Bread Pudding Recipe (2024)

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Give leftover bread new life in this dreamy bourbon Bread Pudding Recipe with quick caramel sauce. This rich caramel dessert idea is ideal to add a welcome dose of sweetness to any weekend or holiday menu.

In addition to French toast and stuffing, Bread Pudding Recipes rank among my top three favorite uses for leftover bread. This showy yet comforting dessert tastes like something you’d enjoy as a final course at a buzzy restaurant, but it takes a mere 15 minutes to pull together.

Curious about what makes this the best Bread Pudding Recipe? It’s studded with bourbon-soaked raisins and infused with a luscious cinnamon- and nutmeg-scented custard. And that’s just the beginning. Just before serving one of the 16(!) servings of Bread Pudding this recipe makes, I call for drizzling each with a generous pour of easy homemade caramel sauce.

This day-old bread recipe lives on in my dreams between each time I make it. I’ll coach you through how to make homemade Bread Pudding, then am dishing up options for you to customize this caramel dessert recipe with other mix-ins to make it your own. Any which way you make it, it’s a wise idea to be prepared for an a la mode moment. (In other words, it’s not a bad idea to add a scoop of vanilla ice cream!)

Recipe ingredients

Ingredients notes

• Bread: This recipe works best with French bread (I usually opt for a baguette), but it’s also fantastic with sourdough or enriched breads such as brioche or challah. Choose a whole, unsliced loaf so you can tear it into big chunks. Or use a knife to make cubed bread if you prefer more uniform pieces. Sometimes I check the day-old bakery section to get a head start on this Bread Pudding recipe.
• Bourbon: Any type of American whiskey or bourbon you enjoy is a winner to soak the raisins in. If you like the taste of it in a glass, it will be delightful to plump up and add flavor to the raisins in the Bread Pudding. Brandy, cognac, or dark rum make fine substitutions. Or skip it! See my tips below for spirit-free Bread Pudding option.
• Golden raisins: If you can only find regular raisins, they will work just fine. Feel free to use dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, or omit the fruit altogether.
• Egg yolks: Yes, 8 whole egg yolks! Reserve the leftover egg whites that you don’t use in this custardy egg mixture for a batch of Egg Muffins. Or freeze them (don’t forget to label and date) for a future Lemon Meringue Pie or Schaum Torte.
• Evaporated milk: If you forgot to grab a can at the store or just discovered that you’re out, swap in an equal amount of half-and half. Either can be used to make the luscious caramel sauce.

Step-by-step instructions

To make the bread pudding:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. On a rimmed baking sheet, spread bread pieces out in a single layer. Toast until crisped and browned, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

2. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add raisins and ½ cup of bourbon and bring to a simmer (do not boil). Simmer until raisins have softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the raisins, reserving the liquid.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the reserved raisin liquid, remaining ¼ cup bourbon, heavy cream, milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, vanilla, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the toasted bread and toss until evenly coated. Let the mixture sit, tossing occasionally until the bread begins to absorb the custard mixture and is softened, about 30 minutes.

4. Pour half the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with half of the reserved raisins. Pour the remaining bread mixture into the pan, sprinkle with the remaining raisins and cover with foil. Bake covered for 45 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix the remaining ½ tsp. cinnamon and granulated sugar. Using your fingers, work the butter into the sugar mixture until the size of small peas. Remove foil from the casserole dish and sprinkle with the cinnamon-butter mixture. Rotate the dish and continue to bake, uncovered, until the custard is just set, about 20 to 25 minutes.

6. Increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake until the top is crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Let the bread pudding cool for 30 minutes.

To make the caramel sauce:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt brown sugar and butter together. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

2. Whisk in evaporated milk, vanilla, and salt.

3. Pour over bread pudding and serve.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This Bread Pudding Recipe comes together in a 9 x 13-inch pan to create 16 decadent servings.
• Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Make ahead: Feel free to assemble this easy Bread Pudding recipe up to 1 day in advance. Cover it with aluminum foil (unbaked), and store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to move forward, bake for the total time listed in the Bread Pudding recipe instructions. The caramel sauce can also be made up to 2 days before you need it. Once completed, transfer the caramel to an airtight container and refrigerate. Just before serving, add the caramel to a saucepan and warm over low heat. Stir occasionally.
• Freezer: Bake the bread pudding, let cool completely, cover with foil, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before freezing. Make sure the pan is wrapped tightly with foil, and it should keep for up to 3 months. To reheat, move the baking dish from the freezer to the refrigerator and thaw overnight. Then bake, covered, at 350 degrees until warm throughout.
• Non-alcoholic version: The bourbon is optional. To make this Bread Pudding recipe kid-friendly or those who don’t imbibe, cook the raisins in water, strain, then add 1 ¾ cups milk (rather than 1 cup) to replace the bourbon.
• Bonus mix-in and topping ideas: In addition to or instead of the raisins, feel free to customize this Bread Pudding with chocolate chips, pecans, toasted walnuts, sliced banana, or grated apple (Caramel apple bread pudding. Whoa!) If salted caramel is your jam, top each serving with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, such as Maldon. Or if you’re not a huge fan of caramel, shower the Bread Pudding in this easy Chocolate Sauce recipe instead of caramel.