Nature’s Pride: Bread Pudding Times 2

I can’t believe it’s almost October! That means November is right around the corner and the 2nd Foodbuzz Festival is coming up soon.

I had so much fun at the festival last year, and Nature’s Pride was the reason I was able to attend! The flights + hotel to San Francisco from Virginia are pretty steep for just a weekend trip, so I’m entering again.

Plus – a food challenge is a food challenge :)

I can’t turn them down, and, after the great experience I had last year, I’d love to have another chance to represent Nature’s Pride as a Bread Ambassador!

*Disclaimer: While I did receive a coupon from the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program for Nature’s Pride Bread, this loaf was purchased with my own money. I’m a goof and left my coupon at home when I went shopping. But their bread is worth the $! I buy it all the time.

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And these turned out better than I expected – in fact, these two ideas came out so well that I could decide which one to post! So you get to see both ;)

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I used Nature’s Pride Honey Wheat bread for both of these dishes. I love how soft this bread is and knew it would soak up the eggs and milk and bake into a beautiful bread pudding.

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Carrot Cake Bread Pudding  (My favorite!)

  • 20 slices Nature’s Pride Honey Wheat bread, diced
  • 4 carrots, shredded (about 1 cup shredded carrots)
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 10 eggs
  • 1 cup fat free evaporated milk
  • 1/4 cup half’n’half
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin or apple butter
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. Dice bread and toss with carrots.
  3. Put bread and carrot mixture into greased 9×13 baking dish.
  4. Dollop cream cheese on top and sprinkle with brown sugar.
  5. In large bowl, whisk eggs with milk, cream, orange juice, maple syrup, butter, pumpkin/apple butter, vanilla, and spices.
  6. Pour egg mixture over top.
  7. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.
  8. While bread pudding is still hot, spread cream cheese over the top of the entire dish.
  9. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup (optional, but delicious).

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The smell of this bread pudding baking in the oven was almost too much for me Monday afternoon.

It took all I had to not dive into it!

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The cream cheese layer gives this dish just enough tang and balances out the brown sugar, pumpkin butter, and maple syrup.

The second bread pudding was another idea I came up with a few weeks ago. I’ve been dying to make this.

Brown Sugar Bacon and Apple Bread Pudding

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I know.

Brown Sugar Bacon. If you have not tried this yet, please do. Even if you don’t make the bread pudding…just make the bacon.

You won’t regret it.

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Brown Sugar Bacon and Apple Bread Pudding

  • 10 slice Nature’s Pride Honey Wheat bread, diced
  • 5 slices bacon
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 apple, diced
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil and lay the bacon slices on the foil.
  3. Use 1/4 cup of brown sugar and sprinkle evenly over the bacon.
  4. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until sugar is melted/caramelized and the bacon is crisp.
  5. Take bacon out, let cool for a few minutes, and then move to a cutting board.
  6. Once cooled, diced bacon and toss with cubed bread and diced apple.
  7. In large bowl, whisk the last 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 6 eggs, milk, cinnamon, and salt.
  8. Pour egg mixture over bread.
  9. Bake for 45 minutes or until set.
  10. Serve.

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After tasting this, Nick said he would like this one with a layer of cream cheese, too!

Guess that tang on the carrot cake bread pudding was a good choice ;)

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Pairing the brown sugar bacon with the tart local apples was perfect! Sweet, salty, tart – all in one dish.

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I don’t think you can ever go wrong with bacon.

Although…if I had to choose one, the carrot cake bread pudding would be my favorite – based on these first 2 trials! You just can’t beat that cream cheese layer and the spices from the pumpkin/apple butter.

**This is my official entry for the Natures Pride Bread Ambassador contest to win a trip to the 2010 FoodBuzz Fest**

30 comments

  1. Brown sugar bacon!!? That sounds FANTASTIC. My gosh, I love bread pudding, and both of these sound so good. I’m loving the cream cheese layer.

  2. You put bacon in bread pudding?! You are my hero.

  3. So weird, Brandi….my entry for this is going to have bacon in it too….[at least, that is the plan…I can’t currently find Nature’s Pride bread in Austin] :)

  4. Ooo I hope you win–but with these recipes I think you have a pretty darn good chance!! Fingers crossed :-)

  5. The carrot cake bread pudding looks so good!!!!!! Good luck!!! :)

  6. Oh my goodness. I can understand why you could choose just one! They both look wonderful!

  7. Good luck! I hope you get a chance to go again!

  8. YUM! They both look great. Here’s to hoping you’ll go again this year. Good Luck!

  9. Congratulations you are going to win hands down!

  10. Carrot cake has to be one of the best things ever invented. SO GOOD. :)

    Good luck!

  11. Yum! I hope you win again. You really went all out for this recipe!

  12. horray for bread pudding!! worked well for me ;) Both of these look fabulous, and I’m totally making them!

  13. Dude both of those bread puddings look delicious! :) Hope to see you at Foodbuzz again

  14. That carrot cake bread puddin’ looks delish! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  15. This sounds amazing!!!!

  16. Pretty kick bootay recipes! If I can’t win – I hope YOU do! :)

    PS – did we need to include that official tag line? I didn’t – so I want to make sure I repost if that is a requirement – can you let me know?

    Thanks sista!

  17. You’ve just won at life with the brown-sugar-bacon bread pudding. Anything with bacon, and I am there!
    :)
    Good luck, or break a spatuala- what ever the expression.

  18. I’ll be at the conference as well! How do you get sponsored?? I already bought my tickets :-(

  19. I’m doing a little dance in my chair after seeing this recipe! AHH! You’re amazing. :)

  20. I knew Jessica would love the bacon – her comment made me laugh!

    Good luck – hope you make it again this year!

  21. WOw that carrot cake one looks fabulous! Worth the wait for the recipes :-)

  22. These are great! I love the idea of carrot cake bread pudding. I’m seeing more and more bacon popping up in unusual places; I’m considering a bacon chocolate cake one of these days…
    Good luck with your recipes!

  23. That sounds incredible! And brown sugar bacon is pretty much the best food on this earth. Try it with maple syrup instead of brown sugar!

  24. looks yummy! will you definitely be going to the festival this year?!

  25. I love bread pudding! I am so glad you did a bread pudding for your entry. I hope you win and then we can hang!

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