This Gruyere pear bread pudding is a holiday breakfast or brunch show stopper! This bread pudding comes together easily the night before. Simply bake and enjoy the next morning. Lovely served with bacon or sausage.

Gruyere pear bread pudding in baking dish with spoon

Pears are one of my favourite baked fruits and the nutty flavour of Gruyere cheese compliments it perfectly. But there’s more. There’s cinnamon raisin bread as the base of this one. It’s all bathed in a milk and egg mixture and left to sit in the fridge overnight. The next morning, simply bake and enjoy.

The flavours of this french toast casserole pair beautifully with something salty – bacon, bacon bacon, sausage or ham.

We actually enjoyed this as “breakfast for dinner”, so don’t hesitate to mix up in the morning and let it sit in the fridge all day, then bake up for dinner.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Pears – I used Anjou pears for my dish, as they held their shape well and have great flavour. Any pear will work here, though opt for pears that are just ripe and still firm.

Gruyere Cheese – Gruyere cheese can be pricey, but it takes a relatively small piece for the 1 cup shredded. So don’t feel you need to buy a big piece. You’ll need about 4 oz. It really is the best choice for this casserole, but if you can’t find it, I’m thinking an Emmental cheese would be a nice substitute.

Milk – I used whole (3%) milk. Alternately, 2% milk would work just fine.

Recipe Tips

You can add a drizzle of maple syrup to serve if you like, though I didn’t really think it needed it.

pear gruyere french toast in white baking dish with spoon

Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing

Assemble this bread pudding the night before, cover tightly and refrigerate. In the morning, remove from the fridge while the oven preheats, then bake and enjoy freshly baked.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator, covered, for 2-3 days.

Left-over baked bread pudding will also freeze well up to 2 months.

Gruyere pear bread pudding in baking dish with spoon

Get the Recipe: Gruyere Pear Bread Pudding

Easy and delicious, this overnight bread pudding layers pears and Gruyere cheese between cinnamon swirl bread. A breakfast or brunch show stopper!
5 stars from 9 ratings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Refrigeration Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 cups sliced peeled Anjou or Concorde pears
  • 2 teaspoons butter, melted
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar
  • 16-20 slices cinnamon swirl bread, cut in half diagonally
  • 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese, about 4 oz
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk, or half and half cream
  • 5 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon turbinado sugar, or white sugar

For serving:

  • Icing/confectioners' sugar, for dusting
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup, optional

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, combine the sliced pears, melted butter and the 1 Tbsp of sugar. Toss gently to coat.
  • In a greased 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish, arrange half of the bread slices on the bottom of the pan. Spoon pear mixture overtop, then top evenly with shredded cheese. Arrange remaining bread on top.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, 5 Tbsp sugar, eggs and cinnamon. Pour over bread, then press down slightly with the back of a spatula to submerge the bread. Cover tightly and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
  • Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Remove covering from dish. Sprinkle turbinado (or white) sugar evenly over top. Bake for about 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes to set up. Cut into squares to serve. Serve dusted with icing sugar and/or a drizzle of maple syrup, if you like.

Notes

Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips on making this recipe.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 433kcal, Carbohydrates: 66g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 141mg, Sodium: 311mg, Potassium: 373mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 35g, Vitamin A: 450IU, Vitamin C: 3.5mg, Calcium: 300mg, Iron: 2.2mg
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