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🍍🍞 This Piña Colada Bread Pudding brings the tropics to your table! Made with coconut milk, pineapple, and rum – perfect with grilled pineapple!
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When I was a kid, my mom would make classic bread pudding anytime we had leftover rolls or stale bread. It was simple, comforting, and never went to waste. Now that I’m the one in the kitchen, I love putting tropical spins on those old-school recipes – and this Piña Colada Bread Pudding is one of my favorite twists yet. It’s inspired by the flavors of the classic cocktail, made with pineapple juice, coconut milk, and a splash of dark rum for good measure.
If you’re searching for the best bread pudding recipe to wow a crowd or want something new to add to your list of easy bread pudding recipes, this one checks all the boxes. It’s rich, soft, golden, and completely irresistible with grilled pineapple spears and a buttery coconut rum sauce on top.
This might just become one of your new go-to easy bread pudding recipes. Whether you’re making it for a summer party or just to treat yourself, it’s a sweet, tropical treat that feels like vacation in every bite. Some say it’s the best bread pudding recipe they’ve tried – give it a shot and see for yourself!
⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A tropical twist on a classic dessert
- Uses pantry staples and simple ingredients
- Great way to use up leftover bread
- Can be made ahead for parties or holidays
- Pairs perfectly with whipped cream or ice cream
🛒 Ingredients & Substitutions
Bread Pudding
- sweet Hawaiian rolls – substitute with brioche, challah, or croissants
- pineapple juice – substitute with mango or orange juice
- coconut milk – use almond milk or extra whole milk
- whole milk – replace with more coconut milk or non-dairy milk
- granulated sugar – swap with light brown sugar for more depth
- eggs – no substitute recommended
- dark rum – replace with rum extract or vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon – optional, can use nutmeg instead
- crushed pineapple – no substitute recommended
- shredded coconut – optional, can be omitted
- butter – can use coconut oil
Coconut Rum Butter Sauce
- butter – substitute with plant-based butter
- brown sugar – use coconut sugar
- pineapple juice – swap with orange juice
- coconut milk – use almond milk or cream
- dark rum – replace with more rum extract or omit
✨ Variations
- Add chopped macadamia nuts for crunch
- Stir in white chocolate chips before baking
- Use mango or banana slices with the pineapple
- Make it dairy-free with non-dairy milk and butter
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🔥 Tips
- Let the custard soak into the bread before baking
- Press the bread down gently to absorb all the liquid
- Sprinkle coarse sugar or coconut on top for a crisp finish
- Use the broiler for 1-2 minutes to caramelize the top
❓ FAQs
Yes! Assemble the pudding and refrigerate overnight. Let it sit at room temperature before baking. The sauce can also be made ahead.
Absolutely. Use rum extract or omit it completely. Vanilla extract adds great flavor, too.
Yes. Freeze the cooled bread pudding wrapped well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat before serving.
Whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, toasted coconut, fresh pineapple, or lime zest are all great choices.
Yes! Use ramekins or a muffin tin to portion out the custard and bread mixture. Reduce bake time to 20-25 minutes or until set.
Not required, but toasting the coconut adds a nutty depth and a little crunch that pairs nicely with the soft pudding.
Yes! If you’re not a coconut fan, you can skip it and still have a delicious tropical bread pudding.
Definitely, the sauce is rich and delicious – doubling it is never a bad idea if you want extra for serving.
The center should be set and no longer jiggly. A knife inserted near the middle should come out mostly clean.
🍽️ Other Recipes You May Enjoy
Dessert
Chocolate Bread Pudding
Breakfast
Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding
Breakfast
Maple Bacon Monkey Bread
Dessert
Piña Colada Poke Cake
Piña Colada Bread Pudding
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Equipment
- 9×13-in. baking dish
- small saucepan
- grill pan or outdoor grill
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 1 package sweet Hawaiian rolls, 12-count, torn
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 can coconut milk, 13.5 oz
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon dark rum, or 1 teaspoon rum extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon butter, for greasing the dish
- optional: toasted shredded coconut or powdered sugar, for garnish
Coconut Rum Butter Sauce
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon dark rum, or more rum extract
Grilled Pineapple Spears
- 1 fresh pineapple
- vegetable oil for brushing
Instructions
Prep the Bread Pudding
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Add torn Hawaiian rolls to the dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs and granulated sugar until pale and foamy.
- Stir in pineapple juice, coconut milk, whole milk, rum, and cinnamon.
- Fold in crushed pineapple and shredded coconut.
- Pour mixture evenly over the bread. Press gently to absorb.
- Let stand 15 minutes before baking.
Bake
- Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until golden and set.
Make the Sauce
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
- Stir in brown sugar, pineapple juice, coconut milk, and rum.
- Simmer 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Grill the Pineapple Spears
- Remove pineapple top and skin. Slice into quarters, remove the core, then cut each quarter into spears.
- Brush grill pan with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high.
- Grill pineapple 2–3 minutes per side, until grill marks appear.
Serve
- Drizzle warm sauce over bread pudding.
- Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and grilled pineapple spears.
Notes
🥡 STORAGE
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.♨️ REHEATING
- Microwave: Heat individual portions on a microwave-safe plate for 45–60 seconds or until warmed through.
- Oven: Cover with foil and bake at 300°F for 15–20 minutes or until heated through.
- Skillet: Warm slices in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat with a little butter until heated and lightly crisped on the outside.
- Air Fryer: Place a slice in the air fryer at 320°F for 3–5 minutes until warm and slightly crisp.
❄️ FREEZING
Wrap cooled bread pudding tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Sauce can be frozen separately or made fresh.💡 TIPS FOR BEST RESULTS
- Let the custard soak into the bread before baking.
- For a crisp top, sprinkle coarse sugar or shredded coconut over the batter before baking.
- Use a broiler for a quick caramelized top.
🍳 ALTERNATE COOKING METHODS
- Air fryer: Bake smaller portions at 320°F for 10–15 minutes.
- Oven broiler: Use the broiler for 1–2 minutes for extra caramelization on top.
♻️ LEFTOVERS
Chop and warm leftovers in a skillet with a bit of butter, or use in parfaits with fruit and whipped cream.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
