Old-Fashioned Bread Pudding
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:
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- 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!
- Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Pour half of the bread mixture into the baking dish, and sprinkle with half of the raisins. Repeat with the remaining bread mixture and raisins.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the cinnamon sugar butter mixture.
- Mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Using your fingers, pinch the butter into the sugar mixture until the crumbs are the size of small peas.
- Remove bread pudding from the oven and uncover.
- Sprinkle with the butter mixture and bake, uncovered, until the custard is set, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Increase the heat of the oven to 450°F and bake 2 minutes, until the top of the pudding forms a golden crust.
- Let the pudding cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
Serving
Serve this bread pudding warm, at room temperature, or cold from the fridge. Whichever way you choose, you will not be disappointed.
One of my favorite toppings for bread pudding is this bourbon sauce. To make the sauce:
- Whisk together cornstarch and bourbon until well combined.
- Heat cream and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
- Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the cream and sugar and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cook until sauce thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat, and stir in salt, butter, and the remaining bourbon. Drizzle warm sauce over bread pudding.
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.
If you are looking for a booze-free sauce you can try this Salted Caramel Sauce or Butterscotch Sauce to drizzle over the top.
Storing, Freezing, Reheating, and Make-Ahead
- 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.
- Use fresh, un-toasted bread.
More Bread Pudding Recipes to Love!
- Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
- Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Capirotada (Mexican Bread Pudding)
- Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding
Bread Pudding
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! ❤️️
Bread Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
For the Bread Pudding:
- 1 18 to 20-inch French baguette, torn into 1-inch pieces , (10 cups)
- 1 cup (149 g) raisins
- ¾ cup (180 ml) bourbon, divided
- 8 egg yolks
- 1½ cups (320 g) light brown sugar
- 3 cups (720 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
For the Bourbon Sauce:
- ¼ cup (60 ml) bourbon, divided
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- 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.
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.
- Recipe adapted from Ezra Pound Cake
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Ari Laing.
I want to make this delicious sounding recipe tomorrow. Can you please clarify the approximate weight I’d the loaf of bread you use? We have so many different sizes of French baguettes/ loaves here. I know you say 10 cups of bread, but depending on how you cut the bread up, it fills the cups different. An approximate weight would be very helpful.
Thank you!
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.
Exactly sir. Yes to the raisins and let the kids enjoy it too.
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!