When you’re without milk, this slow cooker bread pudding is easy to put together with cupboard staples. It’s a great way to use up bread if you’re not getting through it and don’t want to freeze it!

What is a bread pudding? It’s like a bread and butter pudding, but without using any butter, so lower in calories and it takes less time to make as you’re not buttering anything! Usually a bread and butter pudding is made with milk; this recipe uses a packet of instant custard mix instead, ideal for those who don’t have milk in the house right now!

Made With Instant Custard!

I’ve made this bread puding using an instant custard mix instead of plain milk, lifting the flavour a little, but making it easier for some people to make as it can be easier to keep a packet of custard mix in the cupboard than have enough fresh milk.

If you’re not somebody who buys milk, then buying in milk just to make a bread and butter pudding is not convenient, but this is a great way to get round this; I just use instant custard powder mix, bought from any supermarket!

Instant custard powder can be used to make up the milk part of a bread pudding, just by making the custard thinner than if you were using it to pour over your dish. You can use any brand of instant custard powder mix. Today I used Asda Smartprice custard mix costing 19p.

Can be eaten HOT or COLD!

NOTE: You can use tinned custard too, just mix half a tin of custard with warm water to bring it up to 400ml in total.

Ingredients:

• 10 slices of bread (that’s half an 800g loaf)
• 1 tablespoon of margarine or butter, just to grease the slow cooker bowl
• ½ pack of instant custard (~35 grams from a 70g pack)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 100 grams sultanas
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, it adds taste)
• 1/6 – 1/4 of a jar of orange marmalade. Optional, I used a Tesco 30p jar of Stockwell marmalade

Method:

1. Grease the inside of the slow cooker bowl, round the sides and the base; this is to prevent or minimise your pudding from sticking.
2. Rip up about 1/3rd of the bread and put it into the slow cooker bowl.
3. Sprinkle some sultanas and some of the marmalade (if used) on top of the bread.
4. Rip up another 1/3rd of the bread and put it in the slow cooker bowl.
5. Sprinkle more sultanas and marmalade on top
6. Rip up the final 1/3rd of the bread and put it in the slow cooker bowl.
7. Sprinkle the rest of your sultanas and a little marmalade (if used) on top.
8. Make up your half pack of instant custard (~35 grams of powder) using a little boiling water, then topping that up to 400ml with cold water – this will produce a thin, warm, custard.
9. Add the sugar and cinnamon to the custard mix.
10. Beat the egg and add it to the custard mix, then beat the two together.
11. Slowly pour the custard mix/egg/sugar/cinnamon mix over your bread in the slow cooker, trying to coat and cover all the bread.
12. Press the bread/custard mix down into the slow cooker pot and smooth the top off.
13. Place a teatowel, or paper towels, over the top of the slow cooker bowl and put the lid on – this is to catch the excess moisture so your pudding isn’t sloppy.
14. Turn the slow cooker on to HIGH for about 1¼ hours, then turn it to LOW for an hour.
15. Slide a spatula down the sides of the slow cooker to release the pudding from the edge; cut into portions and serve.

Notes:

This bread and butter pudding was made in a 3.5 litre oval slow cooker.

How Long Can You Keep Bread Pudding?:

Once I’ve served up my single portion of bread pudding, I’ll put the remaining three into plastic takeaway boxes and into the fridge.

How to Reheat Bread Pudding:

You can reheat one portion in a microwave dish (I just pop open the lid of the takeaway box I’ve used) and microwave on high power for just 1-2 minutes.

Recipe Cost:

• Bread = 25p
• Custard powder = 10p
• 1 egg = 10p
• The other ingredients’ cost will vary, depending what you use!

Total cost: This probably comes in at <£1 to make and serves four people…. or, in my case, serves me four times over.

Recipe Q&A:

Q: How long does bread pudding, or bread and butter pudding, keep in the fridge?

A: Once boxed up in the fridge it should be eaten within 3 days.

Q: Can I freeze Bread and Custard Pudding?

A: Yes. As the pudding is a little bit loose/sloppy I’d open freeze it in portions for up to an hour first, then transfer the individual portions into freezer bags, to retain the shape. Can be microwaved from frozen by taking it out of the freezer bag and putting your bread and custard pudding onto a microwave dish and microwaving on half power for 1-2 minutes (so it defrosts), then on high for a minute.