Transform a humble combination of bread, milk, eggs, and berries into a cozy dessert in this Simple Blackberry Bread Pudding inspired by The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Warm, custardy, and bursting with blackberries, it’s a treat for good little bunnies and cooks of all ages.
Growing up, I was enchanted by the stories and illustrations in Beatrix Potter's classic children's books, like The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, and, of course, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. (And yes, I was highly influenced by the same beloved British family friend who also introduced me to Winnie-the-Pooh).
The stories are sweet and funny, with cheeky characters usually learning a life lesson after a mishap. The illustrations are incredibly detailed, depicting woodland animals in charming Victorian garb, and, most importantly, tasty things to eat.
About The Tale of Peter Rabbit
After struggling to break through in the publishing industry, Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) scraped together her savings and self-published The Tale of Peter Rabbit, her first book, in 1901. The book immediately became popular, convincing a major publishing house to reconsider its initial rejection and release the book more widely in 1902. Over 120 years later, Potter's almost two-dozen complete tales continue to be cherished by families all over the world.
Potter was a trailblazer in children's publishing, not only writing and illustrating her works, but also managing the business side of what became an empire--an unusual feat for an unmarried woman at the time. She created and licensed merchandise inspired by her books, including a Peter Rabbit doll, china figurines, and wallpaper to adorn nursery walls. You can learn more about her fascinating life and pioneering work in this recent profile in the New York Times.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit tells the story of Peter, a mischievous young rabbit who disobeys his mother and sneaks into the garden of their neighbor, cranky old Mr. McGregor. When the farmer catches Peter eating his lettuces, beans, and radishes, he chases Peter out of the garden, causing him to lose his shoes and fine blue jacket in the process. After a harrowing series of events, Peter finally makes it home, where he goes to bed not feeling well, while his sisters get to enjoy dessert.
Recipe Inspiration
Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries. But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight away to Mr. McGregor's garden, and squeezed under the gate!
Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit
In the story, Peter's siblings are "good little bunnies" who spend the day picking blackberries instead of trespassing in Mr. McGregor's garden. At the end of the story, they get to enjoy "bread and milk and blackberries for supper." Putting aside questions of morality and goodness (sometimes it's good to break the rules!), this did make me think of a delicious dish: blackberry bread pudding.
More than the sum of its parts, bread pudding transforms stale bread and milk (along with eggs and some sugar) into a warm, custardy dessert. Topping it with juicy blackberries sounded like a wonderful addition, and the humble, cozy nature of the dish seemed in perfect keeping with what Mrs. Rabbit might have made for her kits.
My favorite bread to use to make bread pudding is eggy, enriched challah or brioche. I don't usually have a stale loaf on hand, so instead, I simulated staling the bread by lightly toasting it in the oven. Rather than cut it into cubes (a lot of knife work!), I tore it into irregular pieces, which a) was very fun and b) gave the bread a nice rustic, craggy texture that got a little bit of color during toasting.
Drying out the bread is helpful when making bread pudding so it can absorb lots of flavorful custard. (For the record, I did try to skip the toasting step altogether in this recipe, but the texture of the pudding was a little too soggy, so I think it's worth the effort.) I kept the custard here simple, using milk, eggs, a little bit of sugar for a sweet-but-not-too-sweet flavor, some melted butter for richness, and a dash of vanilla and cinnamon for a warm and fragrant aroma. After piling the toasted bread into a baking dish, I topped it with juicy blackberries, poured the custard over the top, and finished it all with some coarse turbinado sugar for a little extra crunch and sparkle on top.
Warm, rich, and juicy from the berries, I love this bread pudding scooped into a dish and drizzled with a little bit of cream. This humble dessert is easy to make and perfect to enjoy in the late summer and early fall during blackberry season, whether you've been following the rules or not--I won't tell!
Ingredients You'll Need
To make this Simple Blackberry Bread Pudding, you'll need:
- A small loaf of challah or brioche (or half a larger loaf): Eggy, enriched breads like challah or brioche are extra delicious here, but you can also use any kind of bread you have on hand, like French bread, white sandwich bread, or even leftover croissants. Anything you’d use to make French toast is good for bread pudding! And if the bread is a little stale, even better. I used half a loaf of lovely local-to-me challah from Blacker's Bakeshop.
- Milk: I tested this recipe with whole milk, but you could try the milk of your choice.
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon brings a warm, cozy flavor to the bread pudding that's nice in combination with the fruit.
- Salt: A pinch of salt makes sweet things taste sweeter! I add a pinch to any dessert for a little extra depth.
- Unsalted butter
- Blackberries: You can use fresh or frozen here (no need to thaw first if using frozen berries). A typical 6-ounce container from the grocery store will yield the 1 ¼ cups that you need. If they are extra large, cut them in half crosswise before sprinkling them over the pudding for better distribution.
