This classic bread pudding recipe spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and spiked with bourbon is absolutely phenomenal. This bread-based dessert is soft and tender in the middle with perfectly crunchy edges (my favorite part) then drizzled with a bourbon cream sauce! A classic southern dessert, perfect for Christmas, Mardi Gras, or any special occasion.
I fell in love with bread pudding years ago when my husband and I went to a cozy little Italian restaurant to ring in the New Year the very first year we were dating. We were served dessert right at midnight (which now, over 10 years later, astonishes me because I can’t even fathom being up and OUT at that hour, let alone eating a meal, HA! Oh, the seasons of life…); he ordered a chocolate bread pudding, and I… can’t remember what I ordered.
He gave me a taste of his and he could tell I was totally enamored with it, so he offered to trade me desserts. I have been infatuated with all things bread pudding ever since. This is the first one that I made myself and it remains my all-time favorite version!
What is Bread Pudding?
Bread pudding is a bread-based dessert with a custard-soaked, soft middle that is drenched with custard-y flavor in each and every bite. This simple recipe evolved out of a need to use stale bread and has been delighting tastebuds since as early as the 11th century.
The bread pudding we are most familiar with today originated in England where it has the nickname “Wet Nelly” after the Nelson Cake. Many other cultures also have their own version of bread pudding. For example, Mexico’s version, Capirotada, has both savory and sweet elements while Cuba’s Pudín is served with a guava marmalade. No matter how you choose to make this dish, it’s going to be a favorite!
Stale Bread + Creamy Custard + Flavor
The basic formula for a delicious bread pudding comes down to three main parts: the bread, the custard, and the delicious mix-ins you add for flavor. Let’s look at each part to put this delicious bread pudding together!
Dry Bread is Key!
I like to use an 18-20 inch French baguette in this recipe. You can use another type of bread if you’d like, but do not use pre-sliced bread – you want to be able to get nice big chunks.
Use either stale bread that is a few days old, or toast the bread before using it in the bread pudding. Using stale or dried bread allows it to soak up the custard mixture and retain its shape, which gives the dessert both a sturdy body and an ultra-creamy texture.
Please do not be tempted to use fresh bread or skip the toasting step in this recipe. If you do so, the bread will fall apart, disintegrate, and/or turn to mush in the custard mixture.
To toast the bread for the bread pudding you will need to:
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Rip the bread into 1-inch chunks.
Arrange the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake until crispy brown, about 12 minutes, turning pieces halfway through and rotating the baking sheet from front to back.
Remove from oven and let the bread cool completely.
Bourbon Soaked Raisins + Other Mix-Ins!
While your bread is cooking in the oven you can start on the next part of the recipe, the bourbon-soaked raisins.
Heat raisins and bourbon in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until bourbon begins to simmer, 2-3 minutes.
Strain the mixture and place the bourbon and raisins in separate bowls.
If you do not care for raisins, they can be omitted or substituted with another dried fruit or mix-in such as:
Cranberries
Cherries
Chopped nuts
Or chocolate chips!
And if you do not wish to use alcohol, you can replace the bourbon with water in this step.
Make the Custard
Now that your bread is crisp and nicely dried out and the mix-ins are prepped you can make the custard for the bread pudding.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar, cream, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Whisk in the remaining bourbon, plus the bourbon used to plump the raisins.
Toss the toasted bread into the bowl gently and evenly coat.
Let the mixture sit until the bread begins to absorb the custard, about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
If the majority of the bread is still hard when squeezed, soak for another 15 to 20 minutes.
How to Make Bread Pudding
Once your bread has soaked in the custard you are ready to bake!
Storing: Keep your bread pudding fresh and moist by storing covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing Instructions: The bread pudding can be baked, cooled completely, refrigerated for at least 2 hours, then frozen. To freeze, cover the pan tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating from Frozen: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 350-degree oven, covered, until warmed through, about 15 minutes.
Reheating from the Refrigerator: Reheat in the microwave or in a 350-degree oven covered with foil.
