Bread pudding is a great way to ensure leftover bread doesn't go to waste. With groceries being as expensive as they are, making every bit of food counts is important. This Mexican bread pudding recipe is a delicious way to use extra bread!

Mexican Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

1 pound 2 to 3 day-old white bread, torn in bite-size pieces
8 Tablespoons butter (1 stick), divided
3 Tablespoons canola oil, divided
2 cups packed brown sugar (or, if you can find it, panela)
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick (3-inch piece)
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2/3 cups raisins
1/2 cup farmer cheese
1/3 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs, separated
1 quart whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.

2. Put the chunks of bread in a large mixing bowl.

3. Melt half of the butter (4 tablespoons) and mix it with 2 tablespoons of the canola oil. Drizzle the mixture over the bread, tossing to distribute evenly.

4. Spread the bread on a cookie sheet and place under the broiler to brown, turning bread pieces as necessary.

5. Bring to a boil the water, brown sugar (or panela) and cinnamon stick, and boil for 5 minutes until syrupy and caramel colored.

6. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pecans, raisins, cheeses, and toasted bread. Sprinkle mixture with cinnamon, stir, and transfer to prepared baking dish.

7. Whisk together the brown sugar syrup and remaining butter and oil. Drizzle over the bread. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.

8. Beat the eggs until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in the milk and vanilla.

9.  Pour mixture over baked bread, and return to the oven for 40 minutes. Top of custard will be brown.

Other Mexican Desserts to Make

There are so many amazing Mexican desserts that you can make for your family. Some of them are fairly well-known, like churros and tres leches cake. Both of these are absolutely worth trying, if you haven't already.

If you like having drinks for dessert, Mexican hot chocolate is a must-try. This spin on hot chocolate might quickly become your favorite! Flan is another great option, as is dulce de leche. You may have seen fried ice cream at a fair and wondered what it's like. Why not try making it yourself?

The dessert you pick depends on your preferences! If you want something sweet, fried ice cream or Mexican hot chocolate are great choices. Churros are simple to make, while tres leches cake is beloved by pretty much everyone. If you'll be hosting a Cinco de Mayo party or just want a Mexican dessert to follow up a Mexican dinner, give these ideas your consideration!