Give stale sweets a second life with this brunch recipe, which transforms leftovers into an decadent doughnut bread pudding. Perfectly paired with a heaping of fresh fruit, this dish will tempt you to keep a few too many doughnuts on hand. The toughest part may be making sure you don’t eat them first!
Baker’s Choice
To add your own spin to the recipe, swap out the regular cake doughnuts for your favorite flavor. Apple cider doughnuts add a seasonal twist in the fall, while chopping up some maple-bacon doughnuts creates the perfect fusion of savory and sweet. Even a mix of gourmet flavors in this bread pudding will make each bite exciting.
This recipe is versatile enough that you can mix in other ingredients, from pecans to walnuts to sliced almonds. Layering additional berries into the pudding could make the dish your go-to summertime dessert.
How to Make Doughnut Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 24 cake doughnuts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 apples, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Whipped cream and fresh berries, optional
Instructions
Step 1: Build your layers
Line the inside of 5-qt. slow cooker with a double layer of heavy-duty foil; spray insert (that’s the technical term for the removable bowl inside your slow cooker) and foil with cooking spray. Layer half the doughnut pieces in slow cooker; top with half the apples. Repeat with remaining doughnuts and apples.
Find more unusual recipes to make in your trusty slow cooker.
Step 2: Mix it up
In large bowl, whisk together cream, eggs and vanilla; pour over doughnuts and apples. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the doughnut mixture.
Step 3: Just desserts
Cook, covered, on low until set. It should take about 4-5 hours. Remove the insert; breathe in the heavenly doughnut smell. Let stand, uncovered, 20 minutes. If desired, serve with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Top It Off
Sweet tooth still not satiated? Consider drizzling a homemade vanilla sauce over the final product. You can also whip cream from scratch!
Find Recipes for DIY—and Delicious—Doughnuts
Apple donuts remind me of family trips to South Dakota. We’d stop at Wall Drug for a dozen or so before camping in the Badlands. Maple glaze was and still is my favorite. Share a batch with friends and family who appreciate a hot, fresh apple cider donut. —Melissa Hansen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Get Recipe
When I was a little girl, my grandmother took me aside one day and taught me how to make her famous banana beignets. Although we made them during the holidays, they're pretty fantastic any time of the year. —Amy Downing, South Riding, Virginia
Get Recipe
One day, my father got a hankering for doughnuts and asked me to make him some. I ended up trying these. Dad—and everyone else—loved the results. They come out so golden and plump. —Lisa Bates, Dunham, Quebec
Get Recipe
For 30 years, I've been using leftover mashed potatoes to make these light and fluffy doughnuts. The recipe was originally created by my neighbor's mother-in-law. The doughnuts are great for breakfast or as a snack anytime. —Marilyn Kleinfall, Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Get Recipe
Four ingredients are all you'll need for this sure-bet breakfast treat. Friends and family will never guess that refrigerated buttermilk biscuits are the base for these golden, jelly-filled doughnuts. —Ginny Watson, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Get Recipe
I first tried these tasty treats at my sister's house and thought they were the best I'd ever had. They're easy to make, and the fudge frosting tops them off well. When I make them for friends, the recipe is always requested. —Pat Davis, Beulah, Michigan
Get Recipe
The light coffee flavor in these tasty sugar-glazed doughnuts makes them a perfect start to the morning...on Christmas Day or any day. You'll find that the recipe is a delectable way to use up leftover potatoes. —Pat Siebenaler, Random Lake, Wisconsin
Get Recipe
There's no need to run to the bakery for delicious jelly doughnuts! These sweet treats are lighter than air. I've been fixing them for 25 years for my husband, our two daughters and their families. They disappear almost as fast as I make them. —Kathy Westendorf, Westgate, Iowa
Get Recipe
This bear claw pastry recipe is absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious! It's impossible to resist the delicate dough, rich almond filling and pretty fanned tops sprinkled with sugar and almonds. I made yummy treats like this when I worked in a bakery years ago. —Aneta Kish, La Crosse, Wisconsin
Get Recipe
These sweet French doughnuts are square instead of round and have no hole in the middle. This beignet recipe is a traditional part of breakfast in New Orleans. —Beth Dawson, Jackson, Louisiana
Get Recipe
Here's a simple recipe to create a colorful and fun breakfast (or snack!). For the glaze, use any type of juice you like. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Get Recipe
I wanted to make a gluten-free doughnut that tasted so good, the fact that it’s gluten-free is beside the point! —Kathryn Conrad, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Get Recipe
I always have a few special treats handy when the grandchildren visit. These cake doughnuts are one of their favorite snacks. —Beva Staum, Muscoda, Wisconsin
Get Recipe
Just looking at these plump jelly-filled doughnuts will make your mouth water. There's nothing like them. —Lee Bremson, Kansas City, Missouri
Get Recipe
What could be more delicious than a warm homemade doughnut? I've been making these tasty treats for my children and grandchildren for many years. —Kay McEwen, Sussex, New Brunswick
Get Recipe
Here on our 1,250-acre farm, we usually have a quick breakfast on the go. So I often keep a batch of these light and moist doughnuts on hand. They disappear quickly because no one can eat just one! —Suzanne Christensen, Defiance, Iowa
Get Recipe
These finger-licking good delicacies are so light and luscious, my family has always called them "angel food doughnuts." They're lovely at Christmas with a dusting of confectioners' sugar. —Darlene Brenden, Salem, Oregon
Get Recipe
While these delicious bite-size treats are ready in minutes, they’ll disappear in a flash. And don’t relegate the deep-fried goodness to the breakfast nook—I’ve never had anyone turn these down no matter the time of day. —Chelsea Turner, Lake Elsinore, CA
Get Recipe [skyword_tracking]
The post How to Make Doughnut Bread Pudding appeared first on Taste of Home.
Kim Bussing
