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Coconut bread pudding

  • Serves 6 - 8
  • Prep time: 10 mins + 15 mins chilling | Cooking time: 40 mins + 10 mins resting

A tropical twist on a classic winter warmer dessert, this coconut bread pudding is a must try this winter. It’s comforting and delicious and goes perfectly with fresh sliced kiwifruit.

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp thread coconut
  • 8 - 10 slices thick of white bread
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 x 400g can coconut milk
  • ½ cup brown sugar + 2 Tbsp for topping
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 3 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
  • Icing sugar to serve

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C bake.
  2. Toast the thread coconut in a dry pan over a medium heat until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
  3. Grease a large oven proof dish. Slice the bread in half to create triangles.
  4. Layer the bread into the dish with the triangles pointing upwards.
  5. Whisk together the eggs, milk, coconut milk, brown sugar and vanilla essence. Pour evenly over the bread and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid.
  6. Remove from the fridge and sprinkle over the brown sugar.
  7. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until golden brown and just set. Top with the toasted coconut and sliced kiwifruit.
  8. Leave to sit for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Dust with icing sugar just before serving

Top tips:

  1. You can toast the coconut while the oven is preheating rather than using an extra pan, just keep an eye on it as it tends to burn quickly (shake it every few minutes to ensure an even toast).
  2. Threaded coconut adds texture, but you can use dessicated or even coconut flakes (adjust toasting time accordingly).
  3. Keep the crusts on the bread for added texture and crunch.
  4. Brown sugar adds a deeper caramel flavour and crunch on the topping, but you can substitute with other sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup. Keep an eye on the bake time as different sugars will cook differently.
  5. Thick white bread will hold the liquid better, but you can always use thinner bread and double-up on the slices.
  6. Use kiwifruit only if in season, or you can use other fruit available year-round, like bananas. Drained tinned fruit like sliced peaches, or frozen fruit such as frozen mixed berries (thawed and mixed through) also work well for budget-friendly options.
  7. Store any leftovers in an airtight fridge in the container for even more soaked bread pudding the next day.
  8. Save leftover bread slices and dip into leftover pudding liquid (crack an egg into the mixture) to make a next-level French toast for breakfast the next day.
  9. This recipe works well with any leftover bread or the tops and bottom of bread in the bag too. Freeze any leftover bread to make this.
  10. You can substitute the milk for additional coconut milk (or dairy-free milk) for a dairy-free alternative. For extra indulgent pudding, use coconut cream.