Easy Bread Pudding with Blackberries
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 22, 2025 
This old fashioned Blackberry Bread Pudding Recipe is a favorite at my house, freckled with ripe blackberries for bright tangy flavor!
Why We Love This Easy Bread Pudding with Blackberries
My first few years of marriage were a time of wonderful memory making.
I had just started teaching third grade and loved every minute of it. After shuffling the little guys out the door each day, I would grade papers, plan for the following day, and rush home to sift through cookbooks and food magazines. There I would search for recipes to spark my creative juices.
Old fashioned bread pudding was something my young hubby and I would bake again and again, combining different flavors and experimenting with sauces. We thought of a bread pudding recipe as the most comforting, yet chic, dessert at the time and would serve it to guests any chance we got.
I think we put on a few “bread pudding pounds” that first couple years of marriage.
A classic bread pudding recipe is the ultimate pillow of goodness, with crisp toasted edges and a rich custard-like interior that puts the best french toast to shame.
It’s the perfect cradle to gently nestle summer’s precious gift of bright blushing berries.
This Blackberry Bread Pudding Recipe, is utterly irresistible and hassle-free to boot.
Ingredients You Need
- Bread – use a good country bread and cut the bread slices into cubes
- Blackberries – fresh or frozen
- Heavy Cream and Half & Half – for a creamy custard mixture
- Eggs – eggs will make the custard mixture silky and turn the bread into bread pudding!
- Sugar – for a hint of sweetness
- Vanilla – for added flavor
- Spices – Cinnamon and nutmeg
- Salt – to balance the flavors
How to Make Blackberry Bread Pudding
Place the bread cubes and blackberries in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and toss to distribute the blackberries evenly.
In a large bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together into a frothy custard base.
Pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden and bubbly. The bread pudding should still be a little jiggly in the middle. If the top starts to get too dark, place a piece of loose foil over it while baking. Allow it to cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Tips & Tricks
- The bread you use matters! Use a high quality bread like country bread or brioche bread! I don’t recommend using a soft white bread here as it will get too soft when soaked in the custard. If you have stale bread, that would be even better!
- Use fresh blackberries when they are in season! This easy bread pudding recipe is extra delicious in the summertime when blackberries are ripe and juicy. However, in the off season, you can use frozen blackberries!
- Butter or grease your baking dish in order to prevent it from sticking to the sides of the baking dish!
Serving Suggestions
Serve your warm bread pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! It is also delicious with hot fudge or caramel sauce drizzled over the top!
Frequently Asked Questions
To ensure that your bread pudding is done cooking, stick a toothpick into the middle. If it comes out clean, you know that it is ready.
It can last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days! I recommend serving it warm, so you can pop it into the microwave, oven or air fryer until warm and serve!
Looking for More Easy Dessert Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Old Fashioned Blueberry Pudding with Rose Water
- How To Make Smores In The Oven
- Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Slow Cooker Cheesecake
- Texas Sheet Cake with Coffee
- Chocolate Glaze for Pound Cake
- Strawberry Rhubarb Yogurt Muffins
- Blueberry Ricotta Pizza
- White Chocolate Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
Easy Bread Pudding with Blackberries
Ingredients
- 1 pound good country bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (1 loaf)
- 2 cups blackberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups half-and-half, or whole milk
- 8 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the bread cubes and blackberries in a 9 x 13 baking dish and toss to distribute the blackberries evenly.
- In a large bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together into a frothy custard base.
- Pour the custard over the bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until golden and bubbly. The bread pudding should still be a little jiggly in the middle. All it to cool for 20 minutes before serving. (If the top starts to get too dark, place a piece of loose foil over it while baking.) Serve warm.
I’m about to make it.
What if I use half blackberries and half raisins?
(I don’t have enough of either.)
Thanks.
Hi, I’m about to make this bread pudding, and I’m wondering do you mix the heavy cream with the rest of the ingredients, or is that used to make a whipped topping? Thanks.
Hi Jason,
It goes IN the breading pudding. Additional toppings are optional. Happy baking! :)
Can you you use the mug bread for this?
Hi Janet,
It SHOULD work, but I haven’t tried that. Make sure to cut the bread into cubes and toast it first. That way, it will have a better chance of holding its shape. Happy Baking!
I’m about ready to make this! I can’t wait to gain 100 more pounds! lol
Can you use raspberries with the vanilla blackberry Bread Pudding. I would like to make this for our family picnic this weekend. This recipe looks scrumptious. I so look forward to your response. Thanks….Gee
Loved the recipe!!! Just moved to Portland where there’s a bountiful of wild Marion berries! I’m also gluten free so I used your recipe with one variation, I substituted gluten-free brown rice bread instead of the country white bread. With the fresh picked berries it came out scrumptious! Thanks again for recipe perfect summertime sweet!
I’m wondering if you can prepare ingredients, cover and refrigerate for much more than 2 hours. Or up to how long can this be prepped in advance before baked in the oven? For instance can I prepare it the night before I plan on serving and then put into oven the next day or does it become too soggy? Thanks!
I just made this, but I used challah bread because it’s what I had here. I did half blackberries and half red raspberries. I also substituted the vanilla extract and used 1 vanilla bean, scraped. It just came out of the oven. Smells heavenly. I made it for my hubby since bread pudding is his favorite and today is our wedding anniversary. Hope it tastes as good as it looks/smells!
Thanks!
I’m always so happy when a google search returns a recipe from a blog I love.
Bread is soaking as I type. Excited!
Thank you.
Thinking about using vanilla almond milk instead of the cream…. maybe a little less bread pudding pounds… that and I have it on hand, hopefully it still turns out as good as it looks!
I just love bread pudding. It looks so good.
I am a fan of bread pudding anytime of the year, and love the summer feel of fresh berries in this one!