Soft, custardy, and packed with fresh peaches, this peach bread pudding is the kind of dessert that feels a little special without being fussy. Day-old bread soaks up a rich cream and egg mixture, then bakes over a buttery brown sugar layer that melts into every bite. It’s an easy, make-ahead dessert that works just as well for a summer dinner party as it does for a casual weekend treat.

Three plates with bread pudding with peaches. — Soft, custardy peach bread pudding baked over a buttery brown sugar base and topped with a drizzle of white chocolate sauce.

When Peaches Are Ripe, This Is the Dessert I Reach For

Soft, custardy bread pudding gets a summer upgrade with juicy peaches and a buttery brown sugar base that melts into every bite. It’s rich without feeling heavy, and not overly sweet.

Bread pudding recipes usually feel like a cold-weather dessert, but this version proves otherwise. Fresh peaches lighten it up, and since frozen peaches work just as well, it’s one you can make year-round. Bread pudding of any type is one of my favorite comfort desserts, I love it with apples or rhubarb, but any peach recipe is always going to win out.

The texture comes down to the bread. Slightly dry cubes, challah or brioche both work, soak up the cream and milk without falling apart, giving you that soft, structured bite instead of something mushy.

Pro tip: If your bread is soft, cut the loaf into cubes and place it on a baking sheet in the oven at 200º for a few minutes to dry it out.

Vanilla adds warmth, while a splash of bourbon brings a subtle depth that pairs beautifully with the peaches.

You don’t need a glaze, the brown sugar layer already adds plenty of sweetness, but if you want to take it a step further, a simple white chocolate sauce does exactly that. My taste testers all voted for the glaze, but it’s just as good without it.

A casserole dish with peach bread pudding with part of it removed.

Combining both vanilla and bourbon adds another layer of flavor. Bourbon’s smooth, woody flavor perfectly complements the sweet and earthy peaches.

A serving of peach bread pudding on a plate with a fork.

A glaze being poured over peach cobbler bread pudding.

How to Chooses Peaches That Actually Taste Like Peaches

A good peach can make this dessert. A bland one…well, let’s just say no amount of cream and sugar can fix it.

The easiest way to tell if a peach is ripe? Smell it. If it doesn’t smell like a peach, it’s not ready. You want that sweet, almost floral scent.

Next, give it a gentle squeeze. It should have a little give, not soft, not rock hard. Think of it like an avocado that’s just ready.

If your peaches aren’t quite there yet, don’t worry. Follow these tricks and tips to ripen them fast! Once they’re ripe, you’ll get that juicy, sweet flavor that makes this bread pudding worth turning the oven on, even in the middle of summer.

Simple Ingredients, Big Flavor

Check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients.

The ingredients for peach bread pudding. — For the pudding.

The ingredients for a white chocolate glaze. — For the glaze.

Dairy – This recipe calls for heavy cream and milk. You can use all milk or sub half-and-half for the heavy cream in a pinch, it just won’t be as custardy.

How to Make It (It’s Easier Than You Think)

Step One: Prepare base and bread

Brown sugar and butter on the bottom of a casserole dish. — Add brown sugar layer.

A bowl of bread cubes soaked in milk. — Combine dry bread with milk and let it soak in.

You’ll want to use stale bread to avoid getting too soggy. You’re basically rehydrating the bread through the milk mixture. If the bread is not dry, toast it in the oven at 200º for a few minutes.

Step Two: Whisk and combine

a bowl of eggs, sugar and butter with a whisk. — Whisk eggs, sugar, butter, bourbon and vanilla.

A bowl of bread cubes with the egg mixture added. — Pour eggs over bread.

Peaches folded into the bread mixture. — Combine and add peaches

Step Four: Bake Pudding

Gently pour the bread pudding over the brown sugar layer of your baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 55-60 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until it is golden brown and the center of the pudding is set.

A baked peach bread pudding with a glaze in a pitcher next to it.

Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve warm with the glaze, or at room temperature.

This peach bread pudding is the kind of dessert that feels a little special without a lot of effort. It’s soft, rich, and full of fresh peach flavor, with just enough sweetness from that buttery brown sugar base. Serve it warm, add the glaze if you’re feeling extra, and don’t be surprised if there’s not much left by the end of the night.

A Couple Things That Make This Work

Always cover your bread pudding at first. This recipe has a lot of moisture, meaning the pudding’s outside can burn before the inside has set.
Press lightly on the center to check that your pudding is fully cooked. If custard oozes out, it needs to bake more.

Don’t Forget!

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