Waste not, want not: a family bread pudding recipe

All About Food | March 23rd, 2026

By Sabrina Hornung

There’s a Bosnian saying that states simply, “It’s a sin to throw away bread,” which really resonates with me — especially growing up with grandparents who lived through the Second World War and the Great Depression. Full disclosure: I’m fascinated by the Great Depression, including the recipes that came from it. Famine food is interesting to me and a timely topic, especially when grocery prices are at an all time high and we’re wasting more food now than ever.

According to the independent, nonprofit newsroom Investigate Midwest, food waste increased by over 230% from 1960- 2017. Why is this?

We’re buying more than we need — and more than we can consume. Did we learn nothing from our elders? Or were we too busy (or maybe too distracted) to take notice?

There are a lot of favorite recipes in our family, but one of my grandpa’s favorites was his mother’s (my great-grandma Esther’s) bread pudding recipe. Bread pudding was popular during the Great Depression because it includes your basic kitchen staples: bread, eggs, milk and sugar. If you have some bread that’s gone stale or don’t know what to do with your bread heels (i.e. the ends), pop them in the freezer. There’s plenty of use for them, whether you’re making this recipe, homemade croutons or need bread crumbs for another recipe.

Though bread pudding in its earliest form goes back to the 11th century, according to multiple sources, luxuries like milk, sugar and eggs were added later. Let’s face it, you come up with a recipe and there’s a thousand ways to improve it, especially when the OG recipe consisted of basically bread and water. Plus, with a recipe as simple as this one, there are plenty of ways you can jazz it up for the 21st century.

Grandma Esther’s Bread Pudding

10 slices of stale bread broken or sliced into small, bite sized pieces (Buns work too, as do stale quick breads. You can always add more if your mixture feels too “soupy.”)

3 cups of milk

1 cup of light cream

¼ cup melted butter

A little nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves or cardamom (Be careful with the cloves — they can sneak up on you and take over your palate.)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup of raisins (If you don’t like raisins, you can add any other chopped dried fruit. Poached pears or apples are good, too. Get creative — it’s a versatile recipe!)

Mix liquid ingredients in a large bowl, add spices, then add bread pieces, making sure they absorb the liquid ingredients. Pour contents into a greased casserole dish. You can either let your bread pudding mixture sit in the fridge for a half hour or you can bake it right away. I personally like to let it sit overnight and let the flavors seep into the bread.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour in a pre-heated oven and serve warm. Enjoy with a vanilla, caramel or a fruit based sauce.

Sweetened Condensed Milk Vanilla Sauce

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 tablespoons of milk

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of butter

Add everything into a saucepan over medium heat and mix well until everything is melted and smooth. Mix well and enjoy it while it’s warm! Pro tip: The sauce isn’t too bad in coffee either — trust me.

Reach editor Sabrina Hornung at sabrina@hpr1.com.

RECENTLY IN

Recently in: