Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Marshmallow Topping
Posted: 11/07/2014
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Sweet potato bread pudding is reminiscent of the classic Thanksgiving side dish – sweet potato casserole. You’ll love the marshmallow topping!
I love bread pudding. Seriously love it. It’s a fantastic dessert — unassuming but SO delicious.
And it also works as breakfast. At least in my book. Eggs, milk, bread. It’s totally breakfast food.
My favorite bread pudding up until now has always been Blueberry Bread Pudding. But move over, blueberry bread pudding, there’s a new kid on the block!
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to create a twist on the classic side dish that everyone associates with Turkey Day — Sweet Potato Casserole.
Of course there are already a lot of different takes on the familiar marshmallow-topped classic dish (check out Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole — gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free). Kids especially love hand held sweet potato casserole, complete with marshmallows, of course.
Sweet potato bread pudding just might be something new to you, though. I just know you’re going to love it.
Bread pudding might not be the most photogenic lady but it’s what is inside that counts.
Creamy custard made with flavorful (and healthy!) sweet potatoes. No plain white bread in this lady — she’s loaded with cinnamon swirl bread. Tons of warm fall spices — cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of cardamom to dress her up.
Add marshmallow topping — sweet, perfectly browned and just a little bit of crispy perfection that will make you feel like you’re sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows.
This will quickly become a favorite Thanksgiving dessert…or breakfast.
(P.S. It’s a great way to use leftover mashed sweet potatoes, too!)
Make ahead tip: Prepare the casserole but don’t bake it. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or even overnight. Remove from fridge while oven is preheating, uncover, and bake as directed. You may need to add a little extra baking time.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Two favorites, sweet potato casserole and bread pudding, are wrapped into one delicious dish: sweet potato bread pudding.
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 4 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (or ground nutmeg)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 10 cups cubed cinnamon bread (see note)
- 3 to 4 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Scrub sweet potatoes and prick holes all over with a fork. Wrap in paper towel and cook in microwave on high for 5 to 10 minutes or until soft. Cool slightly. Scoop out flesh and mash or puree. You should have 1 ½ cups mashed sweet potato. Let cool almost completely. You can do this ahead.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs until blended. Add mashed sweet potatoes, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and salt; whisk until well-blended.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Put cubed bread in prepared pan and pour sweet potato mixture over bread. Press down slightly so that the bread is immersed in the sweet potato mixture.
- Allow bread mixture to stand for 10 minutes to soak up the sweet potato mixture. You can also cover the dish and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the bread pudding is set (stick a knife in the center and look for liquid — if there is still liquid, continue baking. Internal temperature should reach 165°F).
- Take the dish out of the oven and sprinkle mini marshmallows over the top in an even layer. Place pan under the broiler for about 1 minute (WATCH CAREFULLY!), until the marshmallows puff up and brown.
- Allow to cool about 15 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
Notes
- If cinnamon swirl bread isn’t available, substitute white bread and increase cinnamon to 1½ teaspoons.
- Add nuts, if desired. Fold in ½ cup chopped toasted pecans or toasted walnuts.
- Make ahead tip: Prepare bread pudding but don’t bake. Refrigerate, covered, up to 24 hours. Bake as directed.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 343kcal, Carbohydrates: 64g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 359mg, Potassium: 383mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 33g, Vitamin A: 8213IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 164mg, Iron: 2mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Mindy says
I made this for Thanksgiving and my children have been asking for it again. They mention it at least once a week.. This recipe is Amazing .. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ For sure.. Thank you .. As a mother of 4 is incredibly hard to find something they all like…
Rachel Gurk says
I’m so happy to hear that, Mindy! Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment, it means a lot to me! So glad I could make life as a busy mom just a touch easier :)
Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says
You combined two dishes I love! The toasted marshmallow topping makes this irresistible! Pinned!
Stephanie+@+Eat.+Drink.+Love. says
I always cringe when looking at my first posts too. Bread pudding is hard to photograph, but I think this looks excellent!!
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen says
I totally cringe at most of my early blog photos, too! This is such a great twist on the classic sweet potato casserole!
Kristen says
Oh how we’ve grown! :)
Love this yummy topping on this bread pudding!
Love CompassionateLee says
This recipe looks amazing! I am definitely going to test this out before I add it to my Thanksgiving menu. Enjoy a restful weekend, Rachel :)
Emily | Jelly Toast says
I’m a HUGE fan of both sweet potatoes AND bread pudding, so you are completely speaking my language :) Also, I love how you shared some of your earliest work! It just goes to show how far you’ve come :)
naomi says
Bread pudding is always a winner with me. I love that you made this a sweet potato bread pudding and finished it with toasted marshmallows!
Sharana @ Living The Sweet Life Blog says
Yumm — I’m a recent bread pudding convert — this one looks amazing!!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
My boys would go crazy for this and that gooey marshmallow topping!
PS. My first post is pretty horrific!
Jamie | My Baking Addiction says
I love the idea of sweet potato bread pudding and that marshmallow topping looks absolutely divine!
Carolyn says
Love that you did the classic as a bread pudding!