Butterscotch Bread Pudding

Fellow carboholics know that bread pudding is just the ultimate way to consume bread. Pieces of bread baked in a sweet, creamy sauce? Yeah, it’s one of the best things ever. This bread pudding is baked with dried apricots, walnuts, and homemade butterscotch sauce. Then it’s drizzled with even more butterscotch sauce. Carbolicious and compassionate.

Butterscotch Bread Pudding [Vegan]

Ingredients

For the Butterscotch Sauce:

• 1/2 cup (105 g) vegan butter
• 1/2 cup (75 g) coconut sugar or vegan brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) soy or coconut creamer or canned coconut milk
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) non-dairy milk
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) agave syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch

For Bread Pudding:

• Cooking spray
• 6 cups (360 g) cubed sourdough or French bread, preferably slightly stale
• 1 cup (165 g) chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup (50 g) chopped walnuts, optional
• 1 3/4 cups (435 ml) non-dairy milk
• 1/2 cup (120 g) unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup (40 g) coconut sugar or vegan brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Coconut Whipped Cream, optional

Preparation

1. Melt the vegan butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the coconut sugar, creamer, non-dairy milk, and agave syrup and bring to a boil. Quickly reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the vanilla and salt, then the arrowroot powder. Remove from the heat and let the sauce cool completely. The final product will lightly coat the back of a spoon and be thick, but not as thick as maple syrup. (This can be made up to 1 week in advance and chilled in an airtight container until ready to use. If it separates, stir and it will be fine.)
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray an 8 x 8-inch baking dish, 8- to 10-inch cake pan or cast-iron pan, or six to eight 8-ounce ramekins with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine the bread, dried apricots, and walnuts (if using). In a medium bowl, mix the non-dairy milk, applesauce, coconut sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and 1/2 cup (125 ml) of the prepared butterscotch sauce. Add the milk mixture to the bread mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Soak for about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, pan, or ramekins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (or 20 to 25 minutes for ramekins), until the top is set and beginning to turn golden brown. Remove and let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Serve each portion in a bowl (or in its own ramekin) with a drizzle of the remaining butterscotch sauce and the Coconut Whipped Cream (if using).

Notes

Try switching out the dried apricots for another dried fruit like figs, dates, or raisins. The walnuts are interchangeable, too; this would be great with pecans, almonds, cashews, or hazelnuts. Or go crazy and throw in some chocolate chips while you’re at it!

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/butterscotch-bread-pudding-vegan/