Bread Pudding
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Easy, delicious, and a total crowd-pleaser—this bourbon-spiked bread pudding is the perfect cozy night-in treat or comforting holiday dessert.
Bread pudding is a warm and comforting dessert that originated as a way to use stale bread. It is made by combining chunks of bread with eggs, milk, sugar, and butter to create a rich custard. While it was once known as “poor man’s pudding,” there is nothing humble about this modern version made with challah and a splash of bourbon—it’s decadent in every way!
The bourbon adds depth to the custard, with hints of caramel, vanilla, and nutty flavor, without making the pudding taste boozy. I highly recommend using it, but you can substitute it with more milk if you prefer. Serve this bread pudding recipe warm from the oven topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce for a truly cozy and satisfying dessert. It’s like a hug in a bowl!
Table of Contents
“I have made this 4 times in as many weeks! Two friends recovering from surgeries, neighbors, and my own family have loved it. Comfort food at its best.”
What You’ll Need To Make Bread Pudding
- Eggs: Bind the pudding together, providing structure and richness.
- Whole Milk: Creates a creamy base for the pudding, ensuring a moist and tender texture.
- Sugar: Sweetens the pudding, balancing the flavors and enhancing its overall richness.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture to the pudding, contributing to its indulgent texture.
- Bourbon: Infuses the dessert with a warm and complex flavor, perfect for adding depth.
- Cinnamon: Provides a warm and aromatic element that complements the sweetness of the pudding.
- Vanilla: Enhances the overall flavor profile of the pudding with its sweet notes.
- Challah or Brioche Cubes: Serves as the base of the pudding, soaking up the custard mixture and providing a soft and fluffy texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl and then add the milk, sugar, melted butter, bourbon, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.
Whisk until evenly combined.
Mix in the challah cubes.
Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish, and let stand at least 1 hour (or refrigerate overnight). Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the top is golden and puffy and the center is set. It’s normal for it to deflate after you remove it from the oven. The custard expands while baking and will settle as it cools.
Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions
The bread pudding can be assembled and refrigerated overnight—and it can go straight from the fridge to the oven when you’re ready to serve it. (Because it will be cold, it may take an extra minute or two in the oven.) It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. After baking and cooling, double-wrap the bread pudding securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Before serving, reheat in a 300°F-oven until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Enriched breads like challah and brioche are the best breads to use for bread pudding, but if you have a loaf of French or Italian bread, they’ll work too. Just avoid using sourdough because its tangy flavor doesn’t go well with the sweet custard. The bread can be fresh or slightly stale; actually day-old bread is perfect for this dessert, as it will more readily soak up the custard mixture.
Bread pudding is delicious in its simplicity, but feel free to experiment with add-ins like chocolate chips, toasted nuts, dried fruit, or shredded coconut (or check out my chocolate bread pudding or apple rum raisin bread pudding).
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Bread Pudding
Easy, delicious, and a total crowd-pleaser—this bourbon-spiked bread pudding is the perfect cozy night-in treat or comforting holiday dessert.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups (packed) challah or brioche cubes, from one loaf (about 9 oz)
Vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
- Spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the milk, sugar, melted butter, bourbon, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt and whisk until evenly combined. Mix in the challah cubes. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, and let stand at least 1 hour (or refrigerate overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the top is golden and puffy and the center is set. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The bread pudding can be assembled and refrigerated overnight. It can also be frozen, after baking, for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Before serving, reheat in a 300°F-oven until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (Nutritional info does not include ice cream - 8 servings)
- Calories: 305
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Sugar: 29 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Sodium: 249 mg
- Cholesterol: 126 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Jenn
What do you think about using vanilla bean paste instead of extract? Would the flavor be too strong?
Thanks
Yes, you can substitute vanilla bean paste for vanilla extract. And, yes, the vanilla flavor will be stronger.
Quick question – I’m thinking of adding mini chocolate chips and heath toffee bits. Any thoughts on what would be an appropriate amount? I always love your recipes by the way! Thank you!!!!
Hi Faye, I’d suggest a max of 1/4 cup each as the bread pudding is already pretty sweet. I’d love to hear how it turns out with these additions!
Can you suggest a substitute for the bourbon, and if so, do I need to add something else to account for the decrease in liquid?
Hi Althea, another whiskey would work as would rum. If you’d like something non-alcoholic, I’d just use additional milk. Enjoy!
Do you think this recipe would work with Irish soda bread?
Unfortunately not – I think it would be too dense.
This bread pudding is delicious – light but decadent at the same time. Several reviewers suggested adding raisins. I didn’t have a choice. The bakery was out of plain challah by the time I arrived, and I used a raisin challah instead. The raisins added great texture to the bread pudding, and I’ll intentionally use a raisin challah the next time I make this. And there definitely will be a next time.
I’d forgotten how good and comforting a dish of bread pudding is. I do recall, however, enjoying mine with a hand-full of raisins stirred into the pudding. They come out warm and plump after baking with the pudding. Yumm!!
Can this recipe be doubled and in separate dishes. If so, Can the two dishes be baked at same time and timing etc?
Thanks!
Yes and yes. The bake time may be just slightly longer as the oven will be more crowded, so just check them before you pull them out. Enjoy!
I loved how easy this was to make! It’s a great option for when you’re doing a lot of entertaining and you want to check something off your list in advance. And based on the results, no one will know how little effort it took! It’s warm, pudding-y and super delicious. It’s lovely with a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream (but would also be good without i f you choose to forgo it). This will go onto my list of repeats!!!