Make-Ahead without Baking: You can prepare the bread pudding through step #5 (before baking), cover and refrigerator for up to 1 day before baking. If you assemble the dish ahead of time, the longer that it sits before baking, the softer and more custard-like the interior will be.
Make-Ahead with Baking: Alternatively, you can bake the bread pudding, cool, cover, and refrigerator for up to 2 days, then reheat in the oven, covered at 350 degrees before serving.
Prep the Sauce: The bourbon sauce can also be prepared up to 2 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator, then reheated before serving.
Bread Pudding FAQs
What’s the Difference Between Bread Pudding and Bread and Butter Pudding?
Bread pudding is made by soaking stale pieces of bread in a custard mixture while bread and butter pudding uses pieces of bread that have been buttered before soaking in the liquid mixture.
Is Bread Pudding Supposed to be Gooey?
Moist yes, gooey probably not. Yours might end up gooier if you:
Use less than 10 cups of stale bread.
Let the bread soak in the custard for longer than 30 minutes.
This classic bread pudding recipe drizzled with bourbon sauce is an absolute dream. Drenched with custard-y flavor in each and every bite, it’s the only bread pudding recipe you will ever need!
If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
This bread pudding starts with toasted French bread cubes soaked in a bourbon-spiked custard, then layered with bourbon-soaked raisins, baked, and drizzled with a bourbon cream sauce. This classic southern dessert is perfect for Christmas, Mardi Gras, or any special occasion.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside.
Arrange the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp and brown, about 12 minutes, turning pieces over halfway through and rotating the baking sheet front to back. Let bread cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
Meanwhile, heat raisins and ½ cup bourbon in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until bourbon begins to simmer, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the mixture, placing the bourbon and raisins in separate bowls.
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar, cream, milk, vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk in in the remaining ¼ cup bourbon plus the bourbon used to plump the raisins. Toss in the toasted bread until evenly coated. Let the mixture sit until the bread begins to absorb custard, about 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. If the majority of the bread is still hard when squeezed, soak for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Pour half the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with half the raisins. Repeat with the remaining bread mixture and raisins. Cover the dish with foil, and bake for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the granulated sugar and remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Using your fingers, pinch 6 tablespoons butter into the sugar mixture until the crumbs are the size of small peas. Remove the foil from pudding, sprinkle with the butter mixture, and bake, uncovered, until the custard is just set, 20 to 25 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F and bake until the top of the pudding forms a golden crust, about 2 minutes.
Let the pudding cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours). Serve alone or with Bourbon Sauce (I strongly recommend the bourbon sauce).
Make the Bourbon Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of bourbon until well combined.
Using a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the cream and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook until sauce thickens, 3 to 5 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat, and stir in salt, butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon. Drizzle warm sauce over bread pudding. Leftover bread pudding can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350-degree oven covered with foil.
Recipe Notes:
Bread: While a French baguette is preferred for this recipe, you can use another type of bread if you'd like.
Raisins: If you do not care for raisins, they can be omitted or substituted with another dried fruit, like cranberries or cherries.
Bourbon: The bourbon can be substituted with another liquor if you'd like to switch up the flavor. Some ideas would be whiskey, rum, Kahlua, amaretto, etc. The bourbon can also be omitted entirely if necessary. You can plump the raisins in water and replace the remaining bourbon in the recipe with milk or cream.
Make-Ahead Instructions: You can prepare the bread pudding through step #5 (before baking), cover and refrigerator for up to 1 day before baking. The bourbon sauce can also be prepared up to 2 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator, then reheated before serving. Alternatively, you can bake the bread pudding, cool, cover, and refrigerator for up to 2 days, then reheat in the oven, covered at 350 degrees before serving.
Freezing Instructions: The bread pudding can be baked, cooled completely, refrigerated for at least 2 hours, then frozen. To freeze, cover the pan tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 350-degree oven, covered, until warmed through, about 15 minutes.
Thank You for sharing such a wonderful recipe. The best bread pudding ever!!! I followed the directions to a T and it turned out amazing. My family & guests enjoyed it tremendously.
I highly recommend the recipe.
