Louisiana US · Desserts

Bread pudding with bourbon sauce

Name: Bread pudding with bourbon sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 48 min
Total time: 1 h 58 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: Louisiana US
Ingredients: 1 pound day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes; 3 cups (720 grams) whole milk; 4 large eggs; 3/4 cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar; 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided; 1/2 cup (75 grams) raisins; 1/2 cup (57 grams) toasted chopped pecans; 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, divided; 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, for sauce; 1/2 cup (120 grams) heavy cream; 2 tablespoons bourbon, or apple juice for alcohol-free sauce

Custardy baked bread with crisp pecan edges, warm spice, raisins, and silky bourbon sauce.

About 2 hrTotal

About 1 hr 15 minActive

$$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 10 servings

Equipment

Use another light-colored 9 × 13-inch metal pan and begin checking browning early.
Best metal 9-by-13 pan
USA Pan 9-by-13-Inch Rectangular Baking Pan · 1110RC
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use another light-colored 9 × 13-inch metal pan and begin checking browning early.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched exact interior dimensions and metal heat behavior, then checked material, maximum temperature, coating care, stable model identity, and retail destination. Kwilt has not baked with this pan.
USA Pan 9-by-13-Inch Rectangular Baking Pan · 1110RC: The exact 9-by-13-inch baking surface and aluminized-steel construction match recipes whose dough depth and bottom browning depend on a standard metal pan. Trade-off: The nonstick surface calls for hand washing and nonmetal tools, and efficient heat conduction can brown faster than glass.
Another workable path: Use another light-colored 9-by-13-inch metal pan; glass changes heat behavior and is not an equal substitute for every high-heat bread method.
Sources
USA Pan 1110RC specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 10 servings

1 pound day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups (720 grams) whole milk
4 large eggs
3/4 cup (150 grams) packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
1/2 cup (75 grams) raisins
1/2 cup (57 grams) toasted chopped pecans
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, for sauce
1/2 cup (120 grams) heavy cream
2 tablespoons bourbon, or apple juice for alcohol-free sauce

Instructions

Butter a with 1 tablespoon butter and add bread. Whisk milk, eggs, both pudding sugars, 1 teaspoon vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour over bread, fold in raisins, and press gently. Rest 30 minutes, turning once, until evenly soaked.
Heat oven to 350°F. Scatter pecans over the top and dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Bake 40 to 50 minutes until puffed and golden, liquid no longer pools when pressed, and the center reaches 170°F. Rest 15 minutes.
For sauce, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter with sauce sugar, cream, and remaining salt over medium-low heat. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until smooth and lightly thickened. Remove from heat and carefully stir in bourbon or apple juice plus remaining vanilla; return to low heat 30 seconds.
Spoon warm pudding into bowls and drizzle each serving with warm sauce rather than soaking the entire pan. Refrigerate leftovers promptly; reheat pudding covered and sauce separately over low heat.

New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans dessert traditions

From the table

About this recipe

Bread pudding began as a practical way to reclaim stale bread and became a beloved New Orleans restaurant dessert, where warm custard-soaked French bread is often paired with whiskey or bourbon sauce.

Bread pudding began as a practical way to turn stale bread into a custard dessert and became a beloved New Orleans restaurant staple, often served warm with whiskey or bourbon sauce. Day-old French bread absorbs without dissolving; a proper soak prevents dry cubes. Serving sauce by the portion preserves both crisp top edges and the option for an alcohol-free plate. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Preserve the New Orleans stale-French-bread and bourbon-sauce pattern, specify safe off-heat spirit handling, and sauce individual servings so texture and alcohol preference remain controllable.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe