Buttery croissants and fresh apples baked in a salted caramel custard and generously drizzled with even MORE salted caramel! This Salted Caramel Apple Bread Pudding has fall comfort written all over it!
Of all the treats to enjoy this time of year, there’s nothing more quintessential to fall than the caramel apple. It’s one of the most perfect flavor pairings of autumn, and truly the best way to get your apple in a day. Just as the doctor ordered, right?
As much as I adore a good ol’ caramel apple, there are so many other ways to enjoy this incredible flavor duo. And today, I’m about to show you the MOST exquisite way to enjoy your favorite fall couple…
This Caramel Apple Bread Pudding is BEYOND heavenly. Soft, buttery croissants and tender apples are baked to pristine perfection in the dreamiest salted caramel custard. Oh, and because you can never EVER have too much salted caramel, it’s drizzled with salted caramel as well.
Believe it or not, this beauty starts with old, dry, stale croissants. When it comes to bread pudding, fresh bread is NOT your friend. Dry or stale bread is much better at soaking up as much of the custard as possible while preventing the bread pudding from being mushy or soggy–a HUGE turn-off in the world of bread pudding.
Since I rarely keep bread long enough for it to go stale, I usually dry it out in the oven. All you have to do is cut your bread up into pieces, lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for about 10 minutes. Not only does this dry out the bread, but it also toasts it, adding more flavor!
Croissants have always been my go-to for bread puddings. Although I’ve used challah and brioche bread in the past, nothing can beat the fluffy, flaky texture of a good croissant. And luckily, they’re almost always on clearance at my grocery store. Score!
Now, I’m a bit of a texture snob when it comes to apples in desserts. Oftentimes, I’ve bitten into an apple pie, and the apples were way too firm or undercooked. It’s also the worst when you bite into a slice of cake or quick bread, and it’s full of hard bits of apple. No bueno!
So in order to prevent this baking bummer, I pre-cook the sliced apples by placing them into a saucepan with a little water, brown sugar, butter, and spices. The apples should be firm, yet soft enough that there’s a little give when you press on them with a wooden spoon. This should take about 5 minutes or so. Try not to over-cook them, or they’ll get mushy in the bread pudding.
Now let’s discuss the salted caramel…
What makes this bread pudding so phenomenally decadent is the homemade caramel sauce. Not only is it the main ingredient in the custard, but it’s also drizzled on top of the bread pudding. I’ve made this caramel sauce countless times, and I’ve finally gotten it down to a science.
How to Make the BEST Caramel Sauce:
- Pour 2/3 cup of water into a medium high-sided saucepan.
- Pour 2 cups of granulated sugar into the center of the pan, being careful not to let ANY of the sugar crystals stick to the insides of the pan. This is what leads to grainy caramel due to crystallization.
- Add a couple of tablespoons of corn syrup. This is added insurance to prevent crystallization.
- DON’T stir it. I repeat, DO NOT stir the sugar and water together. Don’t even swirl the pan. Just let it be for at least 5 minutes. It does the “stirring” on its own as it heats up on the stove.
- Once the mixture starts to turn yellowish, it’s safe to swirl the pan by lifting it by the handle and using a circular motion.
- Continue swirling the pan until the yellow turns into a golden amber color. Once it’s amber, immediately remove the pan from the stove and pour in the heavy cream. The mixture will boil up rapidly, which is why using a high-sided pan is important.
- As the mixture boils up, use a wooden spoon to stir everything together. You’ll most likely have to return the pan to the stove and continue stirring over low heat until the caramel is completely smooth.
Can I make this bread pudding ahead of time?
Why yes, YES you can! In fact, this is what I always do. I’ll make the bread pudding up the night before, store it in the refrigerator, and bake it up the next day. This gives the bread more time to soak up even more of that divine custard that the bread is submerged in. It’s a win-win because you can have the entire thing made up ahead of time AND it’s extra flavorful!
Once the bread pudding is baked and out of the oven, I like to let it rest for at least 20 minutes before diving into it. This allows any extra custard to finish being absorbed into the bread. It’ll also prevent your tongue from being scorched on a steaming hot spoonful of bread pudding. Not exactly the best way to enjoy this heavenly dessert.
Trust me, if you make this at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or literally any time of the year, you’ll be VERY popular…

Salted Caramel Apple Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 12 ounces croissants torn (about 5 large croissants)
Salted Caramel:
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
Spiced Apples:
- 10 ounces peeled and thinly-sliced apples
- ¼ cup water
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Custard:
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup Salted Caramel (from recipe above)
For Topping:
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Scatter the torn croissants evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and toasted, about 10-12 minutes. Allow croissants to cool while you prepare the rest of the bread pudding.
Make the Salted Caramel:
- Pour the water into a medium saucepan. Pour the sugar into the center of the pan, making sure none of the sugar crystals hit the sides. Add the corn syrup.
- Place pan over medium heat, leaving it alone for the first 5 minutes or until the color begins to turn yellowish. Once you see some color, gently swirl the pan around occasionally as it boils. Continue boiling until the caramel reaches a golden amber color, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. Caramel will sizzle and bubble up. Stir in the salt, and continue whisking until caramel is smooth. If needed, return pan over medium-low heat, stirring until caramel is smooth. Transfer to dish or glass measuring cup to cool completely. Caramel will continue to thicken as it cools.
Make the Spiced Apples:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the apples, water, brown sugar, butter, and spices together until apples have softened, about 5-10 minutes. Remove from stove and set aside to cool slightly.
Make the Custard:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the brown sugar, egg yolks, egg, milk, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt together. Pour 1 and 1/2 cup of the cooled salted caramel into the custard and whisk until combined.
- Gently fold in the croissants, followed by the spiced apples. Pour mixture into a greased 2.5-3 quart baking dish, gently pressing down on the bread to ensure all the pieces are saturated in the custard. Allow to sit and soak for at least an hour*.
Bake the Bread Pudding:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over bread pudding. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and toasty.
- Allow bread pudding to sit for at least 20 minutes before spooning into bowls and servings with a drizzle of salted caramel.