Bread pudding is my all-time favorite dessert. I’ve used a recipe from the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook (it’s a red book) for years. There’s no alcohol in the recipe and they offer recipes for several sauces. I usually use a vanilla sauce from another source. I don’t like raisins or other dried fruit in the bread pudding, so I omit them.
We really enjoyed this. I took home a bunch of stale bread from Panera and knew I was going to turn it into bread pudding and tried this recipe. I don’t like raisins so I just subbed them with cherries. Very time intensive but delicious. The topping turned into a kind of mush when I tried to rub in the butter so I just kind of dotted the top with it and I wasn’t a huge fan of the sauce…but it has bourbon…so I’ll eat it.
Dried bread is better than stale (this is also true for French toast and stuffing). Stale bread isn’t actually dry – the starches are crystallized, trapping water, making them feel dry in the mouth, but the water is still there. When you heat the bread up again, the crystals retrograde, releasing the water, which can dilute your custard. Gently toasting the bread actually evaporates the water, allowing the water in your custard to rehydrate the bread, carrying flavors along with it.
Whoa! What a fascinating, insightful, and helpful comment. If you have your own website, I would be very interested in learning more from you. Thanks for the science lesson. I love hearing from what you seem to be–an expert. Thanks!
Hi Katy, I personally would not serve this to kids. The bread and the raisins are soaked in the bourbon, and the bourbon in the sauce definitely doesn’t all cook out.
Well, this throws an interesting twist on my quest for a bread pudding recipe. I bought a Panettone as I saw some show on Food Network doing a bread pudding with it. Well now I have a Panettone and this recipe. I love the recipes you always have so I am going to make it work. Toast the Panettone and skip the raisins. Cross my fingers …. and have a back up plan.
I have made this a few times and it is wonderful Bourbon and all. Raisins are part of bread pudding. Yes I would serve it to children. It is what it is which is fabulous.
I tried this awesome recipe!! It was an absolutely the best ever success. All the guest loved it and I will only make that recipe of bread pudding. Recipe is a keeper. Thank you.
Well, my leftovers lasted exactly one day ;-) But if you have more restraint than we do you could probably keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Wow, this bourbon bread pudding looks AWESOME! I can imagine how tasty it must be. I think my son would like it, as bourbon is his tipple of choice (it’s okay, he’s an adult :) !)
Oh my – this looks amazing! I spied that bottle of Jim Beam in the background. That was my father-in-law’s favorite so I’ve done lots of baking with it as well. It does extraordinary things to baked goods!
Well, for Shaina or anyone else who is interested in streamlining this recipe a bit, I am happy to report that if you do as I said I planned in my post above, subbing half-and-half for the heavy cream and skim milk for the whole, it still turns out over-the-mood delicious! I had to make it last night, just to test. Also used all Splenda in place of the sugar. No one I served it to today had even an inkling that it was sugar-free, and they never missed the milkfat. They kept oohhhing and aahhhing over how “sinfully rich” it was, and when I told them it was sugar free, they pigged out completely! Even with subs, this is a wonderful recipe. Would that I did not have to sub, but us old ladies have some stringent dietary restrictions!! When I was younger, I would have gone full-tilt for all the cream, butter, sugar i could cram in there. Now, after some near-fatal health problems, I have “religion.” Still like a little treat now and then, but I’ve sworn off the “hard stuff”. And with a few subs, I still can. Also, golden raisins (had some I needed to use) in it were gorgeous. LOVE that bourbon (that’s the “secret ingredient” in my pecan pie, as well. Always makes a hit!) Thanks, Michelle!
This sounds delicious! I want to try it, but do you have any tips to make it a little less fattening? What is the best to use in place of the heavy cream?
Hi Shaina, Well, my personal dessert philosophy is everything in moderation. I don’t usually cut fat or sugar from my desserts, as I believe a little bit of a splurge on something decadent is better than multiple servings of something lower-quality. I hope that makes sense! You honestly won’t get the same consistency if you substitute for the cream. At the most, I would take it down to half-and-half, but again I haven’t tested it with that so I can’t guarantee the results.
