Slow-Cooked Pecan Pie Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 (16 ounce) loaf day-old French bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 ½ cups milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray

Step 1

Stir the brown sugar, pecans, and softened butter together in a small bowl, mashing them with a fork until well combined. Next, put the bread cubes in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, half-and-half, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Pour this mixture over the bread and let it sit for about 5 to 10 minutes so the bread can soak up all the liquid.

Step 2

Spray your slow cooker with some nonstick spray, then layer half of the soaked bread in the bottom. Sprinkle half of the pecan mixture over the bread. Repeat with the remaining bread and pecan topping, pressing down gently to compact everything a bit.

Step 3

Cover the slow cooker and let it cook on low for about 3 hours, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Then it’s ready to serve and enjoy!