You're missing something great if you've never tried New Orleans bread pudding! This delicious dessert has a soft, custard-like texture and an amazingly creamy bourbon sauce that's drizzled on top. Keep reading for tips on making this popular Mardi Gras treat.
If you're looking for other Mardi Gras sweet treats, don't miss these great recipes for king cake and pecan pie without corn syrup.
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Intro
Have you ever tasted bread pudding from New Orleans? If not, you need to make this delicious, easy dessert!
This dessert tastes a little bit like French toast, but sweeter and with less eggy flavor. It also has a juicy burst of flavor from the soaked raisins, and a delicate bourbon flavor from the sauce. Overall, it's absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
Fortunately, this New Orleans bread pudding recipe doesn't take any really fancy ingredients! You may already have these ingredients in your pantry and fridge. Here's the key ingredients in this recipe.
- Bread: As the key ingredient in this dessert, choose a loaf with a soft texture, thin crust, and good flavor. A stale loaf, preferably homemade, is best if you can swing it.
- Raisins: I used a mixture of golden raisins (sultanas) and regular raisins for extra color and flavor, but you can use all dark raisins if you like.
- Bourbon: Choose your favorite bourbon. It'll go into the pudding and the sauce.
How to Make
- Soak the raisins in bourbon for 2 hours, or until it is mostly absorbed.
- Butter a 9x13-inch cake pan and sprinkle with brown sugar. Let it melt for a few minutes in a 350°F oven.
3. Soak the bread cubes in milk until it is all absorbed, about 10 minutes.
4. Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and spices together until blended, then pour over the soaked cubes and stir to combine. Mix in the soaked raisins.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, leveling the surface.
6. Bake at 350°F until there is only a slight wobble in the middle, about 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, make the bourbon sauce. Gather the ingredients.
8. Heat the milk and cream together until they're warm, then dissolve the sugar and vanilla.
9. Make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch with a little of the warm milk mixture.
10. Add the slurry to the sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer and whisk until it's thickened, about 2-5 minutes.
11. Serve the bread pudding with the bourbon sauce drizzled on top.
12. Enjoy it while it's warm!
Recipe FAQs
This simple dessert turns stale, old loaves into something delicious, which exemplifies the frugality and indulgence that Creoles have been known for. The New Orleans French bread is especially well suited for this dessert, as its lighter texture makes the pudding extra tempting.
This dessert used to be called "poor man's pudding" since it was so frugal, but over time the name changed to "bread and butter pudding," then finally was shortened to "bread pudding." The term "pudding" dates back to the British origins of this dessert, as pudding in the UK refers to dessert in general.
Bread pudding was invented in England. In medieval days, each kitchen had a pudding basin, which was a large ceramic bowl used to store scraps of stale bread. These were then baked into the forerunner of the simple dessert that we know and love today.
Yes, you can freeze it as long as you haven't poured a sauce on it. Make the sauce fresh when you serve the pudding. Simply seal the pudding in a zip-top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.
Store
- Do I need to refrigerate bread pudding? Yes, it must be refrigerated because it contains eggs and milk. Make sure it's covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to keep out other odors from the fridge. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Can I freeze leftovers? Yes, you can as long as the sauce hasn't been poured on top. Seal it in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month.
- How do I reheat leftovers? Microwave small portions on high for 30-45 seconds, or bake the tray covered in a 400°F for 10-15 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Use a blend of raisins for a variation of color and flavor. If you're not a fan of raisins, try cranberries, currants, or another dried fruit you like, or add ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Be sure to use stale bread to help it absorb the most liquid. If you don't have any that's stale, cut it into cubes, spread on a cookie sheet, and bake it at 200°F for 10 minutes to dry out the cubes.
- Soaking the bread longer will give you a softer, more custard like texture.
- Want to make ahead? Assemble it the night before, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bake it fresh right before serving, as it tastes best warm.
- Keep the sauce on medium-low heat, as high heat may cause it to curdle or separate.
- Lumps in the sauce? Simply pour it through a mesh sieve to strain them out.
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Recipe
Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
Ingredients
For the Bread Pudding
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup bourbon whiskey
- Brown sugar, for sprinkling
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 8 cups French bread, cubed
For the Bourbon Sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 5 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons bourbon whiskey
Instructions
- Stir together the raisins and bourbon, cover, and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, until most of the bourbon is absorbed. Stir occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13-inch cake pan or casserole dish, then sprinkle with brown sugar and melt the sugar for a few minutes in the oven.
- Put the cubes in a large bowl and pour the milk over top. Stir and let stand until all the milk is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and spices until smooth, then pour into the bread mixture. Add the soaked raisins and mix until well blended.
- Dump the custard mixture into the buttered pan and bake at 350°F for 35 minutes, until the edges are browned and the custard is set. There should only be a slight wiggle in the center when you shake the pan, and a toothpick or knife inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Heat the cream and milk until warm, whisking in the sugar and vanilla until dissolved. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and bourbon, then add to the milk mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, about 2-5 minutes. You should have 1 ¾ cups of sauce.
- Enjoy the pudding while it's warm, and drizzle each ½ cup serving with about 2 tablespoons of the bourbon sauce.
Notes
- Use a blend of raisins for a variation of color and flavor. If you're not a fan of raisins, try cranberries, currants, or another dried fruit you like, or add ½ cup of chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Be sure to use stale bread to help it absorb the most liquid.
- Soaking the bread longer will give you a softer, more custard like texture.
- Want to make ahead? Assemble it the night before, cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bake it fresh right before serving, as it tastes best warm.
- Keep the sauce on medium-low heat, as high heat may cause it to curdle or separate.
- Lumps in the sauce? Simply pour it through a mesh sieve to strain them out.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
This recipe was originally published on February 14, 2020 and was republished on January 27, 2022 with refreshed photos and updated, reformatted content.
Dale
Excellent recipe! So warm and good! This is the second time I’ve made this recipe. It’s a big hit at our annual Parish Meeting at my church! I increased the size by 2.5x. So warm, so comforting! I marinated the raisins overnight in the Honey Jack! We used Jack Daniel’s “Honey Jack” and added 1 tablespoon of honey per batch of the sauce. Of course, being Episcopalians I increased the bourbon by one table spoon per batch! Thank you for such a wonderful dish!
Emma
We're so glad that you and your parishioners enjoyed it, Dale! You're welcome!
Michelle
It was really easy to follow. I do think it is a bit too sweet for my taste. I will use 1 cup of granulated sugar next time instead 1 and 1/3 cup.
Emma
Glad you enjoyed it, Michelle!
Vicki Lassiter Brasfield
Awesome in every way!!!
Emma
Thank you, Vicki! We're so glad you enjoyed it!
Alex
This bread pudding smells so good! The pudding is soft, and the raisins add tons of flavor. The cinnamon tastes like a winter wonderland. The bread is so amazing. The sauce is sweet and has a silky smooth texture. YUM! 5 stars. It is great!
Emma
Thank you, Alex! I’m thrilled that you liked the bread pudding so much.
Beth
This soft bread pudding is speckled with raisins and cinnamon. The gooey sauce and color remind me of cinnamon buns. I thought the texture might be too soggy, but it is really good. Besides, it smells warm and comforting!
Emma
Thanks for your kind words, Beth!