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My New Orleans Bread Pudding recipe is the best way to transform leftover French bread into a work of culinary art! Unlike most bread pudding recipes, I don't use raisins, but I do drown it in a silky bourbon sauce.
If you have a sweet tooth, your mouth should water at these recipes: Deep Fried Cheese Cake, Triple Chocolate Brownies, Buttermilk Drop Doughnuts, Southern Tea Cakes, or Beignets.
What is New Orleans style bread pudding?
New Orleans bread pudding is a popular dessert that originated in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. It's a classic comfort food that combines English and Southern flavors to create an indulgent treat.
Bread pudding is made with day-old (stale) French bread, eggs, milk, raisins or fruit cocktail, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The mixture is then baked until it forms a custard-like texture. It can be served hot or cold with various toppings such as whipped cream, ice cream, or caramel sauce. The traditional way is with a bourbon or whiskey sauce.
Whether you serve this up after dinner, as an indulgent dessert, or just as a treat, everyone will be delighted with the unique flavors and textures of this classic New Orleans delight.
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New Orleans Bread Pudding Ingredients
Before you start whipping up this classic New Orleans bread pudding recipe, look at this ingredient list to ensure you have everything you need.
Whole Milk
I originally learned this recipe with powdered milk, but whole milk has the same results.
French Bread
You always make New Orleans bread pudding with old bread. NEVER fresh bread.
Butter
We'll need unsalted butter for the bread pudding and sauce.
Sugar
We'll need granulated white sugar for the bread pudding and light brown sugar for the bourbon sauce.
Spices
Cinnamon and nutmeg add wonderful warm notes to the entire dessert.
Eggs
Large eggs whipped to perfection will add height and texture to the custard.
Pure Vanilla Extract
Treat yourself to the real thing, not the imitation.
Dried Cranberries
People seriously despise raisins these days, so I started using dried cranberries almost two decades ago and have never received one complaint.
Bourbon
Use a bourbon you enjoy drinking; I use Marker's Mark. You can use whiskey for a whiskey sauce.
Heavy Cream
The heavy cream stabilizes the sauce to keep it creamy and shelf stable.
How to make New Orleans Bread Pudding
With my bread pudding recipe, I wanted to make something delicious and effortless that would win over everyone's hearts.
Bread Pudding
The first thing to do is preheat the oven to 350°F.
While the oven preheats, in a medium bowl, soak bread cubes in milk. Squeeze the cubed French bread with your hands to help the bread absorb the milk.
In a large bowl, beat sugar and melted butter together with a hand mixer until the mixture resembles wet sand. You can use a whisk or a large spoon.
Stir in eggs until the eggs are thoroughly blended. Beat until eggs produce large bubbles. Add vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix in milk, stir in bread, and dried cranberries.
Pour the bread mixture into a buttered 9 x 9 baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 300°F and continue baking for 1 hour. Bread pudding is done when the center has a slight jiggle but is mostly stiff, and it will be golden brown and puffed up but will deflate as it cools. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Bourbon Sauce
While the bread pudding is baking, make bourbon sauce: In a medium pan, over medium heat, cook bourbon and sugar to a boil (a flame will happen; stay calm, cut the heat off, and wait until the alcohol burns off.) Add vanilla extract and reduce the sauce by half until the mixture thickens.
Remove from the heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter at a time while stirring constantly. Stir in heavy cream until smooth; the sauce should coat a spoon.
Serve warm or cold bread pudding with vanilla ice cream and bourbon sauce.
New Orleans Bread Pudding Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few notes to ensure your bread pudding is fantastic!
- Feel free to use whiskey or dark rum instead of bourbon.
- You can add yellow or regular raisins instead of dried cranberries.
- You can use brioche, challah, sliced white bread, or dinner rolls instead of French bread.
- If your bread is not stale enough, toast it slightly to dry it out. After you cube the bread, toast it a 350°F for 5-10 minutes, depending on how fresh your bread is.
- Feel free to use any milk instead of whole milk. It may adjust the final flavors depending on the milk.
