If You Have Butter, Milk, And Eggs, You Can Easily Turn Donuts Into Bread Pudding

No matter how resolute you are when walking into a donut shop, it's pretty hard to resist a full case of glistening, fresh donuts. One quickly turns into a full dozen, and before you know it, you've got way more than you actually need. It's no surprise that donuts are such a popular treat. But rather than powering through days-old stale donuts or throwing them out, you can put them to use by making a batch of bread pudding that only needs a few simple additional ingredients that you've probably already got in your fridge. 

To make a basic bread pudding, you'll typically need a farmhouse-style bread, but you don't have to settle for typical. Swapping the bread with donuts is a great way to make this classic comfort dessert more interesting while using up those leftovers that simply shouldn't go to waste. Glazed donuts are the perfect start for exploring donut bread pudding, and you'll want to make sure they're stale so that they are firm enough to absorb the liquid.

All you then need is milk, butter, and eggs for a basic donut bread pudding. To start, you'll want enough donuts to fill your baking dish. Six should be plenty for an 8x8 dish. Break them into small, about 1-inch-wide, pieces (or cut them, if you prefer straight edges) and lay them out in a greased baking dish. The process is similar to making a typical bread pudding: pour melted butter over the donuts, then mix eggs with milk and pour that over the top, too. It's important to give donuts some time to soak the liquids all the way in, so rest them for at least 10 minutes. From there, bake the pudding in the oven and it's ready to dig in.     

Add in some vanilla and cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or espresso powder to the milk and egg mixture to bring more flavor to the dish. Raisins, nuts, berries, or fruit slices like apples or pears will also add great flavor and texture. It's always fun to play with different ingredients when you're making a classic dish like bread pudding, like using chocolate-filled croissants for a sweeter dish, croque monsieur ingredients for a savory bread pudding, or a fruity panettone for an Italian holiday twist. Similarly, when it comes to donuts, glazed are just the tip of the iceberg — there are plenty of creative options. 

Whether you prefer a major nationwide donut chain or your local mom-and-pop shop, you've probably got your favorite variety. And the good news is that several different types of donuts work. Cake donuts, sugar-coated donuts, and bear claws are all great options, and flavors like chocolate, apple cider, blueberry, buttermilk, maple, and cinnamon sugar will give you great flavor twists for your bread pudding. If you want to save time by skipping a step, you can also use donut holes — they're already prepped and don't need to be cut up. The only donuts you'll want to avoid are filled ones, like those with raspberry jam, lemon curd, and cream, because the filling will change the texture and consistency of the bread pudding.  

Different sauces are also a great way to dress up this dish. Once the donut bread pudding is baked, you can whip up a warm vanilla, chocolate, caramel, or even a bourbon sauce to drizzle over the top. And of course, a generous serving of ice cream is the perfect finishing touch.