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Pear Bread Pudding with Toffee Sauce

Buttery, flakey croissants and tender cinnamon-spiced pears baked in a creamy custard and drizzled with rich homemade toffee sauce!
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Soaking Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 7 Servings

Ingredients
  

  • 13 ounces croissants, torn (about 5 croissants)

Spiced Pears:

  • 9 ounces peeled and diced pears
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

Custard:

  • cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • teaspoon allspice
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk

For Topping:

  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Toffee Sauce:

  • ¾ cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 5 Tablespoons salted butter
  • cup heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees. Scatter the torn croissants evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and toasted, about 8-10 minutes.* Allow croissants to cool while you prepare the apples and custard.

Prepare the Spiced Pears:

  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the pears, water, brown sugar, and butter together until the pears have softened, about 8-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove and set aside to cool slightly.

Make the Custard:

  • In a large bowl, whisk both sugars, the egg yolks, egg, vanilla, salt, and spices together until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and milk until combined. Gently fold in the croissants, followed by the spiced pears.
  • Pour mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish, gently pressing down on the bread to ensure all the pieces are fully saturated in the custard. Allow to sit and soak for at least an hour**.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle evenly over the bread pudding. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and toasty.

Make the Toffee Sauce:

  • In a medium saucepan, stir the brown sugar, honey, and butter over medium-high heat until mixture begins to boil and foam. Let the mixture bubble for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream. Increase heat to medium and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and cool. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

To Serve:

  • Slice/scoop bread pudding into bowls. Drizzle with toffee sauce and enjoy!

Notes

*If your croissants are already dry/stale, you can skip this baking step.
**You can also prepare this bread pudding the night before, allow it to soak overnight, then bake it in the oven the next day.