Description
A rich and comforting Southern dessert made with custard-soaked bread, warm spices, and an optional bourbon sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 loaf day-old French bread (about 12 cups), cubed
- 4 cups whole milk (or half-and-half)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup raisins (optional, or pecans/bourbon-soaked raisins)
For Bourbon Sauce (optional):
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ½ cup bourbon (or heavy cream substitute)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cube day-old bread and toast slightly if still fresh.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted butter.
- Combine bread cubes and custard mixture. Let soak 15–20 minutes.
- Fold in raisins or other mix-ins if using.
- Pour into prepared dish and bake 45–50 minutes until golden and set.
- For bourbon sauce: Melt butter and sugar in saucepan. Whisk in egg and bourbon. Cook on low until thickened.
- Serve bread pudding warm with sauce drizzled on top.
Notes
- Use day-old bread for best texture.
- You can prep the dish the night before and bake the next day.
- Substitute raisins with pecans, chocolate chips, or skip entirely.
- Bourbon sauce can be made alcohol-free using heavy cream.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern / New Orleans
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square (approx. 1/12 of recipe)
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
Keywords: bread pudding, classic dessert, southern recipe, bourbon sauce, French bread pudding