Southern Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Soft, cozy blankets by the fire. Warm hugs and laughter with relatives around the table. Familiar songs playing in the background while you celebrate with friends over a warm pan of Southern Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce and slowly melting vanilla ice cream. This old-fashioned holiday dessert is warmly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, moist and tender thanks to a rich custard, and finished with a decadent sauce. It's an easy dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and simple enough for your next Sunday supper!

Easy Bread Pudding Recipe

This easy bread pudding with bourbon sauce is a classic dessert that has been loved in Southern households for generations. It's easy to assemble with just 15 minutes of hands-on prep, it requires minimal, simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand, and it's a great way to feed a crowd. Plus, when you spike the bread pudding sauce with bourbon, whiskey or rum, it's an instant party!

What nationality is bread pudding?

While many cultures have their own versions of "bread pudding," food historians trace this dish back to 11th and 12th century Europe. It has remained a popular English dessert since the 13th century! At that time, just about every kitchen had a deep bowl called a "pudding basin," which was used to collect scraps of stale bread. The dish evolved as a way to use up this stale bread, taking advantage of every bit of food available. After all, once bread was too stale to chew, it became a delicious conduit for soaking up cream and sugar!

Settlers brought bread pudding to the American colonies, where it has remained a staple in Southern cuisine for centuries. A brown sugar, butter and bourbon sauce might be a more modern addition, but boy is it a good one!

Why is stale bread better for bread pudding?

Stale bread is best for bread pudding because the dry bread absorbs more liquid from the custard in the dish, keeping the bread pudding nice and moist as it bakes. If you don't have stale bread on hand, this recipe recommends baking the bread cubes in a 350°F oven for about 14 minutes, or until nice and dry. Then let the bread soak in the milk and egg mixture for about 30 minutes before baking. This extra soaking time will yield a moist, flavorful pudding!

Ingredients for Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you'll need for a pan of simple bread pudding. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• French bread: a big loaf with a soft crust is best here. You can also use a loaf of Italian bread or even brioche or challah. Just make sure that the total amount of bread cubes measures about 13-14 cups.
• Whole milk: use whole milk (not low-fat) for the best flavor and texture in your custard.
• Eggs: give the pudding structure and help the liquid set.
• Granulated sugar: for just the right amount of sweetness, without making the bread pudding too sweet.
• Dark brown sugar: gives the pudding and the bourbon sauce a rich molasses flavor.
• Vanilla extract: for extra cozy flavor.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg: warm spices that really elevate the dish.
• Salt: to balance the sweetness and enhance the other flavors in the dessert.
• Unsalted butter: for the bourbon sauce.
• Bourbon: for a spike of festive flavor in the bread pudding sauce. You can substitute with whiskey or rum, if you prefer.

How to Make Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

While this easy bread pudding recipe is simple to prepare, it tastes like a rich, decadent dessert that requires hours of attention!

1. Bake bread cubes so that they're dry; cool completely.
2. Whisk together custard.
3. Arrange bread in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; pour custard over top.
4. Press gently down on the bread with a spatula so that the cubes are evenly saturated in the milk and egg mixture.
5. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
6. Bake the bread pudding in a 350°F oven for 50-55 minutes.
7. Cool for 30 minutes.
8. Prepare the bourbon sauce.
9. Dust the bread pudding with powdered sugar, drizzle with sauce, and top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

How to Know When Bread Pudding is Done

The bread pudding is done when a knife inserted in the center of the casserole comes out clean (without any wet custard on it). The filling will be puffed and set, and will continue to firm up as it cools. If using an instant-read thermometer, the center of the bread pudding will register about 160°F.

How to Serve an Old Fashioned Bread Pudding Recipe

Bread pudding can be served warm, at room temperature, or even cold. Dust the top of the dish with powdered sugar just before serving, drizzle with bourbon sauce, and top with whipped cream or ice cream for a truly decadent treat! In my opinion, the bread pudding is best when still slightly warm from the oven so that the buttery sauce falls easily through the nooks and crannies, and the vanilla ice cream melts slowly over the top.

