How Many Syns in Bread and Butter Pudding?

Bread and butter pudding is one of those gloriously frugal British puddings that turns a stale loaf into something worth lingering over with a spoon. The traditional version layers buttered white bread with sultanas, then drowns it in a custard of eggs, full-fat milk, double cream, sugar and a whisper of nutmeg before baking until the top is bronzed and the middle wobbles. On Slimming World, that classic recipe sits firmly in the treat column. A generous restaurant-style serving lands around eleven Syns, largely because of the butter spread on every slice, the cream in the custard and the sugar sprinkled both through the layers and across the top.

The good news is that bread and butter pudding adapts beautifully to a Food Optimising kitchen. Swap the butter for a thin scrape of low-fat spread, use skimmed milk and a couple of beaten eggs in place of the cream-heavy custard, and lean on sweetener rather than caster sugar. Some cooks use their Healthy Extra B allowance of wholemeal bread as the base, which keeps the Syns focused on the small amount of spread and any chocolate or marmalade tucked between the slices. Dried fruit, vanilla, cinnamon and orange zest add big flavour for nothing.

When you are eating out, pub and gastro versions are almost always made in the rich traditional style, so it pays to log a full portion at around eleven Syns and enjoy it without negotiation. Share a ramekin between two for a lighter hit, or pair half a portion with fat-free natural yogurt instead of pouring cream. Frozen supermarket puddings vary widely depending on brand and whether they contain chocolate, brioche or clotted cream, so always check the per-portion Syns rather than assuming.