Argentine Bread Pudding

Budín de pan is one of the traditional grandmother’s desserts still alive in Argentine kitchens today, with a flavor very similar to homemade flan.

It’s made with basic ingredients usually already on hand at home: stale bread, milk, eggs, and sugar, making good use of bread that’s no longer fresh.

Argentine Bread Pudding

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• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Argentine

Print Recipe

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Ingredients

• 300 g of stale bread, crusts removed (about 10.5 oz)
• 1 liter of milk, warm (about 4.25 cups)
• 4 of eggs
• 200 g of sugar (about 7 oz)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• to taste of lemon zest (optional)
• 100 g of raisins, soaked in rum (about 3.5 oz) (optional)
• 80 g of chopped walnuts (about 2.8 oz) (optional)
• 150 g of sugar (for the caramel) (about 5.3 oz)

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Instructions

1. Soak the bread, cut the bread into cubes and soak it in the warm milk for 15 minutes.
2. Make the caramel, melt the sugar in a pot over medium heat until you get a golden caramel. Pour it into a mold and let cool.
3. Beat the eggs, beat the eggs with the sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
4. Combine the mixture, add the milk-soaked bread, the drained raisins, and the chopped walnuts, mixing well.
5. Pour into the mold, pour the mixture over the caramel-coated mold.
6. Cook in a water bath, place the mold inside a larger pan with hot water and bake at 180°C (350°F) for about 45 minutes.
7. Cool, let it cool before unmolding.
8. Serve, cut into portions and serve warm or cold.

Tips for getting it right

• Using day-old or slightly harder bread helps it absorb the milk better without falling apart.
• Cooking in a water bath is key to an even texture and keeps it from drying out.
• Let it cool completely before unmolding, so it doesn’t break apart.
• Rum-soaked raisins add a more intense flavor, though they can be soaked in hot water instead if preferred alcohol-free.

Traditional variations

• Some families add grated apple to the mixture.
• It’s also served with dulce de leche on top just before serving.

How to serve

Budín de pan is served warm or cold, cut into portions, as a dessert.

It’s a homemade classic enjoyed with a good mate during Argentine afternoon snacks.

Recommended sides

• Mate
• Coffee
• Dulce de leche

Did you know?

Budín de pan was born as a way to make use of bread that was no longer fresh, avoiding waste in family kitchens.

Its flavor and texture resemble homemade flan, since both share a base of milk, eggs, and sugar cooked in a water bath.