Vegan Bread Pudding (Kirschenmichel)
Vegan bread pudding, known in Germany as Kirschenmichel, is a warm baked dessert made from cubes of whole grain bread soaked in spiced non-dairy milk, folded with sour cherries, and baked until golden and set. It is comforting, lightly sweet, and perfect for using up bread that is past its best. This plant-based version skips the eggs and dairy of the traditional recipe but keeps every bit of the cozy flavor.
Kirschenmichel (roughly translating into Cherry Michael) is a kind of bread pudding that comes from German cuisine. It goes by many names, including Kirschenplotzer, Kerschemischel, Kirschpfanne, Kirschenmannla, Ofenschlupfer, and Semmelauflauf. They are all forms of bread pudding, and they are all best served warm, straight out of the oven. The dessert is especially popular in regions such as Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, South Bavaria, Franconia, and the southern part of Hesse.
I grew up loving the classic warm-from-the-oven version, so when I set out to make it plant-based I wanted it to taste like the real thing. I decided to make it vegan, and the result is just as good as the original recipe. No one at the table misses the eggs or the dairy.
What goes into this vegan Kirschenmichel
The ingredient list is short and forgiving, but a few choices make a real difference to the final texture:
- Whole grain bread with seeds — You need about 12 slices, cubed. Slightly stale or day-old bread is ideal because it drinks up the milk without turning to mush. A seeded whole grain loaf gives structure and a nutty depth. Gluten-free bread works too if you need it.
- Non-dairy milk — Plain and unsweetened is best so you can control the sweetness. Any plant milk works; a creamier one like oat or soy gives the richest result.
- Ground white chia seeds — This is the quiet hero. Whisked into the milk and left to sit, the chia thickens into a gel that binds the pudding the way eggs would in the traditional recipe.
- Sour cherries — Canned and well drained. Their tartness cuts through the sweetness and is the signature note of a real Kirschenmichel.
- Warm spices and vanilla — Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract give that unmistakable baked-dessert aroma.
- Brown or coconut sugar — Most goes into the custard base, with a spoonful reserved to sprinkle on top for a lightly caramelized finish.
- Fresh blueberries — Stirred in at the very end, off the heat, so they stay plump and bright rather than bursting during baking.
Why ground chia replaces the eggs so well
Traditional bread puddings rely on eggs to set the custard and hold everything together once baked. Ground white chia does the same job here. When you whisk it into the milk and let the mixture rest for a few minutes, the seeds release a gel that traps liquid and firms up in the oven, giving the pudding a sliceable, custardy body without any eggs. Grinding the chia (rather than leaving the seeds whole) spreads that binding power evenly through the bread and keeps the texture smooth. Letting the milk-and-chia base sit before you add the bread is the step people skip most often, and it is the one that decides whether your pudding sets or stays loose.
How to make it turn out perfectly
- Use dry bread. If your loaf is fresh and soft, cube it and leave it out for an hour or two, or toast it briefly. Dry bread soaks up the custard evenly instead of collapsing.
- Give the chia time. Whisk the milk, sugar, chia, spices, vanilla, and salt together and let it sit about 5 minutes before adding the bread. This is what lets the base thicken.
- Drain the cherries well. Excess cherry liquid waters down the custard and can leave a soggy layer at the bottom. Pat them if needed.
- Press the top before baking. Sprinkling brown sugar and pressing it lightly into the surface helps it caramelize into a delicate crust.
- Watch for the doneness cues. Bake at 200C for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the center is set with no loose liquid pooling when you tilt the dish.
- Add the blueberries last. Fold them in after the pudding comes out of the oven so they stay fresh and juicy.
Simple swaps and variations
- Make it gluten-free. Swap the whole grain loaf for your favorite gluten-free bread. The method stays exactly the same.
- Vegetarian version. If you are not keeping it fully plant-based, you can use regular dairy milk in place of the non-dairy milk.
