Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bread (Printer-friendly)

Creamy caramel cheesecake meets tender apples in this rich, custard-baked bread pudding finished with sweet caramel drizzle.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Bread and Fruit

01 - 8 cups brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 standard loaf, day-old preferred)
02 - 2 large apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and diced

→ Cream Cheese Mixture

03 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 cup caramel sauce, plus more for drizzling
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Custard

07 - 4 large eggs
08 - 2 cups whole milk
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
11 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
13 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Topping

14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
15 - 2 tablespoons brown sugar

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Arrange bread cubes and diced apples evenly in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese with granulated sugar until smooth. Add caramel sauce and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
04 - Drop dollops of the caramel cream cheese mixture evenly over the bread and apples.
05 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well blended.
06 - Pour the custard evenly over the bread, apples, and cream cheese mixture. Gently press down to ensure the bread absorbs the liquid.
07 - In a small bowl, combine melted butter and brown sugar. Drizzle over the top of the pudding.
08 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown, puffed, and set in the center.
10 - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with extra caramel sauce if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It feels restaurant-worthy but comes together in under two hours, no fancy techniques required.
  • The caramel-cream cheese swirls create pockets of pure indulgence that surprise you with every spoonful.
  • It's the kind of dish that makes people ask for the recipe before they've even finished eating.
02 -
  • Day-old bread is non-negotiable—fresh bread will turn to mush and create a mushy, unpleasant texture rather than the tender cubes you're after.
  • Don't skip the 10-minute rest; the pudding continues cooking slightly and the custard firms up enough to serve cleanly instead of collapsing into a puddle.
03 -
  • If the custard hasn't set in the center after 50 minutes, cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for another 10 minutes rather than rushing it—a slightly underbaked center tastes creamy; a rushed one feels wet.
  • Vanilla ice cream served on top melts into the warm pudding and creates an instant sauce better than anything you could pour.
Go back