This classic bread pudding recipe makes a big batch to share. Cubes of brioche soak in sweet, spiced cream, then bake in a water bath to create a smooth custard texture. Serve with a generous drizzle of homemade bourbon sauce.
Recipe Science
- Dry the fresh bread cubes at 300 degrees. This dries the surface, allowing the custard to absorb without turning soggy after baking.
- The custard mixes milk and cream, adding richness, while egg proteins coagulate to create a sliceable structure in the pudding.
- The sauce is made with butter, dark brown sugar, an egg for richness, bourbon whiskey, vanilla, and a pinch of salt for balance.
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Featured Comment 6
“About six years ago we had bread pudding in New Orleans and have tried it from other restaurants several times, but they never held up to the one in New Orleans. That is, until now! I made this recipe last night for my wife as a special treat, following your recipe exactly. My wife said it was BETTER than the New Orleans restaurant!”—Frank
Why It Works
My first bite of bread pudding was in New Orleans at Commander’s Palace. When the warm plate hit the table, I could immediately smell the spices and hints of oaky whisky in the sticky glaze. Let’s say they set the bar pretty high, but I’m happy to report that I closely recreated the experience at home.
The good news is that the recipe includes simple ingredients: bread cubes, eggs, cream, sugar, and spices. You must carefully prepare and bake the custard base to deliver a smooth and creamy texture. I use a water bath to cook the egg filling to achieve the right consistency gently. Don’t worry; the technique is easy, and I’ll show you my step-by-step method.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bread: For this recipe, you will need a 1-pound loaf of bread. I prefer brioche, a slightly sweet egg bread with a dense crumb structure for more chew and decadence.
- Custard: The custard base is a balanced mixture of milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The milk and cream provide fat for a rich texture, while the eggs act as a stabilizer, creating a smooth consistency as the proteins coagulate during baking. The sugar and vanilla add sweetness, and the spices contribute warmth and depth to the flavor profile.
- Dried Fruit: This is optional, but raisins add sweetness and a welcome chew to the pudding.
- Bourbon Sauce: This boozy sauce is always served with bread pudding in New Orleans. It combines butter, dark brown sugar, egg for richness, bourbon whiskey, vanilla, and salt.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This bread pudding recipe is easy to customize! Try these delicious options:
- Bread: Challah is a good substitute. French bread is another great option with a lighter texture since it’s a lean yeast dough. Sourdough bread will add a hint of tangy flavor. For dietary restrictions, use gluten-free bread.
- Alcohol: Use other types of whiskey, such as Rye, Tennessee, Irish, or scotch. Dark rum or tequila works well, too!
- Sweetener: Dark brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey can be used.
- Fresh Fruits: Feel free to add seasonal fruits like mashed bananas, apricots, strawberries, apple pie filling, or make a blueberry bread pudding.
- Add Mix-ins: Sprinkle in chocolate chips or Nutella. Add chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
- Spices: Add spices like cardamom, mace, allspice, or ginger. Try my pumpkin pie spice blend.
- Toppings: Caramel sauce or whipped cream.
How to Make Bread Pudding
Step 1: Toast the Bread
To mimic using day-old or stale bread, cut the fresh bread loaf into 1-inch pieces and bake them in a 300-degree oven. This process gently dries excess moisture on the surface, like making homemade croutons. The dryness allows the sweet custard to absorb into the crumb for maximum flavor. This method also prevents the bread from instantly getting too soggy and losing its structure.
Step 2: Prepare the Casserole Dish
Butter a 3-quart or 9×13 baking dish to prevent sticking and add extra richness. Arrange the dried bread evenly in the dish and set it aside. Next, preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC), the perfect temperature for baking the bread pudding until it’s golden and set.
Step 3: Warm the Milk and Sugar
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk, cream, and sugar to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Keep the temperature below 120ºF (49ºC) so the milk stays warm but doesn’t overheat. Turn off the heat, stir in the vanilla, and set the pan aside.
Ingredient Chemistry: Heating the cream to 120ºF (49ºC) ensures the eggs blend smoothly without scrambling, creating a perfectly rich and creamy custard.
Step 4: Temper the Custard
Whisk together the eggs, yolks, and salt in a medium bowl.
Gradually pour ½ cup of the warm cream mixture into the eggs at a time, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling. This process creates the tempered egg mixture.