This is a year old, but I just wanted to say that I totally agree with you Michelle! I love eating healthy! But I don’t feel that “bad” foods should be off-limits either. As long as you enjoy things in moderation and balance it with healthy foods and exercise, you deserve your heavy cream every now and then!
Yes, I agree that time is moving too quickly. I hate winter and the only thing that keeps me going after New Year’s is Valentine’s Day. After that i just mope until spring :) We were never huge bread pudding fans because they always seem to be too dry but last summer we had the most amazing bread pudding on vacation in Mystic, CT. The waitress insisted we try it and we were hooked. Plus, we have several excellent bourbon cocktail recipes if this dessert doesn’t work out :)
I’ve never made bread pudding before, but I’m going to give it a try this weekend. A few questions for you since I am going to make it a day before I serve it. Would you recommend adding the bourbon sauce the night I make it or the next day? Also, would it be best to refrigerate it overnight or leave it out?
Hi Janice, You should refrigerate the pudding once it is baked and has cooled for at least 2 hours. If you make the bourbon sauce ahead of time, refrigerate that too. You could pop the bread pudding back in the oven to reheat (cover it with foil) on 350 or microwave individual pieces. I ate leftovers reheated in the microwave and they were fine. You want to add the bourbon sauce when you serve it – drizzle it on warm and fresh.
This was my question too, how to make it ahead but still have it taste amazing when it’s served. Thanks for the advice! I am new to bread pudding also, making it this weekend for my sister in-laws birthday, it’s her fav, and I want it to be amazing (but it has to be made ahead of time cause the lamb roast will be in the oven before the meal!) Kitchen juggling is always a joy!
Yum…Given the ingredients, I’m sure it tastes orgasmic. I mean, what’s not to love about 8 egg yolks, a mountain of sugar, Bourbon, and a hefty dose of heavy cream? However, if I made it as is, and if I stayed excruciatingly quiet while eating it, I’d be able to hear the sound of my arteries closing up. This would make my nutritionist pop an aneurysm. Will definitely try it, but at the very least will scale back the heavy cream to half-and-half and use skim in place of the whole milk, which I never buy. And because I’m a diabetic, I’ll sub Splenda for the sugar. Because the recipe has great “bones,” no doubt it will still be almost (not quite, but ALMOST) as fabulous!
My absolute favorite dessert of all time! I adore bread pudding-it may help that I live a short distance from New Orleans and frequently visit. I have tried just about every restaurants bread pudding down there!!
Honestly, I don’t think I can ever remember having bread pudding. If I did, it was a very long time ago and my grandma would have made it. Yours looks wonderful! I think you’ve inspired me to make a batch one of these days.
I totally share your sentiments. My husband and I were looking at our calendars just this morning and I exclaimed to him that Ash Wednesday is already next week. Holy Cow! I guess it’s time to crank out some of my vegetarian and fish recipes!
I love anything with bourbon in it, including Diet Coke! :) Bourbon in bread pudding sounds amazing!
I’m always nervous about ordering bread pudding – I’ve had fantastic bread pudding and not so fantastic bread pudding! It seems to be a dessert that is tricky to get right. But, this looks delicious!
You shouldn’t be! Bread pudding is actually not too hard to make, and it’s kinda fun coating all of the bread pieces with a rich custard! It’s one of my favorite desserts. I like to make my time and tested, trust-worthy spiced white chocolate bread pudding. But I definitely am going to give the traditional one a try!
Yum! That looks great! I never thought I liked bread pudding until I tried the bread pudding at The Palace restaurant in Santa Barbara. Their bread pudding also had bourbon…so I think I should give this recipe a try!
I adore bread pudding. And bourbon-flavored or rum-flavored desserts. This is so perfect for me!
The only exciting “food” holiday for me coming up is St Paddy’s day b/c I get to use lots of green food coloring. Lol And yes, time flies! I wish it could be pink/red and Valentines Day season forever!
How sweet that your husband traded his dessert so you could have his..which he could tell you liked. He was enamored with you❤ what a special memory.
Thank You for sharing such a wonderful recipe. The best bread pudding ever!!! I followed the directions to a T and it turned out amazing. My family & guests enjoyed it tremendously.
I highly recommend the recipe.
