Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Freshly baked bread pudding with golden brown top in white baking dish and serving plate.

5 from 1 vote

This classic Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce is rich, comforting, and full of old-fashioned flavor. With its golden brown top, soft custardy center, and warm flavors of cinnamon and vanilla, it feels like a hug in dessert form.

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Allow 20 minutes for the bread to soak in the egg mixture.20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 566kcal

Author: Gina Abernathy

Ingredients

Bread Pudding

1 16oz. Loaf of Bread (10 cups) Brioche or French Bread
1 cup Raisins
¼ cup Bourbon
3 Whole Eggs
5 Egg Yolks
1½ cups Light Brown Sugar packed
2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1½ cups Whole Milk
1 tablespoon Vanilla
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
¼ teaspoon Salt

Bourbon Sauce

½ cup Butter salted
1 cup Light Brown Sugar packed
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream see notes
¼ cup Bourbon
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Instructions

Bread Pudding

Preheat the Oven. Preheat the oven to 325° and spray a baking dish with nonstick spray.
Prepare the Raisins. Place raisins and bourbon in a small saucepan and heat until the mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let stand for 20 minutes.
Dry the Bread. Cut bread into 1/2" to approximately 1-inch pieces/cubes and place the cubed bread on a baking pan. Place the bread cubes in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes to dry them.
Make the Custard. Combine eggs, sugar, heavy cream, and milk in a large bowl. Whisk well.
Add the Flavorings. To the egg mixture, add vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk.
Combine. Add bread cubes and raisins (with the liquid) to the wet mixture and stir well to combine.
Soak. Pour into a greased 13"x9" baking dish and let it soak for about 20 minutes, pressing the bread down into the liquid every so often.
Bake. Bake at 325° for 45-50 minutes or until firm and golden brown on top. To check for doneness, insert a butter knife into the center, and if it comes out clean, it's done.
Cool. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool slightly while you make the bourbon sauce.

Whiskey (Bourbon) Sauce

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar and 1/2 cup heavy cream to the melted butter. Bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the rest of the heavy cream, bourbon, and vanilla. The mixture will be thin. Pour half of the mixture over the top of the bread pudding and reserve the other half in a pourable container for individual servings. Allow the bread pudding to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This gives the sauce a few minutes to soak into the pudding. Spoon more of the reserved sauce over the top if desired. If you want a thicker sauce, reduce the amount of heavy cream.

Notes

Recipe Tips:

Toast the bread. You'll need stale bread for the best texture.
Let the bread soak for a softer pudding.
Don't overbake.
Warm the sauce before serving.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Using 1 cup of heavy cream in the whiskey sauce will make a thin sauce. This will be enough to spread over the top of the bread pudding, plus more for individual servings. You can reduce the amount of heavy cream for a thicker consistency if desired.

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