This healthy carrot cake bread pudding is tasty and easy to make. It can be served warm or cold and is great for Easter Brunch!
When I used to think of Spring I thought of bunnies and jelly beans. Now I think of all this carrot, lemon, feta, dill and asparagus! Stay tuned for spring recipes coming up!
I don't know what possessed me to make a carrot cake bread pudding. I've only had bread pudding a couple times in my life but I love carrot cake flavor and it all just seemed like a good fit. I wanted something sweeter to serve for brunch at my parent’s house that wasn’t completely unhealthy and still provided some good nutritional value.
If you aren't a brunch person, you can always just eat this bread pudding for dessert or a snack. I finished the whole casserole pan in a under a week by myself 🤣 #pregnancy
Ingredients for Carrot Cake Bread Pudding
- Whole grain bread: For this recipe, I used Trader Joe’s Sprouted 7-grain bread. Alternatively you could use another whole grain/wheat bread but I always tell people to make sure it has at least 3 grams of dietary fiber per slice so you’re getting the most bang for your buck.
- Shredded carrots: I used a box grater to grate my carrots, you can find them in the grocery store pre-shredded too!
- Raisins and orange juice: I love that they give this recipe a little pop of sweetness.
- Walnuts: Walnuts are such a staple when it comes to carrot cake! There was no way I was making this recipe without some.
- Egg whites: I would suggest using egg whites because they don't have that 'eggy' flavor. It gets masked pretty easily with the other flavors in the dish. Also the egg whites provide a good amount of protein. If you want to use some yolks, I would suggest only using 3-4 yolks and then cutting back on the egg whites.
This bread pudding is moist and full of flavor! The subtle taste of nuttiness with the orange flavors give such a good flavor!
Can you make this recipe up the night before? Yes! But you might want to add just a touch more almond milk in the morning before putting it in the oven!
Carrot Cake Bread Pudding Frosting/Sauce
The easiest way to make the bread pudding sauce or frosting (whatever you want to call it) is to use a standing mixer or a pair of electric beaters.
- Soften the cream cheese in a bowl for 30-60 seconds in the microwave.
- Add in powdered sugar, orange juice and vanilla.
- Whip using mixer until smooth texture forms.
- Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make this recipe a go-to for your Easter brunch! It’s quick and easy and can be prepped the night before. Giving you 5 grams of protein per serving and 2 grams of dietary fiber keeping you full and satisfied.
Check out these other brunch recipes!
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Healthy Carrot Cake Bread Pudding
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 people 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The perfect ending to a spring brunch that provides high protein and fiber to help keep your guests full and satisfied.
Ingredients
- 1 cup egg whites (About 8 egg whites)
- 1 cup almond milk, ( I used vanilla, unsweetened)
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 6 cups cubed bread (I used Trader Joe's Sprouted 7-grain )
- 3 large carrots, shredded
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
- Garnish with additional chopped walnuts, raisins and sprinkle of nutmeg.
Glaze
- 8 oz neufchâtel cheese, softened (regular cream cheese will work too)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a greased 9x13 casserole dish.
- Combine the egg whites, almond milk, orange juice, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and almond extract and whisk together in a large bowl.
- Add in cubed bread and carrots. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
- Stir in raisins and walnuts and pour mixture into prepared dish.
- Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
- While the bread pudding is in the oven. Prepare the frosting by combining powdered sugar, neufchâtel cheese, orange juice and vanilla extract. Beat to combine or until mixture has no clumps. Refrigerate until it is ready for use.
- Once the bread pudding is done baking, wait at least 5 minutes to pour the frosting on top. Use a spatula to spread it around evenly onto the bread pudding as needed.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If the frosting is not thick enough, add more powdered sugar.
You can also use an 8x8 baking dish instead of a 9x13. Cooking time may differ.
You can find neufchâtel cheese right next to the regular cream cheese blocks. It's generally lower in fat content than regular cream cheese.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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