Bread pudding is my all-time favorite dessert. I’ve used a recipe from the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook (it’s a red book) for years. There’s no alcohol in the recipe and they offer recipes for several sauces. I usually use a vanilla sauce from another source. I don’t like raisins or other dried fruit in the bread pudding, so I omit them.
We really enjoyed this. I took home a bunch of stale bread from Panera and knew I was going to turn it into bread pudding and tried this recipe. I don’t like raisins so I just subbed them with cherries. Very time intensive but delicious. The topping turned into a kind of mush when I tried to rub in the butter so I just kind of dotted the top with it and I wasn’t a huge fan of the sauce…but it has bourbon…so I’ll eat it.
Wo derful. Bourbon taste a little strong. Ysed brioche bread and pecans.
Dried bread is better than stale (this is also true for French toast and stuffing). Stale bread isn’t actually dry – the starches are crystallized, trapping water, making them feel dry in the mouth, but the water is still there. When you heat the bread up again, the crystals retrograde, releasing the water, which can dilute your custard. Gently toasting the bread actually evaporates the water, allowing the water in your custard to rehydrate the bread, carrying flavors along with it.
Whoa! What a fascinating, insightful, and helpful comment. If you have your own website, I would be very interested in learning more from you. Thanks for the science lesson. I love hearing from what you seem to be–an expert. Thanks!
Fantastic insight and information, thank you for sharing!!
Can this recipe be made without the bourbon?
Hi Jennifer, Yes, you could just use water for plumping the raisins and for mixing with the cornstarch in the sauce.
Is all the alcohol cooked out? Can I serve this to kids?
Hi Katy, I personally would not serve this to kids. The bread and the raisins are soaked in the bourbon, and the bourbon in the sauce definitely doesn’t all cook out.
que es bourbon es vino y si es vino se le puede hechar cualquier licor?
Bourbon es un tipo de whiskey usualmente hecho en Tennessee or Kentucky. Puede usar otras tipos de licor – brandy, rum, amaretto – pero no vino.
Thank you! We love it! http://i.imgur.com/TlVJ8nU.jpg
Have bourbon……will make! Sounds so yummy!
The bourbon is a fabulous nod to Bourbon Street but I’ll bet this would be great using brandy, instead. Hmmm…think i’ll try it both ways!
I have been looking for “Non-Alcoholic” version of bread pudding… Do you have one in handy? What I need to modify?
Unfortunately, I don’t have any bread pudding recipes on the site that don’t include.
What happens if I use 8 eggs instead of just the egg yolks ??
Vanessa, You won’t be able to create a custard with whole eggs.
Well, this throws an interesting twist on my quest for a bread pudding recipe. I bought a Panettone as I saw some show on Food Network doing a bread pudding with it. Well now I have a Panettone and this recipe. I love the recipes you always have so I am going to make it work. Toast the Panettone and skip the raisins. Cross my fingers …. and have a back up plan.
I have made this a few times and it is wonderful Bourbon and all. Raisins are part of bread pudding. Yes I would serve it to children. It is what it is which is fabulous.
Can I use dark or spiced rum instead? :)
Absolutely!
It’s good to see a non soggy bread pudding.
I tried this awesome recipe!! It was an absolutely the best ever success. All the guest loved it and I will only make that recipe of bread pudding. Recipe is a keeper. Thank you.
Bread pudding is one of my weaknesses. Yours looks divine! What a great way to celebrate Mardi Gras!
Hi! I’m so excited to try this recipe! I just wanted to know how long I can keep the leftovers for??
Well, my leftovers lasted exactly one day ;-) But if you have more restraint than we do you could probably keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Wow, this bourbon bread pudding looks AWESOME! I can imagine how tasty it must be. I think my son would like it, as bourbon is his tipple of choice (it’s okay, he’s an adult :) !)
OMG! I so loved this, I thought I should try doing something different this weekend and let me say this was a big hit. My family loved it!
Oh my – this looks amazing! I spied that bottle of Jim Beam in the background. That was my father-in-law’s favorite so I’ve done lots of baking with it as well. It does extraordinary things to baked goods!