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Turbinado sugar: Turbinado sugar (or demerara sugar or sugar in the raw) is a coarse-grained sugar that's nice to use sprinkled on top of baked goods. If you have it, use it here to add a little extra crunch and sweetness on the top of the bread pudding, but you can skip it or just sprinkle a little extra granulated sugar on top if you prefer.
How to Make Simple Blackberry Bread Pudding
The full recipe with detailed timing and instructions for this dessert is below, but here are some key moments to look out for along the way:
- Tear and toast the bread: Tear up the bread into small pieces until you have 6 cups, then toast it in the oven until dried out and light golden.
- Top with blackberries: Transfer the cooled, toasted bread to a greased baking dish and sprinkle it evenly with the blackberries.
- Pour the custard over: After whisking together the custard, pour it over the bread and berries in the dish, then smoosh the bread pieces down so they're submerged.
- Bake! Sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar and bake the blackberry bread pudding until it's puffed and golden brown. Cool and enjoy!
Why This Recipe Is Great for Kids
I've spent years writing cookbooks and creating recipes that are safe, fun, and engaging for kids and home cooks of all ages. Here are some key features of this recipe that make it perfect for kids and families to make together at home:
- There is no knife work in this simple blackberry bread pudding recipe--you tear the bread into pieces with your hands (fun!) and you can leave the berries whole.
- This recipe is very flexible--feel free to swap out other berries or chopped fruit for the blackberries if they're not available or not a favorite of picky eaters.
- There is some down time while the blackberry bread pudding is baking in the oven if kids need to take a break. It's the perfect time to reread The Tale of Peter Rabbit or any other of Beatrix Potter's books!
Let's Cook!
Gather your equipment, measure your ingredients, and get cooking with this kid-friendly recipe! If you loved making it together, please leave five stars and share your stories in the comments.
Simple Blackberry Bread Pudding
Good To Know
- A 6-ounce container of blackberries will yield what you need for this recipe.
- Eggy, enriched breads like challah or brioche are extra delicious here, but you can use any kind of bread you have on hand, like French bread, white sandwich bread, or even leftover croissants. Anything you’d use to make French toast with is good for bread pudding! And if the bread is a little stale, even better.
- This bread pudding is delicious on its own, but you can also serve it topped with a little drizzle of cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Equipment You'll Need
- 1-cup dry measuring cup
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Large liquid measuring cup (or medium microwave-safe bowl with spout)
- Whisk
- Spoon
- Oven mitts
- Cooling rack
- 8-inch square or other 2-3 quart baking dish
Measure Your Ingredients
- 1 small loaf challah or brioche (or half a larger loaf)
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch table salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
- Cooking spray
- 1 ¼ cups fresh or frozen blackberries (6 ounces)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)
Let's Cook!
- Set your oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- 1 small loaf challah or briocheUse your hands to tear the bread into small pieces until you have 6 cups total (save the rest of the bread for another use). Spread the bread pieces out into an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the bread pieces are dry, crisp, and beginning to turn golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
- 2 cups whole milk, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, Pinch table salt, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 piecesMeanwhile, in a large liquid measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl with a spout, whisk together the milk, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then add the butter. Microwave until the butter is just melted, 3 to 5 minutes, stopping and stirring with a spoon a few times as the mixture heats. Remove from the microwave and set aside to cool for at least 5 minutes.
- When the bread is ready, use oven mitts to remove the baking sheet from the oven and place it on the stovetop or a cooling rack. Let cool for 5 minutes.
- Cooking spray, 1 ¼ cups fresh or frozen blackberriesSpray the inside of an 8-inch square or other 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Transfer the toasted bread pieces to the greased baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the blackberries.
- 4 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extractAdd the eggs and vanilla to the cooled milk mixture and whisk until well combined.
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugarPour the milk mixture evenly over the bread and berries in the baking dish. Use the back of the spoon to lightly push the bread and berries down until they’re covered in the custard. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar, if using.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the bread pudding is puffed and deep golden brown on top, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove the baking dish from the oven and place it on the stovetop or a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm or room temperature.
Conversation Starters
While your bread pudding bakes and as you enjoy it together, talk about what it was like to make the recipe and the themes in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. You can help young readers make connections to the book and share your own answers, ideas, and stories with them with the following prompts:
- How did the bread change over the course of making this recipe? What did it look and feel like before and after toasting it in the oven? What about after adding the custard, and after baking the bread pudding?
- Why do you think Peter went into Mr. McGregor's garden, even though his mother told him not to? Was it the right thing to do?
- Have you ever sneaked into a place where you weren't supposed to go? How did it feel? Did you get caught?
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