Pudding and Spoon Bread Recipes to Delight Your Palate

New-Fashioned Banana Pudding
Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Rich, silky puddings can easily satisfy as a go-to dessert. We're talking about bread pudding, and even the traditional chocolate pudding. But there are delicious spins on these that you may have never thought of, and these recipes will inspire you to get to work on perfecting your approach.

Spoon breads are somewhat of a cousin to pudding. Why the name? It is so soft, you have to eat it with a spoon. It lands between a soufflé, bread pudding, and corn bread. The variations are surprising and can be savory. These selections will have you wondering where spoon bread has been all your life.

01 of 10

Peach Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel Recipe

Peach Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel
Photo: Iain Bagwell; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Peach Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel

This juicy peach bread pudding recipe is perfect for a picnic or patio outdoor setting. When served with fresh peaches, you are making this a seasonal summer treat. The bourbon caramel sauce takes the flavor to saucy heights. Topping this delightful recipe with ice cream is optional, but highly recommended.

02 of 10

Cornbread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel

Cornbread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel
Photo: Brian Woodcock

Recipe: Cornbread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel

Serve this dessert in individual ramekins and let your guests spoon on that delicious Whiskey Caramel just before devouring—how much or how little will be entirely at their discretion. Word of warning: You might want to go ahead and double the sauce if you give your dessert crowd free rein.

TIP: For ramekins, place in jelly roll pan and reduce covered bake time to 25 minutes; reduce uncovered bake time to 10 to 15 minutes.

03 of 10

New-Fashioned Banana Pudding

New-Fashioned Banana Pudding
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: New-Fashioned Banana Pudding

This take on your childhood favorite brings it to a fancy level, but it is just as good, if not better. Our secret ingredient is nutmeg, and the fact that the pudding is made from scratch and not boxed makes all the difference. The vanilla whipped cream topper is made with real vanilla beans. Your Nilla Wafer is keeping some very classy company.

04 of 10

Fluffy Corn Pudding

Fluffy Corn Pudding
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Fluffy Corn Pudding

This is a bit of a hybrid, as the texture comes across something between a custard and a soufflé. Pureeing a portion of the corn kernels is the key. You will want to share this with friends and family any time of year, but imagine golden, in-season summer fresh corn as the perfect choice. This is a meal memory waiting to be made.

05 of 10

Apple Bread Pudding

Apple Bread Pudding
Helen Norman

Recipe: Apple Bread Pudding

Serve this family-style from a baking dish, or divide with a 3-inch round cutter for an elegant presentation. Top it all off with Sautéed Apples and a drizzle of Apple Brandy Crème Anglaise for a spectacular finish. This dessert is fit for any occasion, but the créme anglaise lends a certain sophistication.

06 of 10

Creole Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Creole Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
Jennifer Davick

Recipe: Creole Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

This bread pudding is from New Orleans chef Leah Chase, the queen of Creole cuisine. And yes, it does call for 5 tablespoons of vanilla extract! Be certain to serve with a side of bourbon sauce to get the full, sweet experience. And if there is any of that sauce left over, you've got yourself an irresistible ice cream topper.

07 of 10

Blueberry Bread Pudding

Blueberry Bread Pudding
Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Loren Wood; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Recipe: Blueberry Bread Pudding

This is the crispy, custardy, sweet, and decadent dessert you have been missing. The recipe calls for a basket's worth of fresh blueberries—and fresh truly is best in this case. Topping it with a made-from-scratch blueberry sauce makes it a little more decadent, and you will be absolutely smitten with what you have created.

08 of 10

Spoon Bread with Mushrooms and Herbs

Spoon Bread with Mushrooms and Herbs
Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

Recipe: Spoon Bread with Mushrooms and Herbs

This recipe turns a humble Southern staple into the main event. Heavenly, creamy grits act as the base to this savory spoon bread. It puffs like a soufflé, creating a golden-brown crust that encapsulates a tender, creamy interior. Buttery, flavorful mushrooms give some earthy, herby, and toothsome factors to the spoon bread. This is will not be the last time you make this entrée.

09 of 10

Buttermilk Spoon Bread

Buttermilk Spoon Bread
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Buttermilk Spoon Bread

This is a nice cross between a skillet of hot cornbread, a cornmeal soufflé, and cornbread dressing. This spoon bread recipe instructs you to beat the egg whites and yolks separately, then gently fold the puffy whites into the batter just before baking. This method adds height to the dish. Make this delicious recipe as it is written, then try it again and customize it in any number of ways by adding corn kernels, diced ham or sausage, herbs, or cheese.

10 of 10

Hot Chocolate Trifle

Hot Chocolate Trifle
Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Mexican Hot Chocolate Trifle

Top this rich trifle with a sprinkle of chocolate curls. The combination of cinnamon, cocoa and baking chocolate leans the flavors of this pudding toward the Mexican variety of chocolate. Topping this beautifully presented trifle with chocolate ganache will take this dessert to another level. Level up!

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