Mexican Bread Pudding (Budín de Pan)

This perfect Budin De Pan (Mexican Bread Pudding Recipe) is sweet and satisfying. This pudding-like dish is made with a few simple ingredients and tastes delicious. Plus, it's perfect for using up day-old bread. Trust me- this Mexican bread pudding will impress your friends and family!

This sweet dessert is very special to me. My mamá used to make this budín de pan when I was younger whenever she made too many bread rolls, and she wanted to use them up before they went bad.

The Mexican version of bread pudding is a little bit more compact than the one made in other countries, where the final texture is more light and fluffy. Bread pudding in Mexico is usually cut into brick-shaped slices when sold at bakeries.

History Behind Budín De Pan

Mexican bread pudding, known as “Budín de Pan”, is popularly sold at bakeries, usually made from the sweetbreads and bolillos from the day before.

Some bakers prepare their bread pudding by adding shredded coconut, candied figs, and chopped pecans, in addition to the everyday use of raisins. Nowadays, they even add bananas.

Mexican bread pudding is also made at home, a good tool for savvy homemakers that like to make good use of leftover bread- like my mamá! There are other countries that made a dessert like this, that is why you will find Puerto Rican Bread Pudding and Dominican Bread pudding.

My Version Of Bread Pudding

I’ve been making this bread dessert for years, and as a matter of fact, I think it’s one of the first things that I learned how to bake.

I’ve used all types of pieces of bread, from sweet pieces of bread and French rolls to hot dog and hamburger rolls.

Throughout those years, though, I never wrote down the bread pudding recipe. Instead, I simply mixed the bread pieces and added the rest of the ingredients as needed. If the mixture was dry, I added more milk. If it needed more flavor, then I added more vanilla and cinnamon.

It wasn't until last year that I finally started weighing and measuring the ingredients for my bread pudding recipe. I know that if you’ve tried this in Mexico or at a Mexican bakery, you will agree that it tastes just like this!

Frequently Asked Questions about Mexican Bread Pudding

Before I share my recipe, here are a few questions I would like to answer about budín de pan. 

What is budín de pan?

Mexican Bread pudding (in Spanish, Budin de pan or pan de pan) is a recipe made with leftover bread. In Mexico, you can easily find it at your local bread stores (panaderias), in the sweet bread section ( pan de dulce). The bread is made using old-day bread and other ingredients like eggs, milk, sugar, and spices. Sometimes other ingredients like nuts and raisins are mixed in the batter and topped with syrup, depending on the baker. 

Is budín de pan a dessert or a breakfast dish?

Mexican Bread pudding is enjoyed as a dessert and breakfast and can even be an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee. 

Can I use any type of bread to make Mexican bread pudding?

Yes, you can use any type of bread that you have on hand. However, day-old bread is best, so it doesn't get too soggy in the pudding.

I typically use french bread or Mexican bolillos. Any kind of sweet bread works!

How long can you save this bread pudding in the refrigerator?

Yes, store your Mexican bread pudding in the refrigerator for up to five days. But, make sure to keep it wrapped tightly so that it doesn't dry out!

Can I freeze Mexican bread pudding?

Yes, you can freeze budín de pan for up to two months. Just make sure to freeze the bread and the liquid base separately to make sure the bread pudding doesn't get super soggy.

Then, thaw it in the refrigerator before serving.

How to make Mexican bread pudding

Here is a list of ingredients you'll need to make every part of this dessert.

Ingredients

• Day-old bread
• Whole milk
• Eggs
• Butter
• Sugar
• Vanilla
• Ground cinnamon
• Raisins
• Cinnamon sticks (optional)

Please note: For exact measurements of the ingredients listed above, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

Directions:

To make things easier for you, I will break down the directions to make budín de pan into sections.

Note: Before you start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8-in. square pan or baking dish.

Prep the bread

• Rip or dice up the day-old bread into small pieces.
• Place the small pieces in a large bowl and pour the whole milk over them.
• Let the bread soak in the milk for a few minutes to soften.
• With your hand or with a fork, crumble the pieces.

