Air Fryer Recipe
Bread pudding
Bread pudding is a comforting dessert that can be easily made in an air fryer, retaining its classic taste.
Ingredients
- 6 slices of stale bread (preferably brioche or challah), cubed
- 2 cups of whole milk
- 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup raisins (optional)
- Extra butter for greasing the pan
Method
- Prepare the Bread: If your bread isn’t already stale, dry it out by baking the slices in an oven at 180°C (355°F) for about 10 minutes. Cut the bread into cubes.
- Make the Custard: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
- Combine Bread and Custard: Gently fold in the bread cubes into the mixture, ensuring each piece is soaked. Add raisins if using.
- Prep for Air Frying: Grease an air-fryer-safe baking dish with butter. Transfer the bread mixture into the dish and press down lightly to compact the mixture.
- Air Fry: Preheat your air fryer to 160°C (320°F). Cook the pudding for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the bread pudding to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy warm, optionally topped with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of cream.
Why this works in an air fryer
Stale brioche or challah has open, dry crumb that absorbs custard without collapsing. The air fryer’s fast convection sets the egg-milk matrix from the edges inward while drying and browning the buttered top, so a shallow dish gives the best contrast between creamy centre and golden surface.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 3.5-5.5 litre basket with a 16-18 cm air-fryer-safe dish and at least 2 cm clearance around it for airflow; in a single-drawer model place the dish centrally, while in dual-zone fryers use one drawer and check 5 minutes early, or split between two smaller dishes and reduce cooking by 3-5 minutes.
Common pitfalls
- Top is dark by 20 minutes but the centre still ripples and the toothpick shows wet custard: cover loosely with foil, drop to 150°C and cook 6-10 minutes more so the middle can set without scorching.
- Pudding looks split, with scrambled-egg edges and watery pockets: the custard has overheated or the melted butter was too hot, so next time let the butter cool before whisking in eggs and cook at 150-155°C for a gentler set.
- Centre is heavy and bread cubes remain distinct and pale inside: the bread was too fresh or not soaked long enough, so dry it properly first and rest the mixed pudding for 10-15 minutes before air frying.
- Finished pudding is dry, rubbery and pulling away hard from the dish: it is overcooked or spread too thin, so start checking at 22 minutes and remove when the centre is just set with slight softness, not bone-dry.
Variations & substitutions
- Swap raisins for chopped dried apricots or sultanas; soak them in hot water for 10 minutes first or they can draw moisture from the custard during cooking.
- Use sourdough or a plain white loaf instead of brioche; it is less rich and absorbs more slowly, so allow a longer soak and expect a slightly firmer, less buttery pudding.
- Add 75 g dark chocolate chips; fold them through at the end and keep the temperature at 160°C, as higher heat can make exposed chocolate taste bitter.
- Add finely diced apple or pear; keep the pieces small and either reduce the milk by 2 tablespoons or add 3-5 minutes because the fruit releases moisture.
Storage & reheating
Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat portions in the air fryer at 150°C for 6-8 minutes, loosely covered with foil for the first few minutes to stop the top drying out.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
