If someone were to point a gun to my head and tell me I had to choose a favourite ethnic cuisine, I am pretty certain that I would pick Thai food. Many of my friends would pick Mexican, and while I love many aspects of Mexican cuisine, the flavours don’t excite me quite as much as Thai. I fell hard and fast for Thai food upon my first time at a restaurant in the ultra-hip Jamaica Plain neighbourhood of Boston. If my memory serves me, I had a stuffed-up nose, and the spicy curry I ordered was the first thing I had tasted in days. It cut through my congestion like butter, and we were fast friends from that point forward.
So you can imagine my response when the good folks at Thai Kitchen asked if I wanted to test out some of their products. I believe it was along the lines of “hell, yeah!”. I may or may not have divulged to them that I didn’t exactly have to “test out” their products, since I had several of them already in my pantry and fridge. But more are always welcome! Quite a number of their products are gluten-free, and quite a few thai recipes can be made low carb, which is very much in line with what I do on this blog. So I was more than happy to have some ingredients to play around with.
Much of what they sent me lends itself mostly to savoury dishes. If ever you are wondering what to do with a jar of red or green curry paste, their website has a wonderful collection of recipes. Casting around for dinner ideas one night, I decided to make their Green Curry Chicken with Basil , except that I substituted tofu for the chicken and I didn’t add basil because I didn’t have any. To make it lower in carbs, I didn’t add any brown sugar, and my husband and I both agreed that it didn’t seem lacking without it. He ate his over some of their jasmine rice and I had mine without. It was a wonderful meal.
But, being as that I am primarily a baker, I also wanted to find a way to make something sweet with their products. They had sent along a recipe for a coconut pumpkin bread pudding that made me drool, but bread pudding is neither low carb nor gluten free. Or is it? I got to thinking about what I could do with this and was reminded of a few recipes I’d saved from other places. One was for Coconut Flour Bread and one was for a Thai Coconut Custard. It all seemed to be coming together into one lovely, low carb, gluten free bread pudding in my head.
The Results: If you love the flavour of coconut, you will love this bread pudding. Made with coconut flour, coconut milk and shredded coconut (and even with coconut oil, if you wish), it is seriously coconutty. I just love it, and was quite impressed by how the coconut flour bread held up as a base for the bread pudding. The coconut flavour is enhanced by the addition of vanilla and cardamom, and it’s a lovely exotic twist on a western classic dessert.
When the pudding is warm from the oven, the cream sauce tends to absorb right in, which is why you don’t really see it in the pictures. I had wanted photographs with nice dribbles of the cream poured over the pudding, but it was not to be. It just kept getting sopped right up. But it is there, and it really adds to the whole dessert, so don’t skip it if you make this!
Thai Coconut Bread Pudding with Vanilla Cardamom Cream
Pudding:
1 loaf coconut flour bread – see recipe HERE
1 can Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup granulated erythritol
16 drops stevia extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp coarsely ground cardamom
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 drops stevia extract
For the pudding, preheat oven to 200F. Slice coconut bread into 1/2 inch slices and lay on a baking sheet. Let bread dry out in oven for about an hour. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes and set aside.
Increase oven temperature to 350F and grease an 8×8 inch glass baking dish.
Pour coconut milk into a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Add eggs, erythritol, stevia, vanilla, allspice and cardamom and whisk to combine well. Add bread cubes and toss until well coated. Let stand 10 minutes to allow bread to soak up coconut milk mixture.
Pour into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with pecans and shredded coconut. Bake 35-40 minutes or until custard is set and tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cool slightly on wire rack.
Meanwhile, bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add cardamom, vanilla and stevia, stirring to combine. Let steep for 30 minutes, then pour through a fine sieve to remove solids.
Pour cream over individual servings of bread pudding, passing any remaining cream at the table.
Serves 10. Each serving has a total of 18g of carbs, but only 6g of carbs if you subtract for erythritol and fiber.
Tony Bridges says
I followed the link from your recipe for 1 loaf of coconut bread but I have a loaf of KETO Culture Loaf I need to use. No volumes are referenced on your recipe or his – What is the volume of the loaf to use that you reference in your Blog?
