Guava Caramel Bread Pudding (Printable Version)

Creamy vanilla custard soaked brioche with tangy guava, rich caramel layers, and crunchy pecan topping.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Bread & Dairy

01 - 8 cups day-old brioche or challah, cubed
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
09 - 1/2 cup caramel sauce, plus extra for drizzling

→ Nuts

10 - 3/4 cup chopped pecans

→ Butter

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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined.
03 - Add cubed bread to the custard mixture. Gently stir to coat all pieces evenly and let soak for 10 minutes.
04 - Fold in the guava paste cubes and half of the chopped pecans into the soaked bread mixture.
05 - Pour half of the soaked bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Drizzle with half the caramel sauce. Add remaining bread mixture and drizzle with the rest of the caramel sauce.
06 - Sprinkle the top with remaining pecans and drizzle melted butter over the surface.
07 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown and set in the center. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil.
08 - Let cool slightly before serving. Drizzle with extra caramel sauce if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between creamy custard, chewy guava, and crunchy pecans creates three completely different textures in every spoonful.
  • It feels fancy enough to serve at dinner parties but comes together faster than you'd expect for something this elegant.
  • Guava paste does the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so you don't need a dozen ingredients to feel impressive.
02 -
  • Day-old bread is absolutely non-negotiable—fresh bread will turn into custard soup halfway through baking, and nobody wants that.
  • Don't over-whisk the custard mixture or you'll incorporate too much air and end up with a slightly curdled texture; gentle and thorough is better than aggressive.
  • Guava paste softens dramatically as it bakes, so cutting it small ensures it doesn't create large pockets of undissolved paste that taste one-dimensionally sweet.
03 -
  • Buy guava paste from a Latin American market or the international section of your grocery store, and choose the brand that's been recommended by someone who actually cooks with it rather than random shelf browsing.
  • If your bread pudding cracks slightly on top as it cools, that's a sign the center is set perfectly—don't mistake texture for imperfection.
Return