Hawaiian Bread Pudding

This Hawaiian Bread Pudding has pineapple and macadamia nuts along with a thick and creamy coconut rum creme anglaise. It's a gorgeous tropical dessert that you'll absolutely love.

Did you know that pineapples aren't actually native to Hawaii? They were actually brought there as a cash crop by the Dole company, and today, you can tour the Dole plantation and see miles of pineapples growing in neat little lines. But the crop was so successful that it has an unbreakable association with the Hawaiian islands. It's so ubiquitous that you get free pineapple with any meal at McDonald's in Waikiki. Weird, right?

As witches, we do our best to honor our ancient pagan ancestors, but we don't really know for sure what their traditions were. We create an imitation from what little knowledge we've been able to acquire, but ultimately, we have to modernize our craft and make it our own. Adaptability is amongst humans' strongest traits. Work with what you've got. Witchcraft is a tool of need, so don't worry if things aren't perfectly authentic. If your intention is true, then the ways and the words can be whatever you need them to be.

What makes Hawaiian Bread Pudding so awesome?

This Hawaiian Bread Pudding is fully of juicy, tropical flavors that remind me of my years in Honolulu. Sadly, I can't get Hawaiian bread here in Scotland, but brioche is a good enough substitute. You could also add shredded coconut to this if that's something you enjoy, but I elected to add coconut flavor through a bit of coconut rum, both in the custard mixture and the creme anglaise that gets served along with it

I love the combination of textures in bread pudding, from the squidgy, custard soaked bread to the crunchy nuts and bits of caramelized toasted bread on the top. There's also the juicy burst of pineapple chunks here. I also love the contrast of the hot bread pudding with the cold, creamy sauce. If you're not serving this warm from the oven, I highly recommend reheating it briefly so you get both temperatures together. It's homey and comforting and so easy to make.

Magical Properties of Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia Nuts aren't Hawaiian, either. They actually come from Australia, but just like pineapple, they're now totally ubiquitous. You can use these rich buttery nuts to call in love, abundance, and protection. (Source: Urban Spellcraft)

For more on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, be sure to check the Kitchen Magick page.

Ingredients

Here's everything you'l need to make this dessert. The full details are in the recipe card below.

• Bread - Hawaiian bread if you can get it, brioche if you can't, Portuguese sweet bread would be great if you live somewhere where that's easy to get; stale is good
• Pineapple - canned pineapple chunks are totally fine
• Macadamia Nuts - you can use honey roasted if you live in a place where you can get those, but plain is fine
• Eggs
• Brown sugar
• Coconut rum
• Cream - heavy or double cream
• Milk - whole milk is best, but use what you got
• Powdered sugar - aka icing sugar or confectioner's sugar

Tips for making Hawaiian Bread Pudding

Making bread pudding is so simple. Use torn or cubed bread, and go ahead and let it dry out and get a bit stale. It will soak up the custard mixture even better. I tend to tear mine into the baking dish a few hours before and just let it sit out on the counter.

Mix your eggs, sugar, and dairy, along with your coconut rum in a big bowl until well incorporated. Nothing fancy.

When you're ready to assemble, scatter your pineapple and mac nuts over your bread chunks, then pour over the custard mixture. Let it soak for about 20 minutes before popping it in the oven and baking until golden and puffed.

While your bread pudding is soaking and baking, you can make your coconut rum creme anglaise. Simply stir together your eggs, cream, and powdered sugar over low heat until thickened. Then, off the heat, stir in the coconut rum. Pour this in a jug and store it in the fridge, where it will thicken even more, until you're ready to use it.

When you're ready to serve, dish some warm bread pudding onto a plate or bowl, and absolutely douse it in the sauce. It's gonna be awesome.

When you need a bit of sunny, tropical energy in your life, give this Hawaiian Bread Pudding a try. It will definitely be awesome.

Looking for more awesome bread pudding recipes? Try this Chocolate Kahlua Bread Pudding or some easy Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding.

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