Soft English muffins, cinnamon, cardamom and pears make this Pear Bread Pudding, a tender dessert drizzled with a rich caramel sauce.

pouring caramel sauce over bread pudding with pears

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This pear bread pudding recipe is perfect for fall and winter days, festive holidays, and the perfecting ending to your holiday meal. The star ingredient to this recipe is sweet, juicy pears, and then the caramel sauce that is drizzled over each serving. Delish!

Pear Bread Pudding

I really love to bake with pears, and this easy dessert is one of  my favorites. It’s a lot like French Toast, or a French toast casserole, and it can be served for breakfast, brunch, or a dinner dessert. One of our most popular pear recipes is our fabulous Irish Dark and White Bread Pudding Recipe (not just for the Irish – ha).

HOT Pear Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce Recipe

So enjoy this French toast, custard-like sweet pan of goodness with chunks of pears that are soaked up with the eggs by English muffins. You will see how simple the list of ingredients are!

pear bread pudding

Why I love this recipe

  • We love the sweetness of pears with the warm comfort of bread pudding.
  • Simple ingredients, and you can make ahead. Just reheat and serve warm with the caramel sauce.
  • Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a dinner dessert.

This year, we have this delicious Pear Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce recipe on our menu, for both a brunch at our house, and a potluck dessert party that we’ll be attending. For breakfast, it’s the perfect ending served with Quiche Florentine or this Green Chili Egg Casserole and our Vanilla Fruit Salad.

Pear Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce ingredients

Gather these ingredients

Very simple ingredients. Very elegant! All you need are these simple ingredients:

  • Raisin English Muffins (use any brand)
  • Pears (we love Royal Rivieras or Bartlett)
  • Butter + milk
  • Cinnamon + cardamom + sugar
  • Orange (zest)
  • Eggs
  • Caramel Sauce (we buy at Trader Joe’s or Harry & David)
  • Powdered sugar

sprinkling Pear Bread Pudding with powdered sugar

How do you make pear bread pudding?

  1. Prepare a 9×9 baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
  2. Cut English Muffins into 1-inch cubes and lightly toast in the oven. Set aside. [Optinoal to toast in the toaster.]
  3. In a large mixing bowl combine milk, egg yolks, whole eggs, cinnamon, cardamom, orange zest, and sugar.
  4. Mix ingredients well; fold in diced pears.
  5. Add in the cubed muffin pieces to soak up the mixture.
  6. Pour melted butter into a 9×9 inch pan, coating the bottom. Pour muffin pear mixture into the pan, scraping the sides.
  7. Bake until set and browned.
  8. Dust with powdered sugar!
  9. Heat up the caramel sauce.

out of the oven Pear Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce Recipe

How do you serve bread puddding?

Not only does the house smell delightful when it’s baking (we are pear lovers!), but when you pull this pear bread pudding from the oven, you serve it hot (or warm) with a drizzle of heated-up caramel sauce.

Don’t forget to dust with powdered sugar!

We like to play it safe and bake up 2 pans (or double the recipe for a 9×13 pan).

One for your family and one to give away?

This recipe is moist and elegant, not too sweet, and deliciously perfect.

pouring caramel sauce over Pear Bread Pudding

Tips and substitutions:

  • You can replace the English muffins for croissants or brioche bread (something on the softer side). This will help soak up the egg mixture better, creating a fluffier texture.
  • Use ripe pears, so they are soft and tender.
  • Replace the pears for apples, but they will need to be pre-cooked (soft) before adding. 
  • Bake ahead: Make bread pudding ahead nad place in the fridge. Pull out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking to take some of the chill off.
  • Optional to add a handful of chocolate chips before baking, if you are a chocolate-pear lover!

Pear Bread Pudding with drizzled Caramel Sauce

Do you need to refrigerate bread pudding?

Yes, you need to refrigerate this dish, since it’s made up of eggs and milk. After cooling, pop in the fridge, or serve right away.
 

More bread pudding recipes to try:

Try Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

Maple Bacon Waffle Bread Pudding

Peaches and Cream Bread Pudding

Savory Mushroom and Kale Bread Pudding

Lemon & Blackberry Bread Pudding

pouring caramel on Pear Bread Pudding
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Pear Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce Recipe

Soft English muffins, cinnamon, cardamom and pears make this Pear Bread Pudding, a tender dessert drizzled with a rich caramel sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 pkg Raisin English Muffins
  • 2 pears (ripe), peeled and diced
  • 3 tbsp. melted butter
  • 3 ½ cups milk
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp cardamom
  • 1 orange, zested (about 1-2 Tbsp)
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1 jar Caramel Sauce, we buy at Trader Joe's or Harry & David
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Prepare a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
  • Cut English Muffins into 1-inch cubes and lightly toast in the oven. Optional to use a toaster to toast. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine milk, egg yolks, whole eggs, cinnamon, cardamom, orange zest, and sugar. Mix ingredients well; fold in diced pears.
  • Add cubed muffin pieces to the egg mixture and allow to soak up the eggs.
  • Pour melted butter into a 9×9 inch pan, coating the bottom. Pour the egg and pear mixture into the pan.
  • Bake for 45 minutes or until set and browned.
  • Dust with powdered sugar while warm.
  • Heat up the caramel sauce. Drizzle over the top, or optional to drizzle over each serving.
  • Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

reposted from Dec 2017
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Calories: 352kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 347mg, Sodium: 136mg, Potassium: 367mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 32g, Vitamin A: 909IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 239mg, Iron: 1mg
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Pear Bread Pudding with caramel sauce