Budin de Pan

This budin de pan is warm, sweet, tender, and the combination of hearty aromas from vanilla, cinnamon, and lemon will make your kitchen smell so delicious! A classic and versatile dessert that can be served simply with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or dressed up with various toppings for a more elegant presentation.

this recipe

Budín de pan is a popular recipe in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and many other Latin American countries. It consists of a bread pudding dessert made of bread soaked in a mixture of milk, eggs, and sugar, and often flavored with vanilla extract and cinnamon.

The mixture is then baked until the bread absorbs the liquid and the pudding sets. Resulting in an aromatic, hearty, and warm pudding that can be served with various toppings like ice cream, caramel sauce, and fresh fruit among others.

This bread pudding dessert is similar to capirotada but with a softer texture and a creamier flavor. Making this recipe is a great way to use bread leftovers, reducing food waste in your kitchen.

Ingredients

• Bread: I used bolillo rolls, but other types of white bread can work on this recipe too.
• Eggs: Use medium eggs.
• Milk: I used a combination of regular whole milk and evaporated milk.
• Sugar: White granulated sugar.
• Butter: Unsalted and melted.
• Raisins: For added texture, this is an optional ingredient so feel free to leave out if you don’t like them.
• Aromas: You’ll need vanilla extract, cinnamon, orange zest, and lemon zest.
• For the caramel: Sugar, lemon juice, and water.

How to Make Budin de Pan

This is a visual overview of the steps to make this recipe. See the detailed list of ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below.

Crack the eggs into a large bowl, and add sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon and orange zest. Whisk to combine.

Pour the milk and evaporated milk, and whisk to incorporate all ingredients.

Tear the bread into small pieces and add to the custard mixture. Add also the melted butter and the raisins.

Mix everything and use a spatula or a large spoon to push down the bread so it can nicely soak up the creamy custard.

Cover the bowl and let everything to rest for 15 minutes mixing from time to achieve a mushy mixture.

Make The Caramel

Place the sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Rotate the pan from time to time, but do not stir.

Turn the heat to medium-low and keep cooking until you’ll have a smooth, dark brown caramel.

Carefully pour the caramel into a ring pan, then take the pan with kitchen gloves and gently rotate it to coat also the sides. Set aside while you continue with the recipe.

Bake

Preheat your oven to 350°F/ 175°C.

Add the pudding mixture into the pan. Then, place the pan inside a larger baking dish. Pour water into the larger dish until it covers 3/4 of the smaller pan.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. It should be slightly puffed and golden brown on top.

Top Tip: Be careful not to overbake the budin de pan, as it might cause the pudding to become dry.

Remove the baked bread pudding from the oven, place it on a cooling rack, and allow to cool down for 20 minutes.

After that, run a knife around the edges of the mold to loosen up the dessert.

Place a serving platter over the pan and flip the pudding onto the platter. It will slide down easily because of the caramel.

Serve with your favorite toppings or on its own.

Expert Tips

• The bread: Stale or slightly dried bread works best for bread pudding. Fresh bread might become too mushy during soaking and baking.
• Mix separately: Mix the eggs separately and stir vigorously so they won’t scramble.
• Soak well: Allow the bread to soak in the milk mixture for at least 10-15 minutes. This ensures the bread absorbs the liquid and softens properly.
• Water bath: I recommend baking this budin de pan with the bain-marie method (water bath) as it can help the dessert to have a soft and moist texture, similar to flan.
• Rest & serve: Let the bread pudding rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving. This allows the flavors to settle and makes it easier to cut neat slices.

Serving Suggestions

You can serve budín de pan warm, at room temperature, or even chilled. That’s how versatile this dessert is!

Slice the pudding and place in individual serving plates, then top with any or a mix of:

• Cajeta caramel sauce or chocolate sauce.
• Fruit compote, such as apple, or strawberry.
• Vanilla or corn ice cream (or any flavor you prefer).
• Chopped nuts such as peanuts, macadamia nuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts.
• Whipped cream.
• Just a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Store

This tasty Mexican and Puerto Rican-style bread pudding recipe last up to 5-6 days in the fridge.

Allow the leftovers to cool down, then transfer them to an airtight container before placing them in the fridge.

Budin de pan is also perfect to freeze, you can do it either whole or cut into portions. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

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