I think Bread Pudding is heavenly. This looks so good. I want some right now.
My heart started beating faster just reading the title of this post. When I saw the photos I was a gonner.
Well, for Shaina or anyone else who is interested in streamlining this recipe a bit, I am happy to report that if you do as I said I planned in my post above, subbing half-and-half for the heavy cream and skim milk for the whole, it still turns out over-the-mood delicious! I had to make it last night, just to test. Also used all Splenda in place of the sugar. No one I served it to today had even an inkling that it was sugar-free, and they never missed the milkfat. They kept oohhhing and aahhhing over how “sinfully rich” it was, and when I told them it was sugar free, they pigged out completely! Even with subs, this is a wonderful recipe. Would that I did not have to sub, but us old ladies have some stringent dietary restrictions!! When I was younger, I would have gone full-tilt for all the cream, butter, sugar i could cram in there. Now, after some near-fatal health problems, I have “religion.” Still like a little treat now and then, but I’ve sworn off the “hard stuff”. And with a few subs, I still can. Also, golden raisins (had some I needed to use) in it were gorgeous. LOVE that bourbon (that’s the “secret ingredient” in my pecan pie, as well. Always makes a hit!) Thanks, Michelle!
Thanks for the tips!!! Good call on the golden raisins, those are great!
I love bread pudding. I will definitely try this. My favorite though is the chocolate bread pudding at Stonewood Grill. I haven’t tried to make it myself yet, but here is the link to the recipe. I would love to see it made on your website!
http://bylanderseafood.blogspot.com/2010/04/stonewoods-chef-mike-drury-bakes.html
oh yeah! bread pudding is one of my favorite desserts! Looks incredible!! :D
This sounds delicious! I want to try it, but do you have any tips to make it a little less fattening? What is the best to use in place of the heavy cream?
Hi Shaina, Well, my personal dessert philosophy is everything in moderation. I don’t usually cut fat or sugar from my desserts, as I believe a little bit of a splurge on something decadent is better than multiple servings of something lower-quality. I hope that makes sense! You honestly won’t get the same consistency if you substitute for the cream. At the most, I would take it down to half-and-half, but again I haven’t tested it with that so I can’t guarantee the results.
Thanks for the advise! I think what I’ll do is just make your exact recipe but maybe cut it in half so I’m not tempted to eat too much :)
This is a year old, but I just wanted to say that I totally agree with you Michelle! I love eating healthy! But I don’t feel that “bad” foods should be off-limits either. As long as you enjoy things in moderation and balance it with healthy foods and exercise, you deserve your heavy cream every now and then!
YUM. Break pudding is all the rage here in England. In fact, I thought it only existed here! Thanks for the recipe…
That looks like some serious deliciousness right there!
FIne! I will have some bread pudding and a shot of bourbon! YUMMY!
This is a Great Mardi Gras recipe!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
Mmmm I love bourbon in anything. An excuse to put booze in food is good enough for me!
Yes, I agree that time is moving too quickly. I hate winter and the only thing that keeps me going after New Year’s is Valentine’s Day. After that i just mope until spring :) We were never huge bread pudding fans because they always seem to be too dry but last summer we had the most amazing bread pudding on vacation in Mystic, CT. The waitress insisted we try it and we were hooked. Plus, we have several excellent bourbon cocktail recipes if this dessert doesn’t work out :)
Does the temperature stay at 450F the whole time?
Hi Kristen, No, you’ll see that after you toast the bread at 450F you reduce the temperature to 300F. That’s what you bake it at until the very end.
Looks soooo goood ….. :)
I’ve never made bread pudding before, but I’m going to give it a try this weekend. A few questions for you since I am going to make it a day before I serve it. Would you recommend adding the bourbon sauce the night I make it or the next day? Also, would it be best to refrigerate it overnight or leave it out?
Hi Janice, You should refrigerate the pudding once it is baked and has cooled for at least 2 hours. If you make the bourbon sauce ahead of time, refrigerate that too. You could pop the bread pudding back in the oven to reheat (cover it with foil) on 350 or microwave individual pieces. I ate leftovers reheated in the microwave and they were fine. You want to add the bourbon sauce when you serve it – drizzle it on warm and fresh.
