Dulce de Leche and Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding

I cannot stop thinking about this bread pudding and when I will make it next. AND...I had to make this as lactose-free as possible for my Christmas guest. Definitely do-able thanks to lactose half-and-half at Whole Foods. Also used the caramel sauce instead of ice cream. It was...heavenly. Definitely second the reviewer who said that it is her "go to" recipe, especially because it was so easy to prepare. (I didn't remove crusts and didn't notice any difference. Also used Famous Grouse instead of rum because I was out. Still so awesome.)

• YazBeanSaysMeow

• Alexandria, VA

• 12/30/2021

Tasty enough but I found it too eggy. I would add dulce de leche to another bread pudding recipe and try that instead. Made about 1.5x the recipe to fit in a 9x13 pan and used about 10oz challah.

• Anonymous

• Colorado

• 12/27/2021

I'd give this one 6 stars. It has become my "go to" holiday recipe for family gatherings and potlucks. So delicious, and everyone can't get enough. I make my own dulce de leche the day before (it's easy! I think there's a recipe here on Epicurious).

• Jessica H.

• Chicago, IL

• 11/24/2021

This is everyone's favorite bread pudding.

• petraolsen

• 4/18/2021

Highly recommend. Served this for friends last evening and it was a total success. We omitted additional sugar at the end. Ran out of chocolate chips so we added Reese's PB pieces and it worked out great. Easy to make.

• superjofe

• Scottsdale, AZ

• 12/25/2017

This was an incredibly easy dessert to make and delicious! I used Dulce de Leche from Trader Joe's and it was excellent. Huge raves from my entire family.

• Carmelhousewife

• Indiana

• 6/20/2015

I have made this MANY times and it always get rave reviews. You must use a high quality egg bread like Challah or Brioche. Also, you must let the bread soak for at least an hour for optimum results. I actually use a little bit more rum than called for. Also, I use Ghiradelli semi sweet chips rather than a bittersweet chip. I would also say it is important to use a high quality dulce de leche sauce-- to the reviewer that said Caramel sauces bought in stores are crap-- you can buy very nice dulce de leche sauce in specialty stores that do not have high fructose corn syrup.

• stacycheer

• Greenville SC

• 1/14/2015

I made it the first time with the chocolate and everyone liked it. I thought it was a bit much. I have made it without the chocolate and my guests raved about it. I have never made it with the chocolate again.

• Anonymous

• Boston

• 12/17/2012

i made this as a dessert for christmas dinner and EVERYONE loved it, my uncle who hates sweets ate two helpings! i added almost double the chocolate and a bit of extra rum and it was amazing! a true keeper.

• kaknowles242

• 12/31/2011

Any recipe that calls for store bought caramel is total junk. Not worth it. Make your own caramel sauce and you will realize the store bought stuff with high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavoring can't even come close.

• greenmachine80

• L.A.

• 6/5/2011

This is good, but not outstanding. It tastes a lot like a gooey chocolate chip cookie. It took closer to 50 minutes to cook and it really puffed up - but then sank. Don't add a full tablespoon of butter to the baking dish. I had to pour butter off the edges when it was done cooking.

• Anonymous

• Hillsborough

• 4/2/2011

I love bread pudding and this is a fast, easy and tasty one! You can use brioche or old bread and it will taste as great!

• eguenther

• Washington, DC

• 2/6/2011

"...comfort dessert for sunday night"....were your tastebuds still numb from the novocaine when you ate this (previous reviewer)? this was quite possibly one of the best desserts i've ever eaten in my 30-some, dessert-laden years of life. it was so good my brain released a flood of endorphins as if it were a drug. i was helpless to stop myself from having a second piece. the bittersweet chocolate is just perfect...keeps it from being too sweet. the symphony of flavors, the perfect textures. it all works together so beautifully. if i could have some sort of iv drip that would deliver this flavor to my taste buds on a regular basis, i would be hooked up 24/7. it's not a dessert, it's a work of art. oh, and it's probably significant that i've always hated bread pudding until i tried this one. 4 forks is an insult.

• cherryclan

• 8/14/2010

I thought it was just ok too. I also added banana to mine and that helped. I don't think it was an impressive dessert to serve to company - more like a nice comfort dessert for sunday nights. Like rice pudding or apple betty.

• cantusemyname

• Vancouver, Canada

• 4/6/2010

Maybe I used too much bread but I thought this was too bland. I even added some bananas for a little extra flavor but I won't make it again. my guests liked it. I

• janec70

• San Antonio

• 4/6/2010