- Change the fruit. Sour cherries are traditional, but the tart-sweet balance also works with other berries. Keep something tart in the mix so the pudding does not turn one-note.
- Adjust the sweetness. Brown sugar and coconut sugar are interchangeable here; start on the lower side if your bread or cherries are already sweet.
What to serve with it
This pudding is at its best warm, spooned into bowls with the vanilla-berry sauce from the recipe card poured over the top. A scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream or a dollop of coconut cream turns it into a proper weekend dessert. If you are building a cozy comfort-food spread, it sits nicely alongside other baked classics like this semolina pudding with blueberry jam, and if you like the idea of a baked, pudding-style bake made from pantry staples you will also enjoy this autumn quince pudding with raisins and walnuts.
Storing and making it ahead
Bread pudding keeps well, which makes it a great make-ahead dessert. Once cooled, cover the dish and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the oven or microwave until warmed through; a splash of non-dairy milk before reheating brings back any moisture lost in the fridge. You can also assemble the soaked bread base ahead of time and bake it fresh when you need it. If you are in a baking mood and want more plant-based treats to make alongside it, these vegan whole grain cookies use similar wholesome pantry ingredients, and for a savory day-old-bread project try this gluten-free black cumin bread.
If you bake this Kirschenmichel, I would love to know how the cherries and chia treated you. Leave a star rating and drop a comment below with your bread choice or any tweak you made to the sauce — it helps other readers and it always makes my day to hear how yours turned out.
Summarise & Save This Recipe
★ Add us as a trusted Google source
Vegan Bread Pudding / Kirschenmichel
Ingredients
- 12 slices whole grain bread with seeds cubed; gluten-free bread also works
- 1 ¼ cups non-dairy milk plain; or regular milk, for a vegetarian version
- ⅓ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ¼ cup white chia seeds ground
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup sour cherries canned, drained
- ⅓ cup blueberries fresh
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C (400F).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, brown sugar, ground chia, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Let sit for about 5 minutes to thicken, then add the cubed bread and toss to coat.
- Fold in the drained sour cherries.
- Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar and press it lightly into the pudding.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden on top and set in the middle.
- Remove from the oven, scatter over the fresh blueberries and let cool slightly.
- Serve warm, with a vanilla-berry sauce.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The base recipe uses non-dairy milk, ground chia seeds instead of eggs, plant-based sugar, and fruit, so it is fully vegan. The card notes you can swap in regular dairy milk for a vegetarian version if you prefer, but as written it contains no eggs or dairy.
A seeded whole grain loaf gives the best structure and a nutty flavor, and slightly stale or day-old bread is ideal because it soaks up the milk without turning to mush. If you need it gluten-free, simply use your favorite gluten-free bread; the method does not change.
When ground white chia is whisked into the milk and left to rest for a few minutes, it releases a gel that traps liquid and firms up in the oven. This gel binds the soaked bread and sets the pudding into a sliceable, custardy texture, doing the same job eggs do in the traditional Kirschenmichel.
The recipe is written for canned sour cherries that are well drained, since their tartness balances the sweetness. Fresh sour cherries can work if pitted, but keep something tart in the mix so the pudding does not turn one-note, and avoid adding extra liquid that could make it soggy.
Once cooled, cover the dish and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the oven or microwave until warmed through, and add a splash of non-dairy milk before reheating to bring back any moisture lost in the fridge.
The two most common causes are skipping the resting time for the chia-and-milk base and not draining the cherries well. Let the milk mixture sit about 5 minutes so the chia can thicken, drain the cherries thoroughly, use dry or day-old bread, and bake until the top is golden and no loose liquid pools when you tilt the dish.
Hi there, can I use frozen blueberries instead of fresh blueberries? Thanks!
Sure! But make sure you toss them with some cornstarch before putting them in the batter. The cornstarch will absorb the excess liquids and won’t make the pudding too soggy.
SO easy, quick and yummy! Making this again during the weekend, I can’t wait!
Awesome! 😀