Fresh strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb and white chocolate mingle with Italian bread cubes and then bathed in a rich and creamy custard sauce before baking. It’s simply the Best Creamy Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Pudding you’ll ever taste.
If you’re hosting (or attending), a 4th of July party this year then you definitely want to add the Best Creamy Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Pudding to the menu. It’s relatively easy to make, requires minimal kitchen skills, and will earn you rave reviews from your family and friends.
Spring and early summer is the perfect time to make this creamy fresh fruit bread pudding while the rhubarb and berries are at their peak of freshness, and when their prices are at their lowest.
The effort required to make this recipe is pretty minimal. As long as you can use a serrated knife to cut the bread into cubes, and can bring milk and butter to a low simmer on the stovetop, you’ll be successful making this recipe.
If you’ll follow these easy steps for making the Best Creamy Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Pudding, I guarantee you’ll be thrilled with the results:
Butter a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. In a medium saucepan bring milk, sugar, butter and vanilla extract to a low simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside while you cube a loaf of Italian bread into 2″ cubes.
Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Trim and chop the rhubarb into approximate ½” pieces (this doesn’t need to be exact).
Place the chopped rhubarb (reserving ½ cup for later) into the bowl with the bread. Trim and chop the strawberries into the same approximate size as the rhubarb, and add them, along with the blueberries (reserving ½ cup of each for later) into the bowl with the bread cubes.
Add the white chocolate chips (reserving ½ cup for later) to the bread bowl and toss to combine all the ingredients. Pour the bread and fruit mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish and set aside while you prepare the custard.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Add approximately 1 cup of the milk mixture into the egg bowl and whisk to combine. Add the egg and milk mixture from the small bowl into the saucepan with the remaining warm milk mixture. Whisk to combine.
Pour all the custard evenly over top of the bread cubes and fruit in the baking dish, pressing the bread cubes into the custard mixture making sure it’s evenly coated. Bake the bread pudding in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove the bread pudding from the oven and evenly sprinkle the remaining fruit and white chocolate chips evenly over top. Sprinkle the entire top with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Return the baking dish back into the oven and continue baking until the custard is set in the middle and the bread pudding is puffed and golden. Allow to cool for approximately 30 minutes and serve warm. Enjoy!
- 4-5 cups Italian bread cut into 2" cubes
- 2 cups fresh rhubarb stalks trimmed and diced into 1" pieces, reserve ½ cup and set aside
- 1½ cups sliced strawberries reserve ½ cup and set aside
- 1½ cups fresh blueberries reserve ½ cup and set aside
- 8 ounces white chocolate chips reserve ½ cup and set aside
- 3 cups milk
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, set aside the 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter plus additional to butter the baking dish
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 eggs beaten
- pinch salt
- Cutting board and serrated knife to cube the Italian bread
- 9 " x 13" baking dish
- Large bowl
- paring knife to trim the rhubarb and strawberries
- medium size saucepan
- whisk
- measuring cups
- medium bowl
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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Liberally butter the baking dish and set aside.
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Cube the Italian bread and place in a large bowl.
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Bring the milk, sugar, butter and vanilla to a low simmer in a medium size saucepan. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
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Trim and cut the rhubarb and strawberries and add to the bowl with the bread cubes.
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Add the blueberries and white chocolate chips to the bowl with the bread and rhubarb.
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Toss to the ingredients in the large bowl to combine.
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Turn the bread and fruit mixture out in an even layer in the buttered baking dish.
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In a medium bowl whisk 3 eggs and a pinch of salt.
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Add about 1 cup of the warmed milk and butter mixture into the blended eggs. Stir to combine.
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Pour the egg and milk mixture into the larger bowl with the remaining milk and butter mixture and stir well to combine.
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Pour the milk and egg mixture (custard) evenly over the bread, fruit and chocolate mixture.
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Press the bread into the custard to it's evenly covered.
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Bake the bread pudding for 45 minutes in a preheated oven.
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Remove from the oven and top the bread pudding evenly with the reserved ½ cup rhubarb, strawberries, blueberries and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
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Return the bread pudding back into the oven and continue baking until the center of the bread pudding is set and it's puffed and golden.
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Remove from the oven and serve warm (preferred) with vanilla ice cream, if desired (not shown).
Feel free to substitute the rhubarb, or leave it out entirely, if you're not a fan.
Since the window for fresh strawberries, blueberries and rhubarb only lasts for a short while, I have a few other recipes that call for these superheroes of the produce department that I think you’ll also enjoy:
STRAWBERRY RHUBARB BUNDT CAKE:
STRAWBERRY CROSTATA WITH SWEET ALMOND GLAZE:
STRAWBERRY BREAD WITH RHUBARB AND BANANAS:
Three cheers for the red, white, and blue. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe 4th of July! And, if you’re visiting me here from another country…WELCOME! I’m so happy you’re here!! I hope that you’ll also enjoy and appreciate seeing the glassware that I take such pride painting, and showing, here on my blog.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this recipe for Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Pudding as much as I’ve enjoyed bringing it to you! Should you have any questions regarding this, or anything else you see on my site, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly, or leave me a comment in the comment section below. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back to you with a reply just as soon as I possibly can!
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Kudos Kitchen by Renée ~ Cooking up artistically delicious family-friendly dishes from my Kudos Kitchen to yours!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
This is just perfect! I am loving all the fresh fruit on this bread pudding! And your pictures are beautiful!
This bread pudding is perfection!
oh how i love bread pudding! lots of great flavors going on here!
This looks fantastic and so festive! I adore rhubarb!
Oh my goodness, this looks amazing! I’m betting that white chocolate just sends it over the top – I love it paired with berries!
Patriotic and delicious perfect for the 4th!
You know I always think bread pudding as a heavy looking, not for summer dish but man those berries sure to liven it up. Great rendition for the summer!
Oh my. This looks 100% delightful!
I love rhubarb in desserts, but I’ve never tried putting it in a bread pudding before. I love how pretty it is with the rhubarb and berries scattered on top… I bet it tastes absolutely delicious, too!
SO perfect for a summer dessert!!!
I love bread pudding and I especially love the addition of fresh fruit. Such a great dessert to bring to a party.
I just fell in love with bread pudding a few years ago! I’m 100% head over heels for this one with all of the strawberries, blueberries, rhubarb and white chocolate chips!
This sounds wonderful and with the addition of the white chocolate it’s sure to be a winner!
Rhubarb and bread pudding are two things I don’t normally think of together – but now I won’t be able to stop thinking about it. This sounds delicious…and so pretty!
I love all the summer fruit in here! I’ve had bread pudding (and loved it)… but it’s usually really rich and heavy. This is such a lovely, light summery twist!
This sounds and looks absolutely divine! Love it!