Why You’ll Love This
This easy bread pudding recipe with bourbon sauce will make quite a huge impression on your holiday guests! They will request you make it every year. Family members have repeatedly asked me to make a bread pudding worth posting for you and them alike. There are a million recipes out there, and I’ve combed and researched for quite a while to find what I thought would be the perfect one for everyone. I ended up going with a basic base and adding my own touch to the pudding and the bourbon sauce. OMG, you guys, this will be your go-to recipe for any occasion, I promise. The sauce…dare I say is addictive! I could just drink this stuff, don’t judge. Are you looking for more fun desserts to serve during the holidays try our easy pumpkin cheesecake, Gramercy Tavern gingerbread, or southern sweet potato pie.
What is Bread Pudding?
A traditional bread pudding is made with cubed bread tossed in a simple custard (egg/milk mixture) and baked until golden. Easy to assemble with very simple ingredients. There are definitely other types of bread pudding, but there really is nothing like the classic version.
Why do I need to use stale bread for bread pudding?
What do you do with stale bread? Make bread pudding, of course! Since the bread is the base of this recipe, it’s important to use a good quality one. You want bread that will stand up well (so your dish doesn’t go mushy and soggy) and has excellent flavor and texture on its own, so it actually adds to the flavor of the dessert. Good quality ingredients are key to a great bread pudding. My sister brought us a New Orleans-style french bread, and I wasn’t using it immediately, so I popped it into the freezer. Well, it did not hold up well through the freezing, so I used it in this recipe. It was stale enough to soak up the pudding base perfectly.
Key Ingredients
French bread – Day old, you want the bread stale, as noted above. Cut into 1-inch pieces.Custard base – Eggs, heavy cream, and whole milk.Flavorings – Pure vanilla extract, freshly grated nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt.
How to Make this Bread Pudding Recipe with Bourbon Sauce
Cube the day-old bread into about 1-inch pieces and place in a very large mixing bowl. Leave them out for a day, especially if your bread is fresh. Next, whisk the eggs to combine. Add the milk, sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt and whisk to combine again. Pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes and stir to coat evenly. Pour the bread pudding mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. This is where you can press down to make a more uniform compressed bread pudding, or you can leave it like it is, and you will have crusty bread edges on top after baking. It’s a personal preference. We like ours more compressed and soft. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours up to overnight. I like to leave it overnight, which makes it a great make-ahead dessert. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the pudding uncovered for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. Serve warm. Upon cooling, the pudding will fall a little.
Bourbon Sauce Ingredients
Unsalted butter, heavy cream, orange peel, dark brown sugar, good quality bourbon, and kosher salt.
How to Make Bourbon Sauce
Again a good quality bourbon makes this sauce SHINE! Don’t go cheap bottom shelf with the bourbon. We use Four Roses Small Batch, yum! While the pudding cools slightly, make the bourbon sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, bourbon, three long slices of orange peel (without the pith), and a pinch of salt. Simmer until thickened, whisking often. It takes about 3-5 minutes. Sit back and listen to the ohs and ahs of everyone devouring this stunning dessert! You can certainly add dried fruits or even chocolate chips, but we recommend trying it without first.
Tips
If your bread is fresh, cut it into 1-inch cubes, spread it out into an even layer on a large baking sheet, and dry it in a 300-degree F oven for about 15-20 minutes.Be sure to gently warm any leftover bourbon sauce before serving. It might crystalize a little in the refrigerator.
Variations
You can also use Italian bread, brioche, challah, croissants, cinnamon raisin bread, and even our panettone recipe.Feel free to toss in some about 1 cup of raisins or other dried fruit.Try adding about 1 cup of chocolate chips.Add chopped pecans or walnuts.You can serve an alcohol-free version by topping the bread pudding with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, or maple syrup.
