut toppings). Coconut is botanically a fruit, not a tree nut, but always check labels if severe allergies are a concern.

Smart Strategies to Make Bread Pudding Ahead of Time

This vegan apple pie bread pudding is incredibly forgiving and actually benefits from being prepared in advance, making it ideal for entertaining or busy schedules. There are two primary methods to make this delightful dish ahead of time:

1. Assemble and Soak Overnight: This is my preferred method for maximum flavor absorption and convenience. Simply follow all the assembly steps, combining the bread cubes, custard mixture, and apple filling in your baking dish. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 8 hours). The extended soaking time allows the bread to become incredibly tender and fully infused with the rich, spiced custard, resulting in a superior texture. When you’re ready to serve, simply uncover and bake as instructed. You can even freeze the assembled, unbaked pudding for up to 2 months if needed – just thaw it overnight in the fridge before baking.
2. Bake and Reheat: If you prefer to have everything ready to go, you can bake the bread pudding completely ahead of time. Once baked and cooled, cover it tightly and refrigerate for up to a week. For individual servings, simply reheat portions in the microwave until warm. If reheating the entire pudding, cover it with foil to prevent drying out and warm in a 250°F (120°C) oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. This method is perfect for potlucks or when you need a quick dessert option.

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating Instructions

Proper storage ensures you can enjoy this delicious vegan bread pudding for days or even weeks to come:

The assembled, unbaked bread pudding is quite versatile. It can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to 3 days, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully. For longer storage, you can freeze it in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, simply defrost it overnight in the refrigerator, then proceed with the baking instructions.

The baked pudding also stores wonderfully. Once completely cooled, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For even longer enjoyment, the baked pudding can be frozen for up to a month. Ensure it’s in a freezer-safe container or wrapped securely to prevent freezer burn.

To reheat baked pudding (whether from the fridge or freezer after thawing), allow it to defrost overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Then, cover the pudding with aluminum foil and warm it in a 250°F (120°C) oven for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until it’s heated through to your desired warmth. This gentle reheating method helps maintain its moist texture. For individual portions, you can easily warm them in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a toaster oven for a slightly crispier edge, if preferred.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

More Delightful Vegan Dessert Recipes to Explore

If you’ve fallen in love with this vegan bread pudding, you’re in for a treat! There’s a whole world of delicious plant-based desserts waiting to be discovered. Here are some of my other favorite vegan dessert recipes that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth:

• Shiratama Dango: Chewy, sweet, and delightful Japanese mochi dumplings.
• Dairy-Free Fudge: Rich, creamy, and wonderfully decadent, without any dairy.
• Coconut Macaroons: Perfectly chewy on the inside, crisp on the outside, and packed with coconut flavor.
• Magic Bars: A truly magical layered bar cookie, completely vegan and utterly irresistible.
• Rice Pudding: Creamy, comforting, and a dairy-free take on a classic.
• Chocolate Chip Chickpea Cookies: An unexpected ingredient creates unbelievably soft and delicious cookies.

I genuinely hope you and your loved ones enjoy this recipe for Apple Pie Vegan Bread Pudding as much as we do! It’s a truly comforting and satisfying dish that proves plant-based eating can be incredibly indulgent. For even more mouth-watering dairy-free, gluten-free, and/or vegan dessert inspiration, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also get all of my newest content and exclusive recipes delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for my email newsletter — I promise not to spam you!

Disclosure – Thank you to Chef’s Choice Foods and Nature’s Charm for sponsoring this post! I love both their products and brand values, and I’m so excited to be working with them!

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