This recipe for Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding with Vanilla Custard Sauce is a variation of a maple-raisin version I recently posted. I thought the maple-raisin version seemed brunch-oriented, but this chocolate-cherry version is a solid dinner dessert.

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Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding with Vanilla Custard Sauce

Recipe by Make It Like a Man!Course: DessertCuisine: British

Makes

8

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Total time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 challah loaf, about 1 lb., torn into bite-size (1½-inch) pieces

• ¾ cup dried cherries 

• 3½ oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

• 1 very ripe banana, peeled 

• 4 eggs 

• 3 cups milk (2%)

• 1 cup sugar

• 1¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided 

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 

• Butter

• Vanilla Custard Sauce

Directions

• Place the bread pieces in a large bowl. Add the cherries and chocolate and mix with your hands to distribute them evenly.
• Place the banana into the bowl of a stand mixer, and use the paddle attachment to mash to a purée, 1 minute on low speed (setting 2 out of 10). Change to the whisk attachment, and whisk in the eggs, same speed, until blended, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, all but 1 Tbs. of the sugar, 1 tsp. of the cinnamon and the vanilla, same speed, until well mixed, about 1 minute. Pour evenly over the bread. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan.
• Spoon the soaked bread mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the top to level it. It will reach the rim of the pan. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1 Tbs. sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the pudding.
• Bake the pudding until it has puffed about 1 inch above the rim of the pan, the top is medium brown and a knife inserted into the center of the pudding comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool until mildly warm.
• Cut into wedges. Top each wedge with 2 generous Tablespoons of custard sauce.

This pudding delivers a showstopping, celebratory look with its naturally ragged, artful top. Yet it’s lighter than most bread puddings—so don’t expect something overly rich or coma‑inducing after a big meal. What it lacks in heaviness it more than makes up for in warmth, coziness, and that deeply satisfying comfort‑food quality you want from a great bread pudding.

Because this pudding is on the lighter side, it takes well to large, custard-drenched portions. 

Even if the cream sauce makes it seem fancy, this chocolate-cherry bread pudding carries the kind of hominess that feels like stepping into a warm kitchen on a cold evening. There’s something about the soft, custardy center and the toasty, irregular top that evokes hand‑me‑down recipes and family gatherings. It’s unpretentious, comforting, and deeply familiar—the sort of dessert that makes a house feel lived‑in and a meal feel complete.

Chocolate-Cherry Bread Pudding with Vanilla Custard Sauce

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. Thank you, ⌘+C. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #5 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs. 

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