This was my question too, how to make it ahead but still have it taste amazing when it’s served. Thanks for the advice! I am new to bread pudding also, making it this weekend for my sister in-laws birthday, it’s her fav, and I want it to be amazing (but it has to be made ahead of time cause the lamb roast will be in the oven before the meal!) Kitchen juggling is always a joy!
I’ve made a very similar recipe before using Kahlua, everything is better with liqueuer! YUM!
I was looking for a way to use up my bourbon and I think I have just enough. Yippee!!
Yum…Given the ingredients, I’m sure it tastes orgasmic. I mean, what’s not to love about 8 egg yolks, a mountain of sugar, Bourbon, and a hefty dose of heavy cream? However, if I made it as is, and if I stayed excruciatingly quiet while eating it, I’d be able to hear the sound of my arteries closing up. This would make my nutritionist pop an aneurysm. Will definitely try it, but at the very least will scale back the heavy cream to half-and-half and use skim in place of the whole milk, which I never buy. And because I’m a diabetic, I’ll sub Splenda for the sugar. Because the recipe has great “bones,” no doubt it will still be almost (not quite, but ALMOST) as fabulous!
Oh yum! What a comforting dessert!
I have never done bread pudding!!
One more thing to add to my never-ending list!!!
Woow looks so good.
My absolute favorite dessert of all time! I adore bread pudding-it may help that I live a short distance from New Orleans and frequently visit. I have tried just about every restaurants bread pudding down there!!
Bread pudding isn’t usually my thing, but this recipe sounds fantastic! I love the idea of planning ahead and making recipes for upcoming holidays.
Yes, please!
Honestly, I don’t think I can ever remember having bread pudding. If I did, it was a very long time ago and my grandma would have made it. Yours looks wonderful! I think you’ve inspired me to make a batch one of these days.
I LOVE bread pudding! It’s one of my guilty pleasures that I rarely get to have.
Time really does fly! It’s crazy sometimes. I was always scared of bread pudding but this recipe looks too delicious to pass up :)
Oh my Gosh! This bread pudding looks amazing! That’s it! I’m picking up some bourbon this weekend!!!
I totally share your sentiments. My husband and I were looking at our calendars just this morning and I exclaimed to him that Ash Wednesday is already next week. Holy Cow! I guess it’s time to crank out some of my vegetarian and fish recipes!
I love anything with bourbon in it, including Diet Coke! :) Bourbon in bread pudding sounds amazing!
I’m always nervous about ordering bread pudding – I’ve had fantastic bread pudding and not so fantastic bread pudding! It seems to be a dessert that is tricky to get right. But, this looks delicious!
You shouldn’t be! Bread pudding is actually not too hard to make, and it’s kinda fun coating all of the bread pieces with a rich custard! It’s one of my favorite desserts. I like to make my time and tested, trust-worthy spiced white chocolate bread pudding. But I definitely am going to give the traditional one a try!
Here’s the white chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg version to compare!
http://thekitchenkook.blogspot.com/2013/01/spiced-white-chocolate-bread-pudding.html
Drooling! ♥
Oooooh yum! I love a good bread pudding, and bourbon? Yes please!
I don’t think I own any bourbon. Which brand did you use?
Hi Lori, I used Jim Beam because I still had about a half bottle sitting around. Maker’s Mark is also a good brand for baking.
Yum! That looks great! I never thought I liked bread pudding until I tried the bread pudding at The Palace restaurant in Santa Barbara. Their bread pudding also had bourbon…so I think I should give this recipe a try!
I adore bread pudding. And bourbon-flavored or rum-flavored desserts. This is so perfect for me!
The only exciting “food” holiday for me coming up is St Paddy’s day b/c I get to use lots of green food coloring. Lol And yes, time flies! I wish it could be pink/red and Valentines Day season forever!
Time really does fly when you’re a grownup. Agreed: it kinda sucks.
But bourbon sauce is the remedy! This looks fantastic – I can imagine a warm bread pudding with bourbon sauce would be perfect right now!!