Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bread (Print)

Tender apples and creamy caramel cheesecake baked with rich custard and brioche cubes, finished with caramel drizzle.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread and Fruit

01 - 8 cups brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 standard loaf, day-old preferred)
02 - 2 large apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and diced

→ Cream Cheese Mixture

03 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
04 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 cup caramel sauce, plus more for drizzling
06 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Custard

07 - 4 large eggs
08 - 2 cups whole milk
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
11 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
12 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
13 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Topping

14 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
15 - 2 tbsp brown sugar

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Arrange bread cubes and diced apples evenly in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese with granulated sugar until smooth. Add caramel sauce and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
04 - Drop dollops of caramel cream cheese mixture evenly over bread and apples.
05 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well blended.
06 - Pour custard evenly over bread, apples, and cream cheese mixture. Gently press down to ensure bread absorbs the liquid.
07 - In a small bowl, combine melted butter and brown sugar. Drizzle evenly over the pudding surface.
08 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes until golden brown, puffed, and set in the center.
10 - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like fall in a spoon—creamy, caramel-y, with just the right amount of spiced warmth.
  • The brioche bread gets impossibly custardy inside while staying a little tender on top, and that's the magic nobody talks about.
  • You can make it ahead, refrigerate it overnight, and bake it fresh the next morning when you want to impress people.
02 -
  • Day-old bread is absolutely essential—fresh bread will turn to mush and you'll end up with bread soup instead of bread pudding, trust me on this.
  • The custard mixture needs to be well combined, but when you pour it, do it slowly and let it settle for a minute or the cream cheese dollops will float around unpredictably instead of staying where you put them.
03 -
  • Stir in 1/2 cup of toasted pecans or walnuts if you want to add texture and earthiness, and toast them yourself instead of buying pre-toasted because they'll taste fresher and crunchier.
  • Cinnamon raisin bread creates an entirely different vibe—sweeter and more complex—so if you're bored with regular brioche, swap it out and everything changes in the best way.
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