Blueberry Bread Pudding - Air Fryer/ Instant Pot/ Oven
Rich, creamy and so satisfying, this easy Blueberry Bread Pudding will become your new favorite dessert. Cubed croissants tossed with lemony custard, blueberries, cream cheese and a handful of other ingredients, this decadent dessert can be made in an Air Fryer, Instant Pot or oven.
In a large mixing bowl, combine half-and-half, eggs, ⅓ cup sugar, lemon zest, and whisk till well combined.
Add the cubed croissants, blueberries and cubed cream cheese. Toss till everything is combined and set it aside for 10 minutes. This allows the croissants to soak up the custard well.
Grease an oven safe baking casserole, or a bundt pan, using butter or cooking spray. Add the bread pudding mix. Using a spatula, evenly spread the mix pressing it down gently.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Press down on the rim of the baking dish so the foil gets a tight seal. This prevents is from coming loose if using the air fryer.
Bake it in the Air Fryer
Place the covered baking dish in the fryer basket. Close and set the air fryer to 350°F for 50 minutes.
After 50 mins, pull out the basket. Insert a knife to check if the custard has cooked through. If the knife comes out clean, great. If the knife comes out clean, you are good to go. If it comes out wet and sticky, put it back in for another 5 mins or so.
Uncover the pan and sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of sugar on top of the baked pudding. Cover the pan with foil to prevent the sugar from being blown away with the fan. Set at 400°F for 10 minutes, or until the sugar melts and forms a thin crispy layer on top.
Remove the pan and let is rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve it warm or cold. Enjoy!
Cook it in the Instant Pot
Follow instructions and assemble the bread pudding casserole in any oven safe baking dish that fits easily in your pressure cooker. Cover it with aluminum foil.
Turn on Instant Pot or any comparable electric pressure cooker, like Mealthy Multipot. Add recommended water to the steel pot. (6 qt=1 cup; 8 qt= 2 cups)
Place the casserole on a metal or silicone trivet with handles, and lower that into the steel pot. Close the lid and set 'pressure cook' for 40 mins at high pressure.
Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes. After that manually release pressure by turning the pressure knob to ‘venting’ position in Duo models, or pressing down the valve in Ultra Models.
Insert a knife to check if the custard has cooked through. If the knife comes out clean, great. If it comes out sticky, pressure cook for another 5 mins.
Remove the baking dish, sprinkle sugar on top and broil it for 3-5 minutes, or until the sugar melts on top. Serve it warm or cold.
Bake it in the Oven
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease a shallow baking pan and assemble the casserole as per instructions. Cover it with aluminum foil. Bake it covered for 40 minutes, or till an inserted knife, or toothpick, comes out clean. If it comes out sticky, put it back in for another 5-7 minutes.
Sprinkle sugar on top and broil it for 3-5 minutes, or until the sugar melts on top giving it a shiny coating. Serve it warm or cold.
Video
Notes
I used cubed croissants in this recipe. Other alternatives are challah bread, or brioche.
I use fresh blueberries in this recipe but frozen are fine too. You can also substitute them with raspberries or blackberries, or even add a medley of the three.
After tossing the bread in custard, set it aside for 10 minutes. This allows the croissants to soak up the custard well.
It is important to cover the baking dish with aluminum foil to seal it. That allows for even cooking and prevents the bread from burning on the top. A tight seal also prevents it from coming loose if using the air fryer.
When cooking this quantity, I prefer to use my air fryer, or Instant Pot. But when making this dessert for entertaining, I prefer to bake it in the oven. I assemble it in a lasagna pan and refrigerate it till I am ready to cook.
This bread pudding can be served warm or cold. I prefer to serve it warm though. In my opinion, it takes more decadent when had warm :)
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates. If you are following any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.