Stale bread pudding: delicious, vegan and waste-not recipe

Posted by

Eleonora Nai

January 11, 2026

On January 11, 2026

Preparation: 10 mins

Cooking: 20 mins

Cooling: min. 2h

Difficulty: easy

Yields: 6 portions

Cost: low

If you want to go straight to the recipe click here

Introduction to Stale Bread Pudding Recipe

This delicious Stale Bread Pudding recipe is another gift from the talented Eleonora Nai of Atelier Mal’Erba to CHE Food Revolution readers. Like the carob cake, which you should try immediately if you haven’t already, this is a genuine, low-impact recipe that is not only incredibly tasty, but also prevents wasting a precious food: bread. After all, traditional recipes are characterised by being simple and frugal, and being made for ordinary people.
You may sometimes wonder whether it’s a dessert or a ‘grandma’s remedy‘. This is certainly true of stale bread pudding. Thanks to its retrograded starches and the dietary fibre in the dried fruit, it helps balance the small amount of sugar in the recipe and the fructose from the raisins and figs. This helps avoid blood sugar spikes (discover all the benefits of eating stale bread here).
Furthermore, there is no butter or oil, only milk (either plant-based or cow’s milk).
And what about the generous amount of spices! Turmeric, also known as Indian saffron, and saffron itself provide powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, helping to improve joint health, digestion, liver function, and mood.

The credit goes to curcumin, which is found in turmeric (as we saw with golden milk), as well as to crocin and safranal, which are found in saffron. While both support the immune system, saffron is better known for its antidepressant and sleep-promoting effects, and turmeric acts on metabolism and cholesterol. These effects often benefit each other.

Having analysed the few healthy plant-based ingredients in this simple, balanced recipe, I’ll hand over to Eleonora, who will explain the spirit behind it.

“Whenever we tackle a historical recipe — this one for stale bread pudding dates back to the 1400s or 1500s — we learn that geographical, cultural, and racial influences enrich us. Curiosity must always be kept alive; otherwise, we will not evolve!”

Bon appétit and happy revolution to all!

Başak

What we need for cooking

1 pan
1 serving plate or 6 bowls

Ingredients for a delicious stale bread pudding

500g stale bread, cut into small cubes
150g raisins (soaked in water)
75g dried figs, chopped (soaked in water)
1 teaspoon turmeric
6-8 saffron strands (dissolved a few hours beforehand in a little hot water)
1L of plant-based milk (originally cow’s milk)
60g sugar
lavender (optional)

TO GET YOUR SEASONAL FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CALENDAR FOR FREE

Directions for an easy Stale Bread Pudding

As the title suggests, this recipe is really easy to make.

Step 1: Bring the plant-based drink to the boil, then add the turmeric, saffron, sugar and bread.

Step 2: Cook over a low heat until the bread has melted and the mixture has thickened.

Step 3: Add the dried fruit that has been squeezed out and continue to cook over a very low heat for about twenty minutes, making sure that it does not stick to the bottom.

Step 4: Pour the mixture into a big serving dish or 6 individual bowls and leave to cool. I put a lavender flower to decorate but it is purely optional

The CHEf

After 15 years in the historical center of Cuneo (a bakery of French origin with pastries and galettes), the need to “slow down” matured, as well as the need to improve in sustainability, which had always been pursued, but to a lesser extent. Hence, in 2022, the move to Caraglio, a small town in the Grana Valley, and a greater collaboration with other small producers. Atelier Mal’Erba is born!
But why this name? Because one of the objectives was the valorization of the medicinal and wild herbs in which the valley is rich! As well as shortening the supply chain and valorizing forgotten and “poor” ingredients. Today Atelier Mal’Erba is a laboratory with direct and contract sales, catering for individuals and events. It is a place of experimentation, research and exchange of ideas.
To regain the balance with nature and its rhythms, to seize and recognize its spontaneous gifts, to explore the places where one lives, to appreciate the natural and cultural biodiversity: this is our philosophy!