How to Store Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

The leftover bread pudding will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

How to Reheat

Reheat the bread pudding in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also reheat individual slices in the microwave for about 1 minute.

How to Freeze

Freeze leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat according to the instructions above.

Recipe Variations

• Add about 1 cup of raisins or other dried fruit to the pan with the bread cubes before pouring the custard over top.
• Instead of bourbon, make the sauce with whiskey or rum.
• Add chopped pecans or chocolate chips before baking.
• If using salted butter for the sauce, you can omit the additional salt.
• Try other warm spices in addition to the cinnamon and nutmeg. Good options include cloves, allspice and ginger.
• If you have dry, stale bread on hand, you can skip the first step of baking the bread before assembly.
• Croissants are a great substitute for the bread. Make sure that they're cubed and baked (or stale).
• If serving a smaller family, cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the pudding in a 2-quart dish.

Tips for the Best Bread Pudding Recipe

• Use a loaf of French or Italian bread with a soft crust -- not a baguette. I find that the crust on a baguette is a little bit too chewy for this dish.
• Use whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream for the custard -- not a lower fat alternative. You need the fat in the liquid for a rich, smooth, creamy pudding.
• Allow the bread cubes to soak in the milk mixture for about 30 minutes before baking. This helps keep the inside of the pudding nice and moist.
• Let the bread pudding rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. This will give the custard time to finish setting so that it's firm and easy to slice.
• Vanilla sauce: for an easy, alcohol-free alternative to the bourbon sauce, spoon homemade "Crème Anglaise" over the bread pudding. To do so, just let vanilla ice cream melt until it's the consistency of sauce (a trick I learned years ago from The Barefoot Contessa)!

More Southern Holiday Desserts to Try

• The Best Coconut Cake
• Red Velvet Cake
• Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies
• Grandma's Old Fashioned Rum Cake
• Old-Fashioned Williamsburg Gingerbread Cookies
• Easy Pecan Pie
• Old-Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

Print Pin

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Southern Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce is an old-fashioned holiday dessert that's perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Sunday supper!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword bread pudding with bourbon sauce, old fashioned bread pudding recipe, southern bread pudding

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Inactive Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes

Servings 10 - 12 people

Calories 504kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

• 1 (1 lb.) loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 13-14 cups total)
• 6 cups whole milk, at room temperature
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

BOURBON SAUCE:

• 1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar
• 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup bourbon
• Optional, for serving: powdered sugar, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Instructions

• Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish; set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Arrange bread on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake until dry, about 14 minutes. Cool completely.
• Transfer bread cubes to the prepared baking dish.
• In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Pour over the bread cubes; gently toss to combine.
• Use a spatula to gently press down the bread so that it’s mostly covered and saturated. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Remove the cover; bake until puffed and golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes.
• Let stand 30 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve with bourbon sauce, vanilla ice cream, and/or whipped cream.

For the Bourbon Sauce:

• In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
• Add the brown sugar and salt; whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the bourbon.

Notes

• Use a loaf of French or Italian bread with a soft crust -- not a baguette. I find that the crust on the baguette is a little bit too chewy for this dish.
• Use whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream for the custard -- not a lower fat alternative. You need the fat in the liquid for a rich, smooth, creamy pudding.
• Allow the bread cubes to soak in the milk mixture for about 30 minutes before baking. This helps keep the inside of the pudding nice and moist.
• Let the bread pudding rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. This will give the custard time to finish setting so that it's firm and easy to slice.
• Vanilla sauce: for an easy, alcohol-free alternative to the bourbon sauce, spoon homemade "Crème Anglaise" over the bread pudding. To do so, just let vanilla ice cream melt until it's the consistency of sauce (a trick I learned years ago from The Barefoot Contessa)!

Nutrition

Serving: 1/12 of the bread pudding with bourbon sauce | Calories: 504kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 434mg | Potassium: 290mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 667IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 2mg

This post was originally published in November, 2016. It was updated in November, 2021.