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Brown Butter Sticky Peach Bread Pudding

Buttery croissants are soaked in a rich brown sugar and vanilla custard, layered with fresh peaches coated in a sticky homemade brown butter sauce, and baked until golden with a soft, custardy center. Serve warm with extra brown butter peach sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate peach dessert.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 8 People

Ingredients

Bread Pudding

  • * 7–8 medium-sized croissants
  • * 4 large eggs
  • * 1 cup granulated sugar
  • * 1 cup brown sugar
  • * 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • * ½ teaspoon allspice
  • * 1 stick salted butter melted and cooled
  • * 1½ cups milk
  • * 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
  • * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Brown Butter Sticky Peaches

  • * 5–6 fresh peaches
  • * 1 stick salted butter
  • * 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • * 1 cup brown sugar
  • * ⅓ cup water
  • * 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare the Croissants

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
  2. Tear the croissants into approximately 1-inch pieces and spread them onto a baking sheet.
  3. Bake for 8 minutes to lightly dry them out. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool.
  4. Make the Bread Pudding Mixture
  5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice.
  6. Slowly whisk in the melted and cooled butter.
  7. Add the milk, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract. Whisk until everything is well combined.
  8. Add the toasted croissant pieces and gently toss until every piece is coated in the custard.
  9. Cover and allow the croissants to soak for at least 45 minutes or up to overnight in the refrigerator. The longer they soak, the better.

Prepare the Peaches

  1. Cut a small X into the bottom of each peach.
  2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and carefully add the peaches.
  3. Boil for approximately 30 seconds, then immediately transfer the peaches to an ice bath.
  4. Once cool enough to handle, peel away the skins.
  5. Remove the pits and chop the peaches into cubes.

Make the Brown Butter Sticky Peach Sauce

  1. Add 1 stick of salted butter to a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Allow the butter to melt, then continue cooking while stirring frequently. The butter will begin to foam, and the milk solids at the bottom will gradually turn golden brown.
  3. Once the butter smells nutty and the browned bits are a deep golden color, immediately reduce the heat.
  4. Stir in the brown sugar until well combined with the brown butter.
  5. Add the chopped peaches and cook until they begin to soften and release their juices.
  6. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the ⅓ cup water until completely smooth.
  7. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the peaches and stir well.
  8. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy and sticky.
  9. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  10. Remove from the heat and reserve some of the peach sauce for serving.

Assemble the Bread Pudding

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Lightly grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.
  3. Pour half of the soaked croissant mixture into the prepared pan.
  4. Spoon some of the brown butter sticky peaches over the top.
  5. Add the remaining croissant mixture.
  6. Spoon more peaches over the top, making sure to reserve some of the peach sauce for serving.
  7. Bake
  8. Bake uncovered at 350°F for approximately 45 minutes.
  9. The bread pudding should be set around the edges but still have a slight jiggle in the center.
  10. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 20–25 minutes before serving.
  11. To Serve
  12. Serve warm with the reserved brown butter sticky peach sauce spooned over the top and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
  13. That warm peach sauce hitting the cold ice cream? Yeah. That’s the part.
  14. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Croissants: Day-old croissants work beautifully, but fresh croissants are fine since they’re lightly dried in the oven first.

Soaking time: Allow the croissants to soak for at least 45 minutes. For an extra rich and custardy texture, cover and refrigerate the mixture overnight.

Peaches: Use ripe but still slightly firm fresh peaches so they hold some texture while cooking.

Brown butter: Watch the butter closely once it begins foaming. The milk solids can go from perfectly golden brown to burnt very quickly.

Peach sauce: The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. You want it glossy and thick enough to coat the peaches without becoming too thick or gelatinous.

Baking time: Ovens vary, so begin checking the bread pudding around 40 minutes. The edges should be set while the center still has a slight jiggle.

Resting: Allow the bread pudding to rest for 20–25 minutes after baking. This gives the custard time to finish setting.

Serving: Reserve some of the brown butter sticky peach sauce for serving. Spoon it over the warm bread pudding and top with vanilla ice cream. Don’t overthink it. 😂