Maple Pecan Vegan Bread Pudding

Subtly sweet, ooey, gooey, and bursting with crunchy pecans, this vegan bread pudding is super easy to make and even easier to eat! Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an amazing dessert that you’d never guess was egg and dairy-free.

White wooden surface set with two dishes of Vegan Bread Pudding and coffee cup.

The other day I was riding in the car with my husband and “Baby I’m-a Want You” by Bread started playing. Yeah, I’d never heard it before either. “This is Bread,” my husband announced. “Baby I’m-a Want You.”

“That’s how I feel about bread too!” was my response.

I love bread. The food, I mean. The song was okay I guess. I can’t remember. I got to thinking about bread (the food), so I kind of zoned out while the song was playing.

The universe heard my plea, because baby, I’m-a got a freezer full of bread. I keep making bread and then find that my small household can’t quite finish off a loaf before it starts to get old.

It’s okay though, because there are plenty of delicious ways to use bread that’s over the hill. Ribbolita is my new favorite savory way to use up old bread. And this vegan bread pudding is my new favorite sweet way!

Conventional bread pudding is heavy on eggs and dairy, so it seems like it’d be a tough dish to veganize, but it’s not! We’re using a mix of non-dairy milks to create a creamy base, then we’ll thicken it up with cornstarch, which works great as an egg substitute in recipes like this one.

Baking dish filled with Vegan Bread Pudding with berries on top.

Jump to:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Bread. We’re using bread that’s a day or so old. This is the best type of bread for retaining some texture when it’s soaked in your gooey bread pudding base.
Coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk in a can. This is the richest and creamiest type of coconut milk.
Maple syrup.
Ground cinnamon. We’re going super simple here with just cinnamon, but feel free to experiment with other spices like nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom.
Salt.
Non-dairy milk. We’re using another variety of non-dairy milk that’s a bit lighter than canned coconut milk. Soy milk, almond milk, oat milk and cashew milk are all great options!
Cornstarch.
Vanilla extract.
Pecan halves. Not into pecans? Use your favorite variety of nuts. Walnuts would be excellent!
Brown sugar. Make sure your sugar is organic in order to keep the recipe vegan.
Vegan butter. Look for brands like Earth Balance and Miyoko’s near where the regular butter is sold at the grocery store.

Tip: If you only have fresh bread on hand, just break it into pieces according to the recipe and place them in the oven at a low temperature to dry out for a few minutes.

How It’s Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

Start by heating your coconut milk in a small saucepan, along with some maple syrup, cinnamon, and a bit of salt.
While those ingredients heat up, mix some additional non-dairy milk with cornstarch. Make sure the milk is cold! Otherwise, it won’t mix well and you’ll end up with a bunch of cornstarch lumps in your pudding.
Once the coconut milk mixture on the stove starts to simmer, whisk in the cornstarch mixture.

Hand pouring cornstarch slurry into a saucepan of milk and maple syrup.

Keep heating the mixture in the saucepan. By the time it comes back up to a simmer it should be pretty thick. Take it off of the stove and stir in the vanilla extract.

Tip: This bread pudding is meant to be subtly sweet. If you like a super sweet pudding, feel free to use extra maple syrup. And if you’re not sure, taste test the coconut milk mixture after it’s cooked, and then add extra sweetener to taste.

Maple pudding simmering in a saucepan with whisk.

Arrange your old bread pieces in a baking dish and pour your sauce over them. Distribute the mixture with a spatula if you need to. Let that sit for a few minutes while you make your topping.
Stir some pecans, melted vegan butter, brown sugar and salt together, then spoon the mixture over your bread pudding.
Pop the bread pudding into the oven and bake until thick and bubbly.

Hand spooning pecan topping over unbaked Vegan Bread Pudding.

You can serve your vegan bread pudding while it’s still warm, in which case it’ll be a delicious, sloppy, gooey mess, or let it cool off and set. Either way, I highly recommend topping it with a sprinkle of powdered sugar a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.

Slice of Vegan Bread Pudding on a plate with a scoop of ice cream on top.

Leftovers & Storage

You can store vegan bread pudding in the original baking dish, covered tightly with plastic wrap, or slice and transfer it to an airtight container. Either way, it will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. If it’s in an airtight container it can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

I’m guessing it would be fine with gluten-free bread, but honestly, I don’t have much experience with the stuff, so no promises.

Where can I find vegan bread?

Most store bakeries will have at least one variety of bread that’s vegan. Just check the ingredients or ask an employee! You’ll find that many French, Italian, and sourdough loaves are vegan.

More Recipes Like This

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