Bringing Balance: Holiday Bread Pudding

Bread pudding is truly classic holiday comfort food. Warm, gooey, sweet & satisfying, it’s a nostalgic holiday dessert.  Unfortunately, traditional bread puddings are usually made with loads of not-so-healthy white bread, sugar, butter, and cream.

  This delicious, perfectly-spiced, lighter version is 100% wholegrain, low-sugar, and dairy-free. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly gooey, sweet and tangy too, and will warm your holiday spirit (and belly) without weighing you down. This simple recipe assembles in just a few minutes, and makes a wonderfully sweet ending to a wintry evening and an equally delicious start to a cozy holiday morning. It might just become your healthy new holiday tradition!

 

Pudding:

8 c. 100% whole grain bread, cut into 1” cubes (about 1 loaf)

1 cup cooked sweet potato (peel removed)

2 c. almond milk

2 eggs

1/3 c. maple syrup

1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce

2 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp grated orange rind

1 tbsp orange juice

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 c. fresh, or frozen & defrosted, cranberries

 

Topping:

1tsp melted coconut oil

1 tsp maple syrup

1/3 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp cinnamon

 

To prepare:

In a 250F oven, toast bread cubes for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 350F.

 

Meanwhile, combine sweet potato, almond milk, eggs, maple syrup, applesauce, cinnamon, vanilla, orange rind, orange juice, allspice, cloves, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.

 

In a large bowl, gently combine the toasted bread cubes with blended mixture and cranberries. Transfer to a greased 9×11 baking pan. Combine topping in a small bowl and evenly distribute over pudding’s surface. 

 

Bake for 50 minutes and serve warm.  Serves 12.