This Creole Bread Pudding is like no dessert you’ve ever tasted! It’s made up of stale bread turned soft and sweet thanks to batter and a warm and sweet bourbon whiskey sauce.
I’ll admit…I had never had bread pudding before making this Creole Bread Pudding. I was a little bit skeptical about the idea of soaking bread in a liquid and then adding another liquid on top. That screams soggy bread to me.
But wow, was I wrong. This Southern Bread Pudding could not be further from soggy bread. Its stale bread transformed into a soft, sweet, and decadent dessert.
This recipe is so good and takes just 10 minutes to prep!
Ingredients Needed:
This Southern Bread Pudding is made up of surprisingly simple ingredients.
For the Bread Pudding
- Butter - you’ll use butter to grease the pan and add extra flavor.
- Batter - we’ll soak the bread in a batter made with eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, and nutmeg.
- French Bread - use stale French bread cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Raisins - you can omit if you prefer, but I love the pop of sweet texture that raisins add.
For the Bourbon Sauce
- Water - the base for the bourbon sauce to thin it out.
- Brown Sugar - creates a delicious caramel flavor that enhances the bourbon and adds the perfect sweetness.
- Nutmeg - adds a touch of sweet spice.
- Bourbon and Cornstarch - whisked together to, of course, add warm bourbon flavor and to thicken the sauce.
- Butter - use unsalted butter.
How to Make Southern Bread Pudding
First, in a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Mix in the sugar, milk, vanilla, and nutmeg, then add the bread and raisins. Stir well, then let it soak for 15 minutes.
Transfer the bread mixture into a buttered baking dish, smooth the top, then bake until set.
Whiskey Sauce for Bread Pudding
In a medium saucepan, combine water, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over high heat.
In a bowl, mix bourbon and cornstarch. Add that into the brown sugar mixture, then cook until the sauce thickens and smooths out. Stir in the butter, then serve warm over your bread pudding.
Is Bread Pudding Made from Old Bread?
Yep! The key to the best bread pudding is to use older, slightly stale bread.
The harder texture of the stale bread holds up so nicely in the batter, giving the final result the perfect soft texture. Fresher bread will be soggier!
If you don’t have any stale bread, you can speed up the process by baking a loaf of fresh bread in the oven for 10 minutes to dry it out.
How Do You Make Bread Pudding Moist?
The batter and the bourbon sauce both contribute to a perfectly moist bread pudding, so don’t skimp!
I’ll admit. I was a little bit nervous about the “soggy bread” texture I thought I was in for, but having made the bread pudding, I can confidently say that soggy bread is not an issue.
How to Store
Leftover bread pudding will last in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Can You Freeze Bread Pudding?
Yes! To freeze leftovers, wrap the bread pudding tightly, place into a freezer bag or container, then store for up to 3 months.
How Do You Reheat Bread Pudding?
I recommend warming leftovers in the oven at 350ºF for about 15 minutes. You can also warm single servings in the microwave if preferred.
Tip: Save the extra whiskey sauce for bread pudding in a small container so it doesn’t sit on top of the leftovers, then warm it and serve it with leftovers.
More amazing dessert recipes to try:
- Banana Bread with Nutella Swirls
- Banana-Nut Pound Cake with Maple Crown Royal Glaze
- Bananas Foster Cheesecake Bars
📖 Recipe
Creole Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
AmericanIngredients
For the bread pudding:
- Butter for greasing
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 quart milk
- 1 teas vanilla extract
- ½ teas grated nutmeg
- 10 cups stale French bread - cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 cup raisins
For the whiskey sauce:
- 1 ¼ cups water
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teas ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup bourbon
- 1 ½ teas cornstartch
- 2 teas unsalted butter
Instructions
Make the Bread Pudding
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer or a whisk until frothy.
- Beat in the sugar, milk, vanilla, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the bread and raisins and stir well by hand. Set aside and let the bread soak for 15 minutes.
- Pour the bread mixture into the prepared dish and smooth the top.
- Bake just until set, about 45 minutes.
Make the Whiskey Sauce
- Meanwhile, combine the water, brown sugar, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
- In a small bowl, stir together the bourbon and corn-starch, then stir into the sugar mixture and cook until the mixture thickens and is smooth, about 8 to 10 minutes (you will have to lower the heat as high will cause the mixture to bubble over).
- Stir in the butter and serve over warm bread pudding.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.
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Sticky Penguin says
Oh, love a good bread pudding - but never thought to do a boozy version! (Making it with pannetone or hot cross buns has been as outlandish as I've got up till now). I did love hearing about your photo site experiences - as a still-new blogger and very much novice photographer, I still haven't quite got the ratio of acceptances right yet - and still relay all the yesses and noes to the Other Penguin at length - hope there's an end in sight, if not to the declines, at least to the worrying about them!
