This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CrispyComeback #CollectiveBias. This recipe for Coconut Bread Pudding combines two of my favorite flavors – chocolate and coconut.
One of my favorite memories from childhood is visiting my grandparents in Miami and enjoying some of the delectable treats from a nearby spanish bakery. The Napoleons, Eclairs and other pastries were so delicious. I especially loved the creme fillings.
Another popular dessert in our Latin American family is bread pudding.
For the dessert you see featured in these photographs, I’ve combined some of my favorite flavors – Coconut and Chocolate. This Coconut Bread Pudding with Coconut Cream, Chocolate Ganache and M&M’s® Crispy is a tribute to my Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage. I think my grandparents would be excited to taste the creamy texture of my bread pudding combined with the aromatic coconut scent of the cream. The chocolate adds a touch of well, chocolate flavor, and the M&M’s® provide a bit of crunch.
Welcome to a coconut and chocolate heaven – Coconut Bread Pudding with Coconut Cream, Chocolate Ganache and M&M’s® Crispy. Did you know M&M’s® Crispy are back by popular demand of M&M’s® fans? Yep, the sweet crunchy goodness is back.
Ingredients for Coconut Bread Pudding
- 12 Slices of sandwich bread or 8 cups of cut-up bread pieces
- 3/4 Cup Coconut milk (make sure to stir the contents of a can of coconut milk to mix it)
- 1 1/4 Cup Milk
- 5 Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon of Liqueur (your taste preference and optional)
- 2 Tablespoons of melted butter or margarine
- 1 Cup of Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon of Coconut Extract
- 1 Teaspoon of powdered Cinnamon
- 1/2 Cup M&M’s® Crispy
Coconut Cream Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons all-purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Coconut Milk (make sure to stir the contents of a can of coconut milk to mix it before you use it)
- 1 Teaspoon coconut extract
- 2 Sticks (1 cup) Butter
- 1 Cup granulated Sugar (not powdered sugar)
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose Flour (optional – can be used to thicken mixture as needed)
Ingredients for Chocolate Ganache
- 1 1/2 Cups heavy Cream
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup M&M’s® Crispy
Directions for Coconut Bread Pudding with Coconut Cream
Bread pudding is super easy to make. It’s also a great way to use bread that is getting old. Before you start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Step 1. Cut your bread into pieces. You’ll want them to be one to two inches square or in a rectangular shapes. Set the bread pieces aside.
Step 2. Whip up your eggs in a large mixing bowl. You’ll use the whites and the yolks in this recipe.
Step 3. Add your 1 cup of sugar to the eggs and mix.
Step 4. Add the cinnamon and coconut extract and mix.
Step 5. Add your coconut milk and your regular vitamin D milk to the bowl and stir.
Step 6. Add your butter and mix to combine. You can also add your 1 tablespoon of liqueur – coconut and rum flavors go nicely together but the liqueur is completely optional. This creates a custard that you’ll pour over your bread pieces.
Step 7. Pour the batter over your bread pieces that you’ve laid out in a baking dish.
Use a silicone spatula and toss the pieces until everything is evenly coated. It looks kinda messy but it tastes delicious!
Step 8. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. You will not cover the dish – leave it open. In the meantime, make the coconut cream and chocolate ganache as described below.
When you remove your bread pudding from the oven it will look as pictured below. You can opt to drizzle on some of the coconut cream and chocolate ganache to the top of this bread pudding or you can stack your bread pudding into towers the way I’ve featured in these photos. Either way, you’ll be combining some of the most delicious flavors on the planet! Chocolate and coconut!
Directions for Coconut Cream
Step 1. In a small pot, stir 4 tablespoons of the flour and the 1 teaspoon of coconut extract into the milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens (you want it as thick as peanut butter).
Step 2. Once the mixture starts to clump together, remove it from the heat and let cool to room temperature. It must cool completely before you mix it with the milk and sugar.
Step 3. While the mixture is cooling, use a mixer to beat the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Make sure there is no sugar graininess left in it.
Step 4. Once the butter and sugar is mixed into a creamy smooth state, add it to the cooled flour and milk mixture. Use a mixer to beat together the two mixes until they are completely smooth and combined. The final version will resemble whipped cream.
To aide in cream thickness, refrigerate it before using it to build the coconut bread pudding towers.
Directions for Chocolate Ganche
Chocolate Ganache is basically pieces of chocolate melted into a heavy cream. To create it, pour your heavy cream into a pot and heat it to a near-boiling state. Add your vanilla extract and stir to combine. Have your semi-sweet chocolate chips ready in a large mixing bowl nearby. Once the cream is hot enough, pour it over the chips and stir until completely melted. Voila’ you have chocolate ganache. It stores easily in a syrup container.
Directions to Assemble Coconut Cream and Chocolate Towers
To create the towers you see featured here, I used a 2″ in diameter biscuit cutter. I cut tops and bottoms from my baking dish of coconut bread pudding. For the pieces that would be used as bottoms, I flattened the tops of them by trimming off the tops with a bread knife.
I then used a plastic bag filled with coconut cream in it to pipe on a layer of coconut cream frosting to the bottom half of each tower. I placed another circle of bread pudding on top and then drizzled on the chocolate ganache. I pressed in a few M&M’s® Crispies into the sides of the coconut bread pudding towers and I sprinkled a few on top.
The M&M’s® Crispies added color and crunch to this creamy and coconut-flavored dessert. These candies have a delicious milk chocolate core with a crispy rice center. If you’re shopping for these chocolate treats, you can buy a small bag for a quick snack and a larger bag for sharing and creating this delicious recipe.
Where to find M&M’s® Crispy
I picked up the most colorful ingredient for my Coconut Bread Pudding with Coconut Cream, Chocolate Ganache and M&M’s® Crispy towers at CVS. It’s a convenient way to satisfy a hunger for chocolate!
By the way, there is a $1 coupon available for M&M’s® Crispy at CVS. Click this link to download your copy: Save $1 on M&M’s®. Mars, the company who makes M&Ms, is so excited about this relaunch of M&M’s® Crispy, they’ve put together the super cute video for M&M’s® fans: At M&M’s® we love our Fans!
What’s your favorite flavor to combine with Chocolate?
Any chocolate lovers out there? Please tell me I’m not the only one! What flavors do you like to combine with your chocolate? Think you may try chocolate and coconut? Please leave a comment below and join the conversation. I love hearing from my readers.
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