Tips for Perfect Execution: Bread pudding is a type of baked custard, so to ensure a smooth, velvety texture, it’s essential to heat the eggs with the dairy and sugar gently. This process dissolves the sugar evenly for consistent sweetness. Tempering the cool eggs with the warm cream mixture prevents the proteins from curdling and forming lumps.
Step 5: Flavor the Custard
Slowly pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisking to combine fully.
Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins (if you’re using them), and whisk until everything is evenly incorporated.
This step ensures the spices and raisins are distributed throughout the custard, adding warmth and sweetness to each bite of the bread pudding.
Step 6: Soak the Bread
Pour the custard mixture over the bread, stirring a few times to soak. Let the bread soak until hydrated and soft to ensure that it absorbs the custard all the way to the center. This process takes about 30 minutes.
Pro Tip: Don’t skip this step, or the pudding will taste dry in parts instead of infusing together into smooth and creamy slices.
Step 7: Bake
Place the baking dish inside a large roasting pan, and slowly pour hot water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish. This creates a hot water bath, which helps the bread pudding cook evenly.
Carefully transfer to the oven at 350 degrees until the pudding is set in the center and the internal temperature reaches 170 to 175ºF (77 to 80ºC), about 60 to 75 minutes.
Expert Tip: If you place the bread pudding on the oven rack, the direct heat will make the edges dry and the middle too custardy. Bake the dessert set inside a water bath to create an even consistency throughout. The steam generated in the oven will gently cook the egg mixture and prevent hot spots. This technique is also used for egg-based desserts like cheesecake to prevent cracking and retain moisture.
Step 8: Cool
Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven, then lift the casserole dish from the water bath. Let the bread pudding cool for 60 minutes to make it easier to slice before serving.
Step 9: Make the Bourbon Sauce
To make a traditional bread pudding sauce, make a quick bourbon-infused glaze. I like to use brown sugar because the molasses complements the flavor of the barrel-aged whiskey.
Melted butter, sugar, and eggs gently heat together until the proteins thicken and coat a spoon. Keeping the butter and sugar mixture below 135ºF (57ºC) before adding the eggs is essential.
Pro Tip: The eggs will coagulate at 144ºF (62ºC) and above, so providing a buffer is good.
Once it’s mixed with the sugars and butter will prevent curds from forming as it cooks and thickens. The alcohol and vanilla are added at the end, keeping it bold and intense. A little bit of salt enhances the caramel flavors in the sauce. Make sure to add it warm on top of the pudding.
Step 10: To Serve
Dust the bread pudding with powdered sugar and drizzle it with warm bourbon vanilla sauce for a sweet, decadent finish.
Make-Ahead Tip: Completely cool the bread pudding, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Individual pieces can be tightly covered in plastic wrap and stored in a resealable bag. Freeze the bread pudding for up to one month. Defrost before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bread pudding typically turns day-old bread into a warm baked custard dessert. The bread soaks in an egg and cream mixture with spices or other mix-ins like fruit or chocolate. It gently bakes to yield a velvety, souffle-like texture. You can make it in a large casserole pan or small ramekins for individual portions to serve multiple guests.
Bread pudding can be traced back to 11th-century Europe and has been largely popular in England from the 13th century onwards. It started as a “poor man’s dish” – a way to be frugal and use up old bread before it spoiled. In modern baking, bread pudding has garnered a reputation as a comfort food and is even often seen on the dessert menus of upscale restaurants.
The bread pudding is ready when the center sets and is no longer jiggly. When tested with an instant-read thermometer, the temperature should be about 170 to 175ºF (77 to 80ºC). Too high, and it will taste too rubbery, and the egg proteins will have firmed up more and lose moisture. Let it cool at room temperature for about an hour so it’s easier to slice. Meanwhile, I prepare the bourbon sauce.
Bread pudding can be served warm OR cold! Bread pudding is best served after a slight cooling time – anywhere from 10 minutes up to 2 hours (it should be refrigerated after 2 hours). Enjoy warm bread pudding with a warm syrup topping or cold bread pudding with reheated bourbon syrup.
For best results, bread pudding should be brought to room temperature before reheating. If frozen, allow the bread pudding to sit out and thaw completely. For best results, reheat the bread pudding in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 10-15 minutes. Cover with foil to keep moist, then uncover in the last 2 to 5 minutes of baking to crisp up. Bread pudding can also be reheated in an air fryer, microwave, or in a pan on the stovetop for an extra crisp.