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
Oh honey, you had me at whiskey sauce. I LOVE to booze-up my desserts!
Tes says
Wow this sounds really exciting 🙂 Don't know why I want this for dinner 🙂
The Harried Cook says
Oh yummy! This looks like it would really hit the spot! 🙂 Give me boozy desserts any day! 🙂
Great stuff! And your photography is really good! 🙂
Vicki @ Wilde in the Kitchen says
That's so hilarious! I always assume when I get "Photo composition" it means they just don't like it, but unknown reason? Funny 🙂 I certainly hope it wasn't for this bread pudding, because it looks delicious!
Kath says
Your "unknown reason" made me laugh! They definitely should have a "We just don't like it" category. Or "We hate parsnips", or whatever!
I think your photos are great....and your Bread Pudding looks wonderful!
fooddreamer says
You know, even the most talented photographers get turned down by the foodporn sites sometimes. And we will never really know why, even when they give us a "reason". I get some things back and I honestly can't see what they see. It's all subjective, even when they pretend it's not!
To me, your site is great and your recipes and photos are lovely. I know this bread pudding would be fab!
Stephanie says
That's hilarious! I notice I've been getting the same reason over and over from one site and it doesn't always make sense (to me at least). I think you're right and they should just say they don't like it, but I bet that would upset some people. I'm also right with you in trying to improve my photography. Your photos here look great!
Claudia says
I actually adore whiskey sauce with bread pudding - and I agree the sauce makes the recipe. It looks sublime which is how French Toast should look. I love your photos - I am way behind on the photo-snapping part of the blog. Food porn sites do drive traffic - but I am not sure they drive sustainable traffic. I take all those sites with a grain of salt and appreciate the photography skills of others.
Mary at n00bcakes says
I too was pretty skeptical of bread puddings, afraid they were going to have a soggy and kind of gross texture. Since then I've become a convert, though, and I think this recipe looks great. Thanks for sharing! ^_^
Steph@stephsbitebybite says
I am right there with you! I feel that many of us taking AMAZING pictures, and are too often rejected. But hey, as long as I have the support of my readers, I know that I'm doing the best I can 😉
And these pictures are making my stomch growl so loud that it's actually starting to embarrass me! Love this
Priscilla - She's Cookin' says
I thought all bread puddings had a bourbon or rum sauce? Or maybe it's just the best ones do 😉 Your's looks delicious and I think your photos are fantastic! I know almost all food bloggers submit to these sites, but I haven't gotten into that yet.
claudia lamascolo/aka pegasuslegend says
Whats not to love? I'll have another please!
imwaytoobusy says
Classic form letter response! I find it hard to believe that you had an unacceptable photo 😉 Onto other topics....your bread pudding looks fab! Haven't had a batch in ages.
sarah says
Oh I so love bread pudding and this version looks perfect! Your pictures are lovely too!
kitchenarian says
This looks delicious; I love bread pudding. I really enjoy your blog and your pictures of this bread pudding are really great. I really struggle with the photography too, but its a great feeling when some pictures turn out the way I want them to. When I feel bad about my pictures, I go back and look at some of the older ones; at least I am getting better! It's all fun though. Thanks for sharing your story.
Sara says
I got all possible reasons for having a picture rejected but never a "no reason". But let's talk about something happier....the whiskey sauce of this bread pudding! OH MY. I should keep this handy for next time I need to be cheered up for a rejection 🙂
SharleneT says
Was planning on making a bread pudding this week and this is a perfect recipe to try. Thanks for sharing. It's hard to know what to say to "unknown reason." Yup. I'm stumped. Come visit when you can.
Angela@RecipesFromMyMom says
I'm a big bread pudding lover but I think it's the whiskey sauce that I'm most drawn to in your post. Sounds very versatile - could go on pancakes, shortcakes, drizzled over a cobbler, use it for dipping scones. Yes, I might just be making it in quarts.
Fresh and Foodie says
Um, this has potential to be my favorite thing ever! I love whiskey anyway -- definitely my drink of choice -- but in bread pudding?! Wow. This is over the top.
I hear what you're saying about your blog. I don't do mine to be famous, but I do want it to be a reflection of me and something I'm proud of. You're doing a great job.
Suzanne says
you are so funny! You may not be the pioneer woman but you are funny like her too. I know what you mean on the photo being submitting to the food site, think they should just have a don't like button!
Drick says
well, I guess a little water won't hurt bourbon.... great looking sauce, have not made it this way before but it sure looks easy. - and about your site, like the layout and the ease of finding my way around, very nice pics too... keep on laughing and stay true to you
don says
Sounds great but Jack Daniels is not Bourbon. (it's a sour mash)
Jim Beam is a Bourbon