Warm and comforting cranberry orange bread pudding, made with fresh (or frozen) cranberries and orange marmalade and topped with a warm Butter Sauce.

Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding with Vanilla Butter Sauce

I’m celebrating cranberries this week, starting with this Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding! Cranberries are near and dear to my heart, not only because I love them, but because I live in cranberry country. Cranberries grow natively here and there is also a large commercial Cranberry Marsh nearby, so I have ready access to the freshest of cranberries every Fall.

I paid a visit to the Cranberry Marsh a few weeks ago, just as the Fall harvest was beginning. For those that aren’t aware, cranberries grow on very low shrub-like bushes. They aren’t “picked” in the classical sense though. To harvest cranberries, the field is flooded and the berries are loosened from their bushes by agitating the water with a tractor fitted with a rotating rake. Once loosened, the cranberries float to the top and are skimmed off. It’s a unique process and great fun to witness.

Here are a few photos from my visit to the Cranberry Marsh …

Cranberry Bushes
Cranberry Field before flooding
Cranberry Harvester

Did you know? The cranberry harvester doesn’t float on top of the flooded fields (I always thought that!) It has tires and it actually drives on the ground. Although the field is flooded, it doesn’t need to be deep as the cranberry bushes are so low to the ground.

Flooded Cranberry Field
cranberry tractor
Cranberries ready for harvest

Did you know? Fall harvested cranberries are a very tart berry, but if you were to leave the cranberries on the bushes over the winter, by the Spring, they would be sweet! Of course, you’d have to fight off the bears and deer to get at them ;)

Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding with Warm Butter Sauce

So obviously, I brought back a huge bag of fresh cranberries, which will keep me in cranberries for some time. One of the first things I baked up was this bread pudding. Cranberry and orange are a perfect combination and of course, bread pudding is classic comfort food.

Recipe Tips

This bread pudding is flavoured with orange marmalade. If you don’t have marmalade on hand, simply substitute a bit of orange juice and zest instead.

To top my bread pudding, I made an old fashioned Butter Sauce, made simply and quickly in a saucepan by warming together butter, sugar, cream and vanilla. It’s a delicious sweet complement to the tart cranberry and orange flavours.

Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding with Warm Butter Sauce

Top Tip!

Cranberries freeze beautifully. They don’t need any pre-freezer preparation. Just pop the cranberries into a freezer bag and enjoy them from the freezer for up to a year! So stock up when you see them fresh in the market and pop some extra bags in the freezer!

cranberry orange bread pudding with butter sauce being poured

Get the Recipe: Cranberry Orange Bread Pudding

Delicious bread pudding, studded with fresh cranberries and flavoured with orange marmalade. Alternately, you could use a bit of orange juice and zest to flavour the custard.
5 stars from 2 ratings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

Bread Pudding:

  • 1/2 large baguette, day old, cut into cubes (if bread is fresh, toast cubes in 350oven for 5-7 minutes to dry)
  • 1 cup half & half cream (10%), 10% bf
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (35%)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, or vanilla bean paste
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons orange marmalade, (or orange juice/zest)

Butter Sauce:

  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (35%)
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla, or vanilla bean paste

Instructions
 

  • Cut bread in to cubes and place in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the half & half, cream, vanilla, eggs and sugar. Pour over cubed bread. Allow to stand at least 30 minutes and up to an hour, stirring a couple times while it stands.
  • Preheat oven to 350F Prepare individual serving dish (or one 8-9-inch-ish large dish) by greasing and placing on a baking sheet (to catch any boil overs).
  • Add cranberries and marmalade to bread/cream mixture and stir well to combine. Using a slotted spoon, spoon bread in to serving dish (or dishes). (*I like to extend the bread above the edge of the dish, as I like the crispy bits at the top in addition to the creamy bottom.) Pour remaining liquid over-top, allowing at least 1/4-1/3 inch at the top of the dish.
  • Bake in pre-heated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean (*check at the 40 minute mark and cover loosely with aluminum foil if tops are already golden enough).
  • Meanwhile, prepare Butter Sauce by combining all ingredients except the vanilla in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring regularly, over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Serve warm.
  • Serve with warm Butter Sauce.

Notes

Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips, options, substitutions and variations for this recipe!
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Dessert
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 404kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 155mg, Sodium: 135mg, Potassium: 102mg, Sugar: 32g, Vitamin A: 1030IU, Vitamin C: 1.9mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 0.4mg
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