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Light Fluffy Coconut Bread and Butter Pudding. Similar to French Toast only much fluffier. Great served warm from the oven just or with a blob of creamy coconut ice cream too!

Now any Lovefoodies reader will know I love coconut! So if I can find a way to include it in a recipe, I will!

I've called this a Lovefoodies special, simply because it really is like nothing else I've ever come across. I was lucky enough to visit the Maldives last year and one of the desserts there was a lovely coconut bread type pudding. It was so light and fluffy.

They served it chilled, and was packed with coconut flavor. I asked the chef in the hotel how they made it, and this is my adaptation of one of their popular Maldivian desserts. The chef told me the trick to making it so fluffy and light was to make sure you whisk the custard mixture so you get lots of bubbles!

Unlike many bread and butter puddings that can often be heavy and stodgy, this recipe is light, almost marshmallowy in texture, with a crispy, slightly caramelized thin crust.

As for the flavor, it's not overpowering with coconut, but you get a gentle tropical flavor running through each bite, and the creamy coconut milk, combined with the shredded coconut sprinkled throughout makes for a delicious dessert all the family can enjoy. 

I am sure many of you have made French Toast, perhaps added some fruit, and served it up for a nice weekend breakfast. If you enjoy French Toast, then you will love this! 

As far as making ahead, for example, if you're thinking of making this for an Easter or Christmas morning brunch or breakfast, you can certainly prepare overnight and keep refrigerated until the following morning and then bake. 

This recipe is really a great way for using up the ends, crusts of loaves of bread, or bread that isn't as fresh anymore. 

As you can see from the photos, I've added a sprinkling of sultanas in between each layer. That adds to the texture, and also gives you another flavor dimension. Feel free to add a sprinkling of cranberries, blueberries, or indeed any dried fruits. It works really well! 

For those who aren't fans of coconut, you can substitute the coconut milk for regular milk, and have a simple, plain bread and butter pudding, equally as delicious! 

We've got a lot of recipes using coconut, both sweet and savory, so be sure to check them out and try a few! 

Prep time

15 minutes

Baking time

35 - 40 minutes

Serving size

6 - 8 servings

Equipment

A dish measuring 30cm x 15 cm and 7 cm deep. Don't worry if it's not an exact size, so long as it will hold all the liquid.

Ingredients

50 g butter or 1/2 Stick Butter
250 ml or 1 cup milk
150 ml or 1/2 cup coconut milk /cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup or 50g sultanas or raisins, golden raisins
10 Slices white bread
1/2 cup or 50 g desiccated/shredded coconut
1 Teaspoon vanilla extract.

If you have a really sweet tooth you can add another 2 Tablespoons of sugar. The measures I have given are for 'average' sweetness.

What are sultanas?

Sultanas are like raisins only they are seedless white grapes. They are often fatter and juicier. If you can't get hold of sultanas, raisins are also good, just soak in boiling water for 10 minutes then drain the water away and use.

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 180C, Gas 4, 350F. Grease your dish.

2. Remove crusts from bread slices and cut in half, diagonally so they are triangles. Butter on one side of every slice.

3. Place half of the slices of bread in your dish, BUTTER SIDE UP, making sure the dish is covered.

4. Sprinkle half of the sultanas all over the bread slices.

5. Add the other half of the bread slices to make another layer, and sprinkle the remaining sultanas.

6. Gently heat the milk, coconut cream, and desiccated coconut. Once it starts to boil, remove from heat and let it rest whilst you do step 7.

7. Beat eggs, 3/4 of the sugar and vanilla extract with an electric whisk until fluffy and pale in color. (about 3-5 minutes) You need lots of air and bubbles!

8. Pour the warm milk over the eggs, and stir. Be careful not to scramble the eggs. This would happen if your milk is too hot, so pour gently and stir all the time.

9. Pour the mixture all over the bread, making sure it is evenly distributed. if necessary, use a spoon and push any rogue slices of bread into the mixture if they decide to float to the surface. They will sink back down once they have absorbed the liquid.

10. Evenly sprinkle the rest of the sugar over the top of the mixture and place in the oven for 40 -45 minutes.

11. Once ready, leave the pudding to settle and firm up for an hour or so and then serve warm with a blob of whipped cream, ice cream (you could really overdose and have coconut ice cream too!), or just enjoy it on it's own with a lovely cup of tea!

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out our Blueberry Bread and Butter Pudding recipe from our sister site, Newbie In The Kitchen. It's so delicious and easy to make.

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