Make Mexican bread pudding base

• Beat the eggs in a small bowl and pour them into the bread mixture.
• Then, add the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and raisins.
• Mix and stir everything together until you have a uniform mixture. Do NOT over-mix.

Prep the baking dish

• Pour the mixture over your greased baking dish, and smooth the top with the help of a spatula.
• Cut the cinnamon sticks into pieces and insert them in different places, as shown in the picture.

Note: The addition of cinnamon sticks is optional; I like to do it because that’s how I remember the bread pudding sold in my hometown growing up. The cinnamon adds flavor to the bread, and your kitchen smells incredible while baking it.

Bake and enjoy!

• Bake the bread pudding for 50 to 60 minutes in the 350 F preheated oven.
• Use a toothpick to check if it’s done. The top surface will form a crust, but the bread will still feel soft.

Note: When you get your bread pudding out of the oven, it will look fluffy; wait until it cools off to cut. After the bread cools, the fluffiness will be reduced.

Side Dishes

This Mexican bread pudding is perfectly sweet and delicious. I like to serve it warm with a drizzle of honey, maple syrup, or caramel sauce. I sometimes like to pour a little fig syrup to enhance the sweetness!

Make sure to enjoy with a hot cup of café con leche or café de olla.

More Authentic Mexican Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe for budín de pan, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:

• Churros Mexicanos
• Caballeros Pobres (Mexican French Toast)
• Buñuelos De Vidento (Mexican Fritters)
• Panque (Cream Cheese Pound Cake)
• Authentic Tres Leches Cake Recipe

I hope you make this Mexican bread pudding! If this recipe was of any help to you, come back to let me know your experience.

¡Buen provecho!

Mely

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📖 Recipe

Mexican Bread Pudding (Budín De Pan)

Mely Martínez

Mexican bread pudding, known as “Budín de Pan”, is popularly sold at bakeries, usually made from the sweet breads that were not sold the day before. Some bakers prepare their bread pudding with shredded coconut, candied figs, and chopped pecans, in addition to the common use of raisins.

4.78 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course Desserts

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 10 servings

Calories 315 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 500 Grams of day-old bread cut into pieces* (about 8 cups)
• ▢ 3 cups whole milk
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ ⅓ cup butter melted and cooled
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ½ cup raisins**
• ▢ 1 stick of cinnamon optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. Grease an 8-IN square baking dish.

Prep the bread

• Rip or dice up the day-old bread into small pieces.
• Place the small pieces in a large bowl and pour the whole milk over them. Let the bread soak in the milk for a few minutes to soften.
• With your hand or with a fork, crumble the pieces.

Make bread pudding base

• Beat the eggs in a small bowl and pour them into the bread mixture.
• Then, add the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and raisins.
• Mix and stir everything together until you have a uniform mixture. Do NOT over-mix.

Prep the baking dish

• Pour the mixture over your greased baking dish, and smooth the top with the help of a spatula.
• Cut the cinnamon sticks into pieces and insert them in different places, as shown in the picture.
• Note: The addition of cinnamon sticks is optional; I like to do it because that’s how I remember the bread pudding sold in my hometown growing up. The cinnamon adds flavor to the bread, and your kitchen smells incredible while baking it.

Bake and enjoy!

• Bake the bread pudding for 50 to 60 minutes in the 350 F preheated oven.
• Use a toothpick to check if it’s done. The top surface will form a crust, but the bread will still feel soft.
• Note: When you get your bread pudding out of the oven, it will look fluffy; wait until it cools off to cut. When it cools, the fluffiness will be reduced.

Serve with some honey or maple syrup. I like to pour a little bit of fig syrup. Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee.

Notes

· You can use a mix of pieces of bread, as I mentioned above. Some pieces of bread you can use like,  sandwich bread, hot dog bread, sweet pieces of bread, and French rolls. The types of bread you use will affect the amount of sugar needed. Before pouring the mixture into the baking dish, you will need to check for sweetness.

· You can also add ⅓ cup of shredded coconut or chopped pecans.

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 9gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 365mgPotassium: 265mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 380IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 168mgIron: 2.2mg

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