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Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 16 ounces brioche bread, or French loaf
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 4 large yolks
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup raisins, (optional)
- hot water, as needed for the water bath
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Bourbon Sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon bourbon whiskey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Toast the Bread – Set the oven rack to the center position and heat to 300ºF (149ºC). Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes, about 9 to 10 cups. Spread on a large sheet pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. The bread should be lightly golden and dry on the surface. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes. It will become crisper.
- Prepare the Casserole Dish – Grease a 3-quart or 9×13 baking dish with the softened butter. Add the dried bread in an even layer. Set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 350ºF (177ºC).
- Warm the Milk and Sugar – In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring milk, cream, and granulated sugar to a low simmer over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar and cook for about 5 minutes. Do not heat over 120ºF (49ºC); the milk should be warm. Turn off the heat and stir in vanilla. Remove the pan from heat and set aside.
- Temper the Custard – In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, and salt. Very slowly, pour a ½ cup of the warm cream mixture into the eggs, whisking continuously. Add in another ½ cup, whisking between each addition until a total of 2 cups have been added. This is the tempered egg mixture.
- Flavor the Custard – Pour the tempered eggs back into the saucepan and whisk to incorporate thoroughly. Whisk in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins (if using).
- Soak the Bread – Pour the custard mixture over the bread, stirring a few times to soak. Allow the bread to sit and absorb most of the liquid for 30 minutes. Push any exposed bread down into the custard with a spoon.
- Bake – Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan. Slowly pour enough hot water into the pan to go about halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Carefully transfer to the oven. Bake until the pudding appears set in the center and the temperature reaches 170 to 175ºF (77 to 80ºC) on an instant-read thermometer, about 60 to 75 minutes.
- Cool – Carefully remove the roasting pan from the oven and then remove the baking dish from the roasting pan. Allow to cool for 60 minutes before serving, so it’s easier to cut.
- Make the Bourbon Sauce – In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, stirring occasionally; do not let it simmer. Whisk in the brown sugar, ensuring the mixture does not exceed 135ºF (57ºC). Add the egg and quickly whisk to combine. Continuously stir and cook until it thickens enough to coat a spoon and reaches 155 to 160ºF (68 to 71ºC), about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in the bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Taste and add more bourbon if desired, 1 teaspoon at a time. Strain the sauce if needed to remove lumps. It will thicken more as it cools.
- To Serve – Dust the bread pudding with powdered sugar and drizzle with warm bourbon sauce.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Serving Size: 1 piece plus about 1 ½ tablespoons of sauce.
- Bourbon Sauce Yield: Makes about 1 ¼ cups.
- Storing and Reheating: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 1 month and defrost. Reheat individual pieces in the microwave on high power in 30 second intervals until warm.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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Jae says
I was googling in order to find a baking time when using individual ramekins and I stumbled upon this site. I just wanted to leave a comment because this is an extremely well constructed recipe — best I’ve seen on the internet. Most of them won’t tell you to properly temper the custard, which is absurd because scalding the milk and cream not only dissolves the sugars properly but in heating the lactose the flavor is deepened. Also, the ratio of liquids and eggs to the bread is right on. Most recipes aren’t using anywhere near enough eggs which only results in soggy poorly set bread. Lastly, using a bain-marie is spot on. Don’t bother with anyone’s recipe who tells you otherwise. Dry baking is for animals. 😉
Now if only I could get a time for my individual puddings…
Jessica Gavin says
I really appreciate your feedback on the bread pudding recipe, Jae! I’m so happy that you are finding the recipe science tips helpful!
Elizabeth says
Any tips on rewarming the sauce?
Jessica Gavin says
Rewarm over medium-low heat on the stove top, whisking as needed.
Frank the Crank says
About six years ago we had bread pudding in New Orleans as well, and have tried it from other restaurants here in California several times, but they never held up to the one in New Orleans. That is, until now! I made this recipe last night for my wife as a special treat for Christmas, following your recipe exactly. The end result? My wife said it was BETTER than the New Orleans restaurant! Jessica, once again you have outdone yourself. Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I used regular french bread, not the brioche since I couldn’t find any in my little local store. I’ll find some brioche next time as a good excuse to make this again.
Jessica Gavin says
Wow, what a compliment! I’m thrilled to hear that you guys enjoyed the recipe. I can’t wait to hear what you think when you try it with brioche!