If you have leftover hot cross buns, this super easy, creamy, custardy hot cross bun bread and butter pudding is the BEST way to bring them back to life in a delicious new way.
If you’re anything like me, you probably have a few sad, stale hot cross buns hanging around your kitchen after Easter. Bread and butter pudding has long been a fabulous way to use up stale bread, but using hot cross buns as the base is pretty special.
Lots of bread and butter pudding recipes require you to make a custard before baking, but my version uses an easy shortcut. All you have to do is butter and layer your hot cross buns in an ovenproof dish, mix your custard ingredients in a bowl and pour that all over the buns. Then just pop into the oven and wait for the magic to happen.
What is bread and butter pudding?
This super warming dessert is a British classic – layers of stale bread are buttered, scattered with dried fruit, submerged in a gorgeously creamy custard and then baked until soft and creamy in the middle and crispy on top. It’s pure comfort, and a great way to use up any leftover bread.
Ingredients
Aside from the hot cross buns, the other ingredients for this recipe are regular cupboard staples.
- Hot cross buns. Regular or chocolate hot cross buns are great – just use what you have. You can make this with fresh hot cross buns too if you like. The recipe specifies 8 buns, but if you have less, it will still be totally fine. It will just be more custardy and delicious.
- Milk. I’m using regular whole milk, but skimmed or semi skimmed will work too, as will your favourite plant-based milk.
- Cream. I’m using heavy/double cream, but if you don’t have cream, just use more milk.
OPTIONAL: To up the Easter leftover factor even further, crumble up any leftover chocolate Easter eggs and sandwich them in between the hot cross buns before you pour over the custard.
How to make it
Butter an ovenproof dish, then slice your hot cross buns in half and butter both sides. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then pour in the milk, cream, sugar and the vanilla extract and whisk again to combine well. Layer the bottom sides of the buns in your dish.
Pour half the custard mix over the buns, then place the top halves of the buns on top. Pour the rest of the custard mixture all over, then leave them to soak for at least 15 minutes. As the buns soak and sink into the custard mixture, yo ucan press them down further. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the buns are looking golden and crispy on top and the custard is set.
Got a question?
Yes! This is a great recipe for using up stale buns, but fresh will work really well too.
Yes, you can. You can either assemble the pudding, then cover it with aluminium foil and leave in the fridge for a day, until you’re ready to bake it OR bake the pudding, then reheat it at 180C/350F fan with aluminium foil on top, to prevent the tops of the buns from burning.
It will keep for 3 days, stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
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EASY Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
If you have leftover hot cross buns, this super easy, creamy, custardy hot cross bun bread and butter pudding is the BEST way to bring them back to life in a delicious new way.
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy (double) cream
- 1/3 cup caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 hot cross buns
- 3 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Make the custard mix. Grease a large ovenproof dish with butter and heat your oven to 170C/340F fan. Add the 3 eggs to a large mixing bowl and whisk them together. Add 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1 cup of cream, 1/3 cup caster sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Whisk to combine well with the eggs and set aside.
- Arrange and soak the hot cross buns. Slice the hot cross buns in half, then butter both cut sides of the buns. Layer the bottom halves of the buns on the base of your greased ovenproof dish, overlapping them if need be. Pour half the custard all over the buns, then place the top halves of the buns on top. Pour the rest of the custard mix all over the tops of the buns, and let them soak for at least 15 minutes. PRO TIP: As the buns soak, you can press them further into the custard mix so they have a really good bath.
- Bake the pudding. Transfer the dish to the oven, and bake for 45 minutes, or until the tops of the buns are looking golden brown and the custard is set (you should be able to see this at the bottom of the dish). If the custard is still looking runny, cover the dish with aluminium foil and pop it back into the oven for another 10 minutes. Serve while warm and gooey!
Notes
INGREDIENT NOTES: I’m using regular whole milk here, but you could use skimmed or semi-skimmed. You could also use your favourite plant-based milk. If you don’t have cream, just use more milk. You can replace caster sugar with regular granulated sugar. Use regular hot cross buns, or chocolate buns (using mini egg chocolate hot cross buns is an excellent idea). And if you have less than 8 buns, that’s totally fine. This will work well even if you only have 4 or 5 buns – just use a smaller dish.
OPTIONAL ADDITION: If you have any leftover Easter chocolate, chop it up and sandwich it in between the sliced buns in the dish for a very delicious, chocolately centre to the pudding.
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The pudding will keep well for 3 days, stored in a covered container in the fridge. You can arrange the pudding a day in advance, keeping it covered with alumnium foil in the fridge until you’re ready to bake it. Once baked, you can reheat it in the oven (covered with aluminium foil) for 20 minutes at 180C/340F fan.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: desserts
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: british
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bun
Keywords: hot cross bun leftovers, bread and butter pudding
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