Bread pudding is a warm dessert with humble beginnings, traditionally made as a way to use up stale bread. Over the years, it has evolved into a beloved classic, celebrated for its warm spices, comforting texture and flavors. Â If you are a fan of bread pudding, you will absolutely LOVE this Bourbon Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cream Sauce and your guests will be begging for seconds.Â
This recipe strikes the perfect balance between sweet and indulgent, making it ideal for the holiday season, special occasions, dinner parties, or simply when you’re craving a comforting treat. The star of the dish is Bourbon. Its warm, caramel notes, especially in the sauce, create a symphony of flavors that will warm the soul. Let’s dive into this irresistible dessert that is really easy to make!
Why You’ll Love This Dessert
This Bourbon Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cream Sauce is a dessert that hits all the right notes. It’s warm, rich, gooey and comforting, with a perfect balance of sweetness and warm spice. The bourbon adds a sophisticated edge, making it an excellent choice for entertaining. Plus, it’s an incredibly forgiving recipe, ideal for a beginner or seasoned bakers.
Whether served as the grand finale to a holiday meal or enjoyed on a cozy evening at home, this dessert promises to impress. This dessert beautifully bridges the gap between tradition and indulgence. Its rich flavors and velvety texture make it a crowd-pleaser, while the ease of preparation ensures you can whip it up without stress.
Great Make Ahead Dessert
This is a great dish to make ahead of time to enjoy in the next day or two. If done ahead of time, it’ll be less stress on a day you’re doing everything else to get ready for your guests.
Just take the pre-made bread pudding out of the refrigerator, let it get close to room temp and then warm it in the oven at 300 F for about 20 minutes or your liking.
Bourbon Bread Pudding Ingredients
- Bread– The type of bread is important in this recipe. I use a loaf of French Bread which gives you a chewier texture, but brioche bread or challah give it a more indulgent buttery base. You can also use another good quality white bread like Italian bread or a baguette as long as they’re unflavored.
- Butter- I use unsalted butter.
- Milk- may substitute some of the whole milk for heavy cream. I do not recommend using skim milk, it’s way too watery and it kind of defeats the purpose of the rich dessert.
- Raisins- Dark or golden raisins are fine. I personally like dark raisins for esthetic purposes.
- Sugar- I use granulated white sugar for the pudding and brown for the sauce.
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Bourbon- Good ol’ Bourbon whiskey gives this rich treat a Southern bread pudding flair.
Spices
- Allspice
- Nutmeg
- Cinnamon
- Salt
Bourbon Cream Sauce Ingredients
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Bourbon cream– If you haven’t had the pleasure of ever trying bourbon cream, you must! My personal favorites are Boone County Distillery’s (my all time favorite and the distillery happens to be just a couple miles from my home) and my 2nd favorite is Buffalo Trace’s. Grab a bottle and try some just on ice, it’s quite the treat! Also, on ice cream! Delicious! I like it so much, I just wanted to incorporate it into a dessert and here it is in this bread pudding.
- Bourbon
Serving the Dessert
Once the bread pudding is out of the oven, let it cool slightly before serving. Spoon warm slices onto plates and drizzle generously with the warm bourbon sauce. Some might enjoy it served with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the warm bread pudding.
So the next time you find yourself with leftover bread or a craving for something extra special, give this recipe a try. It’s a timeless treat with a grown-up twist that will have everyone coming back for seconds.
If you like this recipe, you might enjoy these as well!
Happy Baking!
Bourbon Bread Pudding with Bourbon Cream Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 oz. French bread Cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup butter melted and cooled
- 4 cups whole milk room temperature
- 1 cup raisins
- 3 whole eggs lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp. Bourbon To soak the raisins in
- 3/4 tsp. allspice
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Bourbon Cream Sauce
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup bourbon cream
- 2 Tbsp. bourbon
- 2 Tbsp. heavy cream (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9 X 13 baking dish.
- Soak the raisins in 3 Tbsp. bourbon for 15 minutes, stir well, making sure all of the raisins get wet with bourbon.
- *If you're using stale bread you can skip this step. Â Toast the bread cubes in the oven for 10 minutes to dry them out slightly, enhancing its ability to soak up the milk mixture.
- Add cut dried bread cubes to greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl add the sugar and melted butter, then stir to combine.
- Then add the vanilla and spices. Stir well. Then stir in the eggs.
- Lastly, add all of the milk and give it one final good stir.
- Pour the mixture atop the bread cubes evenly and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Â Use a spoon or spatula to push the cubes down into the mixture so they all soak up the liquid. Â (If you go a little longer that's fine)
- Once the raisins are done soaking go ahead and sprinkle them on top of the bread mixture evenly. Â Before baking, I like to use the spatula or a butter knife just to poke some raisins down into the bread.
- Bake for 50 minutes total, top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.Â
Making the Bourbon Cream Sauce
- If you're serving the bread pudding after baking, you can start making the sauce in the last 5 minutes of baking.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Stir in the sugar and remaining ingredients and allow the sugar to dissolve.
- Once it's dissolved, simmer on low for 5 minutes (stay by it's side), stirring intermittently, and watch it closely so it does not burn.Â
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool just slightly but staying warm. Â (If you're not using it immediately, let it cool to room temperature and then refrigerate it.Â
- Once you're ready to serve, warm it up a little and drizzle the bourbon cream sauce on top of individual servings of the bread pudding.
Notes
Allowing the bread to soak thoroughly ensures the pudding is moist and custard-like throughout. You can soak it for longer than 30 minutes, but for me, 30 is just fine. Customize the Add-Ins –Â
While pecans are classic choices, feel free to get creative. Chocolate chunks or dried cranberries can be used in place of the raisins. Make It Ahead –Â
Bread pudding can be prepared a day in advance and reheated before serving. Store it covered in the refrigerator, then let it sit out to get close to room temp and then warm it in the oven at 300°F for 15-20 minutes.
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