Paula Deen Bill Nicholson’s Famous Donut Bread Pudding

Paula Deen Bill Nicholson's famous donut bread pudding is an easy dessert made with 2 dozen glazed donuts, raisins and sweetened condensed milk, ready in 1 hour 45 minutes. This make-ahead donut dessert for a crowd fits potluck tables, church suppers and the holiday table when you need to feed 20 or more.

Let the cubed donuts soak until they've taken up as much liquid as they can, because the custard only sets evenly when every piece is wet. Skip the soak and you get dry donut chunks sitting on a puddle.

Paula builds the pudding out of plain store-bought donuts and a can of fruit cocktail, so there's no bread to dry out and no custard to temper. The warm butter rum sauce goes over each serving, which keeps the leftover pudding from getting soggy overnight.

Paula Deen Bill Nicholson's Famous Donut Bread Pudding

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Course: DessertCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

20

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

520

kcal

Cubed donuts soak up condensed milk, eggs and fruit cocktail, then bake until the center jells into a rich, sticky pudding. A warm butter rum sauce poured over each serving adds a glossy, boozy finish.

Ingredients

• 1 pinch salt
  

• 1 (9 oz) box raisins
  

• 2 beaten eggs
  

• 2 4.5-oz cans undrained fruit cocktail
  

• 1 14-oz can not evaporated sweetened condensed milk
  

• 2 dozen donuts
  

• 1 teaspoon (up to 2 teaspoons) cinnamon
  

• 1 stick Butter
  

• 1 lb confectioner's sugar
  

• to taste rum
  

Directions

• Cube the donuts: Cut 2 dozen donuts into cubes and drop them into a large bowl. Use a bowl big enough to stir in, since the pieces will take up plenty of room.
• Add the wet ingredients: Pour 2 beaten eggs, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 2 undrained 4.5-oz cans fruit cocktail, 1 box raisins, 1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1 pinch salt over the donuts. Let everything soak for a few minutes.
• Mix it well: Stir all the ingredients together until the donuts have soaked up as much liquid as they can. Then transfer the mixture to a baking dish.
• Bake the pudding: Bake at 350°F for about an hour. It's done when the center has jelled.
• Melt the butter: Melt 1 stick butter in a saucepan while the pudding finishes baking. Keep the heat low so the butter doesn't brown.
• Make the rum sauce: Slowly stir 1 pound confectioner's sugar into the melted butter, then add rum to taste. Heat until bubbly.
• Serve: Spoon the pudding into bowls while it's warm. Pour the butter rum sauce over each serving.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 9x13 glass baking dish, Pyrex 3-piece glass mixing bowl set, Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

What kind of donuts work best for donut bread pudding?

Plain glazed donuts are the classic choice, since the glaze melts into the custard and sweetens it. Yeast donuts hold up better than cake donuts, which can turn mushy once they soak.

Can I leave out the rum in the sauce?

Yes, the sauce still works with just butter and confectioner's sugar. For a flavor close to rum, stir in a little vanilla extract or a splash of rum extract.

Can I make donut bread pudding ahead of time?

You can bake the pudding a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Reheat portions in the oven or microwave, and make the sauce fresh so it's warm and bubbly when you pour it.

How do I know when the pudding is done?

The center should be jelled, meaning it holds together instead of jiggling like liquid. If the middle still looks wet after an hour, give it another 10 minutes.

What's the biggest mistake with this recipe?

Skipping the soak is the most common one, because dry pockets of donut never absorb the milk and eggs while baking. Mix until every cube is coated and the liquid is mostly absorbed.