By: Jill Mills Updated: Oct 9, 2024

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If you’re craving an unforgettable dessert experience, look no further than this Donut Bread Pudding! It’s everything you love about traditional bread pudding but with an indulgent twist—using leftover donuts. The soft, sugary donuts soak up the rich, bourbon-infused custard, creating a mouthwatering treat that’s simply irresistible.

A sliced loaf of donut bread pudding on a black slate, topped with a sweet glaze, with slices of the pudding laid out in front, revealing the marbled texture inside.

Easy Bread Pudding with Donuts

I love recipes that use leftover or extra ingredients and turn them into something extra delicious. This donut bread pudding is no exception! I don’t often have extra donuts around, but when I do, I make this. It’s soft, sweet, and coated in an amazing bourbon glaze. I promise that you’ve never had bread pudding quite like this before!

Why You’ll Love This Donut Bread Pudding

Budget-friendly. The ingredients used in this recipe are affordable, even on a tight budget.
It’s great any time. Make this for a special occasion or just to use leftover donuts.
Crowd favorite. This is a tried and true recipe that your friends and family will enjoy.

What You’ll Need

Below is everything you need to make this delicious donut bread pudding dessert. I also included the components to make a sweet bourbon glaze to pour over the top. Ingredient amounts for the donut bread pudding recipe are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Cake and chocolate cake donuts: This recipe is best with stale, leftover donuts. If I have uneaten donuts left in the pantry, I like to make this bread pudding.
Eggs: These are a great binder that helps the donut bread pudding stay together as it bakes. I also use an egg in the bourbon glaze.
Milk and cream: I use a combination of milk and heavy cream to add moisture to the donuts.
Butter: Melted unsalted butter adds fat and flavor and helps both the bread pudding and glaze set.
Brown sugar: I love the rich molasses flavor of brown sugar, and it works perfectly as the sweetener in this recipe. I also add white sugar to the pudding and the glaze.
Vanilla: Not only does the vanilla add a subtle and authentic vanilla flavor, it also enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.
Spices: I add cinnamon for warmth and salt to balance the dish.
Bourbon: This is for the glaze on the top of the donut bread pudding.

How to Make Donut Bread Pudding

This is a fairly simple recipe to put together. It’s a quick process and perfect even for an amateur baker.

Prep the oven and loaf pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix all the ingredients except donuts. Combine the large eggs, milk, cream, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until the ingredients are well incorporated.

A mixing bowl with whisked cream and spices, set on a red and white checkered cloth, ready to be poured over the torn donut pieces.

A large blue and white bowl containing torn pieces of glazed donuts soaking in a cream mixture, with visible chunks of chocolate donuts, placed on a red checkered cloth.

Let the donuts sit in the mixture. Add the chopped donuts to the mixture and toss to coat them completely. Allow the donuts to sit in the egg mixture for about 20 minutes.
Transfer and bake. Pour it into the prepared loaf pan and bake it for 60-70 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Cool. Allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the bourbon glaze.
Melt butter. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter.
Add sugar and egg. Stir in the sugar and egg until they are well combined.
Cook. Turn the stove to low heat and cook the egg and butter mixture until it thickens. Ensure that you are continuously stirring the mixture as it cooks.

A close-up of the baked donut bread pudding loaf, resting on a cooling rack, with a crispy golden brown crust and swirls of chocolate throughout.

A loaf of freshly baked donut bread pudding cooling on a wire rack, generously drizzled with creamy glaze that has pooled beneath the rack.

Add bourbon. Stir in the bourbon and remove the pan from the heat.
Pour the glaze on the bread pudding. Drizzle the glaze on top of the bread pudding. Give it a couple of minutes to cool and set.
Serve. Slice and enjoy!

Tips and Variations

Try different donut flavors. You can use any variety of donuts that you like. For a fun twist, try pumpkin or blueberry.

Top with a different glaze. Make a simple no-cook glaze using powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Or try with a chocolate sauce or caramel sauce.

Leave out the bourbon. If you don’t want to use the bourbon, you may enjoy this bread pudding with the glaze.

A sliced loaf of donut bread pudding drizzled with a creamy glaze, placed on a black slate board with a wooden spatula nearby, against a red and white checkered cloth background.

Does the Alcohol Cook Down?

The theory is that the alcohol will bake out of the bread. Some people are concerned that it does not cook out. In the end, this will need to be a personal choice.

What are the Best Donuts For This Pudding?

The Bread pudding recipe in this one asks that you use cake and chocolate stale donuts. However, you are open to trying other types of donuts as well. You can try plain, glazed, and more, depending on what you like, but I always recommend trying the recipe first before switching anything.

Proper Storage

Store leftover donut bread pudding in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you like, you may reheat it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. I do not recommend freezing the leftovers because it changes the texture.

Donut Bread Pudding