Best Easy Homemade Bread Pudding Recipe - Simple Umm Ali Dessert

Here is the simple recipe for the best homemade moist bread pudding, using biscuits or bread! It’s a super easy and basic recipe for a delicious, moist, no-bake dessert, also known as, Umm Ali. Learn how to make this easy, eggless, bread pudding - simple dessert recipe for beginners.

My aunt has been making this bread pudding, or Umm Ali, for many years now and has made her own version of the traditional recipe in which she uses sweet puff-pastry biscuits, instead of bread. The result is absolutely delicious.

You could also just replace the biscuits with bread and make it the original way, just add some sugar or more sweetened condensed milk to the mixture. Don’t worry, we’ll get into that in the recipe, below.

This recipe is a variation of the traditional Arab bread pudding, called Umm Ali. It is sweet, creamy, soft, moist, and absolutely delicious. The process to make this dish is really simple and easy to follow, but needs to be made and refrigerated overnight. It must be served warm, but needs no baking. Just put the entire dish in the microwave for a few minutes before serving. Simple. 😊

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, let me know what you think in the comments below. I think you’re going to love it. 😍

Important Tips To Make This Bread Pudding Recipe:

Here are some important tips that I think you should be aware of before you get into the recipe, to make it easier to follow:

• Make sure the dish you choose is microwave-safe. This step is very important because you need to heat the dish before serving, and it’s impossible to transfer it at the end, when all the layers are already set.

• If using biscuits, break them up as you cover the bottom of your dish. This will make them softer faster, as well as make the dish easier to serve. If you’re choosing to make this recipe the traditional way using bread, then you can break up the bread into smaller pieces as well.

• When making the cream and cornflakes mixture, if you run out of whipping cream or can’t find any, feel free to replace it with the usual canned whipped cream. It doesn’t really make a difference, in my opinion, except for the consistency of whipping cream being runnier & therefore easier to coat the cornflakes with. You can use either one.

• In this recipe, I’m not sharing exact quantities, intentionally. I think not having quantities weirdly makes it easier to follow. This is because you can make this dish in any size/for as many people as you wish. It also requires no prior preparation, so you just add and mix as you go along. I really believe that this dish is impossible to mess up. You taste, add more sweetened condensed milk if you prefer, or more cream if it’s too sweet. And that’s it. It’s so simple because of the limited quantity of ingredients used in the recipe.

• Adding the cornflakes layer is also optional, but I think it adds a nice touch, without ruining the texture of the dish. The cornflakes/cereal also become soft and moist and they blend in well with the rest of the dish.

• As you work on the next layer, keep putting the dish back in the refrigerator in between each layer. It helps it combine quicker and prepares it for the next layer.

• Add as many layers as you wish of bread/biscuits and the cream mixture. The amount of layers depends on the height of your dish. I usually do 2-3 layers of biscuits. I’m telling you, there’s no wrong way to make this dish. It’s always going to be good. 😌

• If you’d like to turn this dish into a chocolate biscuit/bread pudding, that would also be a great dessert! You could do this by either replacing the bread/biscuits with chocolate ones, or by adding Nutella or melted chocolate to the cream mixture. All you need to change is the amount of sweetened condensed milk you add to the dish when adding other sweet ingredients. It’s so simple, guys. I mean it. That’s what makes it so easily customizable.

• Don’t forget to add milk all over the dish at the end before finally refrigerating it overnight. This will help all the layers soften and combine. It will also reduce the sweetness a little, so that’s a trick if you feel your bread pudding turned out too sweet at the end…just pour more milk over it at the end! This no-bake dessert is so forgiving and really great for beginners.

• At the end, we garnish the dish with some nuts, like pistachios on top. This is entirely optional. I actually prefer it without the garnish, and just like to enjoy the delicious, creamy bread pudding dessert on it’s own.

Now, let’s finally get into this super easy bread pudding recipe!

Ingredients:

Bread/Biscuits - This is the kind we used for this recipe:

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Tinned Cream

Cornflakes

Whipping/Whipped Cream

Milk

Nuts for garnish (optional)

Method/Process:

1. In a microwave-safe dish, break/cut each biscuit/bread into smaller parts and lay down a single layer on the bottom of the dish like this:

2. Add just enough milk to the dish to cover the layer of biscuits. Then, cover the dish with cling film and put it in the fridge to allow the biscuits to soften with the milk.

3. Next, whisk together equal parts of tinned cream and sweetened condensed milk, and set aside. (You can add more condensed milk if you’d like it to be sweeter. Taste as you go!) You will need enough of this mixture for 2 layers in your dish. If you run out, you can always just mix together some more, on the spot.

4. If you’d like to turn this dish into a chocolate bread pudding, add the Nutella or melted chocolate into the tinned cream and condensed milk mixture, at this stage. (Taste to make sure it’s not too sweet. You may need to reduce the sweetness with more tinned cream.)

5. Now, in another bowl, mix together cornflakes and whipping cream. Make sure the cream coats the cornflakes well. Depending on the size of your dish, you need enough of the cornflakes mixture to make one layer on top of the biscuits/bread.

6. Take your dish out of the fridge. You’ll notice the milk has been absorbed by the biscuits. Now, pour some of the cream and condensed milk mixture from step 3, on top of them. A layer to just cover the biscuits is enough, as so:

7. Now, add the cornflakes and cream mixture on top of the previous layer.

8. Next, add another single layer of biscuits/bread, again broken into smaller parts as we had done in step 1. On top of that, pour another layer of the cream and condensed milk mixture.

9. Repeat these layers as many times as you’d like. I usually do 2-3 depending on the height of the dish. This dish is so customizable that you can do whatever you like and it will still taste great. So, feel free to be creative! (Just keep tasting to manage the sweetness as per your preference.)

10. Now finish it off by pouring milk generously, all over the biscuits and layers. Cover with cling film, and put the dish in the fridge overnight.

11. Before serving the next day, smoothen the surface of the broken biscuits/bread pieces on top of the dish, with the back of a spoon. This should happen easily considering how soft the biscuits will be. It will make the dish look even and well-combined. If it looks a little dry, feel free to pour some milk over top just before heating it in the microwave.

12. Now put the dish in the microwave for about 3-6 minutes. It needs to be served hot! Depending on the size of your dish, it may take longer in the microwave. Just keep checking to make sure it’s well-heated.

13. If you wish, you can now add some nuts on top as garnish.

Serve and enjoy!

I had so much fun making this with my aunt’s guidance, and it tasted great!

This is the easiest dessert I’ve ever tried to make. So simple, customizable, and so beginner-friendly. It requires no fuss, no baking, no stress. Just mix, layer, and wait. 😄 That’s what makes this the best homemade, no-bake, easy bread pudding. I hope you feel the same way!

If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out and whether you’re going to make it again. I hope you enjoy it! If you have any feedback or questions about our recipes, feel free to reach out through the comments below.