I’m loving this time of year and my oven is getting quite a work out! One of the most comforting desserts I love making is a good old bread pudding. This one is a bit on the fancier side – mini bagels are studded with dried cranberries and white chocolate chips before soaking up a sweet almond milk custard while baking…
Lately, I’ve been making some baby steps with swapping out various ingredients for healthier alternatives. One of the switches I’ve made includes using unsweetened almond milk in place of regular milk. I guess I went a bit overboard with a recent purchase – and came home with a warehouse amount of almond milk. That said, I needed to find more uses for almond milk and this recipe is one of them. Surprisingly, I really like this version because the almond flavor really came through and complimented the other flavors I used.
Another thing you’ll notice in this recipe is the us of mini bagels. I’ve been a fan of mini bagels in bread puddings because they hold up really well in the custard without turning into mush. Even better is how nicely it browns for a beautiful, crisp crust! But of course, feel free to use any bread of your choice – challah, sourdough and even french bread are some of the other breads I use.
Lastly, the sweet morsels of cranberries, almond slices and white chocolate chips really put this variation over the top. They add a pop of color and sweetness throughout, which ties the flavors so nicely! And if your sweet tooth is yearning for more, serve up a healthy serving with a drizzle of white chocolate sauce, usually found near the ice cream topping section of your grocery store.
1 (15oz) bag mini bagels (cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup almond slices
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups almond milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
white chocolate sauce (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
Place cut up bagels in prepared pan. Sprinkle with cranberries, almond slices and white chocolate chips.
In a medium bowl, combine eggs, almond milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, whisking to combine. Pour mixture over bagels in pan and allow bread to soak up mixture.
Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or untilthe top springs back when lightly tapped.
Serve with white chocolate sauce before serving.
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