Guava Caramel Bread Pudding (Printable)

Soft brioche soaked in creamy custard, layered with tangy guava and rich caramel, finished with crunchy pecans.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Bread & Dairy

01 - 8 cups day-old brioche or challah, cubed (approximately 10.5 ounces)
02 - 2 cups whole milk
03 - 1 cup heavy cream
04 - 4 large eggs
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Guava & Caramel

08 - 1 cup guava paste, cut into small cubes (approximately 10.5 ounces)
09 - 1/2 cup caramel sauce, plus extra for drizzling

→ Nuts

10 - 3/4 cup chopped pecans (approximately 3 ounces)

→ Butter

11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together milk, heavy cream, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined.
03 - Add cubed bread to the custard mixture and gently stir to coat thoroughly. Allow to soak for 10 minutes, enabling bread to absorb liquid.
04 - Fold guava paste cubes and half of the chopped pecans into the soaked bread mixture using gentle motions to maintain bread structure.
05 - Pour half of the soaked bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with half of the caramel sauce. Add remaining bread mixture and finish with remaining caramel sauce.
06 - Sprinkle remaining pecans over the surface and drizzle melted butter across the top.
07 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until golden brown and set in the center. If the top begins to brown excessively, tent with foil to prevent over-browning.
08 - Allow pudding to cool slightly before serving. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce if desired.

# Top Suggestions:

01 -
  • It rescues day-old bread into something so decadent your guests won't believe you didn't buy it from a bakery.
  • The guava and caramel combination hits that perfect sweet-tart balance that makes you come back for another bite before the first one settles.
  • Pecans add a textural surprise that keeps things from feeling too soft or one-dimensional.
02 -
  • Don't skip the 10-minute soak for the bread—I learned this the hard way when I tried to rush it once and ended up with one bite of mush and the rest dry and disappointing.
  • Guava paste can be stubborn to cut, so let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and use a sharp knife with a little melted butter on the blade—it glides through instead of sticking.
03 -
  • Let your eggs come to room temperature before mixing—they incorporate into the custard more smoothly and create a silkier final texture.
  • If you can't find guava paste locally, order it online or use fresh guava pulp mixed with a tablespoon of sugar, though the texture will be different and the cooking time might shift slightly.
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