Carolyn says
Looks like he changed the page. This is a REALLY old recipe of mine so I don’t remember it well… I think you could use about half or three quarters of your loaf.
Patti says
Hi Carolyn,
My question does not pertain to Thai? But about this recipe. I was wondering if there was another sugar I could use as the only sweetner I have is Surkin fiber sugar free map,e syrup and xiletol for now. I made your wonderful muffins and though this sauce would go great with them.
I love all your recipes. Great job.
Thanks
Amy says
Hi Carolyn,
If I have Swerve, what measurements would you recommend? I’d like to avoid buying straight erythritol for one (delicious sounding) recipe.
Carolyn says
I think you should do about 1/3 cup Swerve in the pudding and maybe 3 tbsp or so powdered swerve in the cream.
Amy says
Thank you so much! I have a thing for cardamom and this meets all of my dietary restrictions so I can’t wait to make it. Love your site and thanks for all of your hard work and research into your fabulous recipes!
Carolyn says
Sugar is as bad or worse for you in the long run as any sugar alcohol. I have diabetes, that's why. Besides which, erythritol is NOT bad for the digestive tract like other sugar alcohols, it is absorbed in the small intestine and does not cause the same gastro-intestinal distress.
Sugar is addictive and causes many health issues…diabetes being only one of them.
Granny says
Erythritol and other alcohol sugar-substitutes are bad for the digestive tract. You are much better off using sugar!
Sounds like a delicious recipe, otherwise. I just thought, why ruin it with something dangerous like erythritol?
sandy - Everyday Southwest says
Yummm….. this looks delicious! You did a great job for Thai Kitchen… and us! Thanks!
christine says
Carolyn, thanks for getting back to me about the sweetener substitutions and for the nice comments on my blog 🙂 You're sweet to play along with my weird computer story. Anyway, I'm looking forward to trying out the coconut bread pudding! Thanks again!
Amy at TheSceneFromMe says
Oh my, now that's what I like to see first thing in the morning when I get up, coconut bread pudding! I could so eat that deliciousness for breakfast right now 🙂
Stella says
Okay, now I wish you lived next door. Yum!
Lynn @ I'll Have What She's Having says
This sounds amazing! I was just thinking about making rice pudding with coconut milk, but this sounds even better.
Trish says
I can see we're on the same page here. I just posted a Thai coconut-flavored dish. Thai is one of my fav cuisines too. Great flavors in this dish. I love how you made a low-carb Bread Pudding. I recently starting experimenting with Stevia too…added it to my smoothie today and it came out great. Thanks for the great ideas!
Magic of Spice says
Fantastic sounding bread pudding and looks pretty amazing as well 🙂 I really love the sound of that sauce!
I do enjoy Thai dishes as well 🙂
claire says
i have never thought about using coconut milk!
looks amazing
Amy Bakes Everything says
Brilliant! I use coconut milk a lot in the bakery, and I know a certain father-in-law that would choose me as his favorite if I made bread pudding with it! Great job, beautiful photos!
Ang says
I'm still a little unsure of bread pudding. I have really only had it once and I'm pretty sure it wasn't supposed to taste the way it did. However, you said one word "Thai" and I was drooling by the minute reading this recipe. Looks so good! I would love to try this:)
BakingWithoutABox says
I feel guilty to confess I don't think I've ever eaten Thai food. And I live in LA. Ouch. But you've inspired me to try it. Especially if it looks the tiniest little bit like this dazzling creation. Wonderful even without the low card benefits. Just straight delish with a healthful bonus.
Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels says
I have a serious obsession with all things coconut and I just LOVE your recipe. I would have never of thought to make coconut bread and turn it into a bread pudding, you are just so creative. I MUST make this ASAP! It's calling my name. Mmmmm and it looks gorgeous too!
Victoria says
Love your version of bread pudding, and I'm glad you were able to make it gluten free and low carb. I love Thai food too, and I love bread pudding! So versatile! I've started hosting a monthly event called The Bread Pudding of the Month Club on my blog, sharing fun twists on bread pudding each month. I hope you'll stop by and check out the variations, as well as the other recipes and restaurant reviews I share 🙂 Thanks!