- For a richer flavor, you can use brown sugar instead of white sugar in the bread pudding.
- Add 1 cup of chocolate chips and chopped pecans for a turtle bread pudding.
- Do not skip the step of squeezing the stale bread. This will rapidly increase the time for the bread to rehydrate.
- Beating the right amount of air into your eggs helps create a light and airy custard.
- For a Bananas Foster bread pudding, swap out the bourbon sauce for a bananas foster sauce.
- Double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 baking dish for a larger crowd.
New Orleans Bread Pudding FAQs
Here are readers' top questions about making New Orleans bread pudding at home.
Yes, New Orleans is famous for its delicious and indulgent bread pudding! This rich desert has been a staple of the city's cuisine since the late 1800s and is one of the most beloved treats in the area.
The origin of bread pudding started with the British settlers in Louisiana, who traditionally made bread and butter pudding. It's made from slices of buttered bread, eggs, milk, nutmeg, vanilla, and raisins or dried fruit, then baked until golden brown.
Bread and butter pudding is a traditional British dessert that has been popular for centuries. Its history dates back to the 11th century when it was made with steamed bread, warm spices, and baked. Once butter and eggs became readily available, they were added, and bread and butter pudding was born. When it was commonly served as a way to use up stale bread.
The difference between whiskey and bourbon lies in the production process and the type of grain used. Whiskey can be made from various grains, including rye, wheat, and barley.
Bourbon is made from a mixture of mash or grains of at least 51% corn. Many bourbons are also aged in barrels for a minimum of two years, giving them a smoother taste.
Bread pudding is best eaten immediately but will have more flavor the next day and remain fresh for 5 days in the fridge.
Bourbon sauce is best used 7 days after making it.
To reheat bread pudding, place it in the oven at 400°F for 5-10 minutes until hot or pop it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
More New Orleans Recipes
If you love this recipe, then I'm confident these other recipes will also tantalize your taste buds!
- New Orleans Baked Mac and Cheese
- Grillades and Grits
- Cajun Fish and Parmesan Grits
- Easy Buttermilk Biscuits
- New Orleans Hurricane Drink
- Red Beans and Rice
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Make sure you're bread is stale or toasted if it's fresh. Get all ingredients for the New Orleans bread pudding on the counter.
Step 2: Measure everything into individual bowls.
Step 3: Start following the recipe and get ready for the best bread pudding you've ever enjoyed.
And there you have it - the perfect New Orleans Style Bread Pudding with a delicious Bourbon Sauce! What a mouthwatering way to end the night. If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear how it went. So please leave a comment and star rating - your feedback is invaluable! And don't forget to share it with your friends and family on social media.
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📖 Recipe
New Orleans Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
Ingredients
Bread Pudding:
- 6 cups whole milk
- 10 oz. stale French bread diced
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 stick melted unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon room temperature
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
Bourbon Sauce:
- ½ cup bourbon
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla pure extract
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Bread Pudding:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl soak bread in 2 cups of milk. Squeeze the bread with your hands to help the bread absorb the milk. In another bowl beat sugar and butter together with a hand mixer, until mixture resembles wet sand.
- Add eggs one at a time, until eggs are fully blended. Add vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg. Mix in remaining milk, stir in bread and dried cranberries.
- Butter an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 casserole dish. Pour mixture into casserole dish, bake for 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 300°F and continue baking for 1 hour, bread pudding is done when the center has a slight jiggle but mostly stiff. Cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Bourbon Sauce:
- While bread pudding is baking, make bourbon sauce: Combine bourbon and sugar in saucepan and bring to a boil. A large flame of fire will happen; remain calm, cut the heat off until the alcohol burns off.
- Add vanilla and turn heat to low and reduce by half. Cut off heat and whisk in butter 2 tablespoons at a time. Stir in heavy cream, sauce should coat a spoon.
- Serve bread pudding warm or cold with bourbon sauce.
Notes
- Feel free to use whiskey or dark rum instead of bourbon.
- You can add yellow or regular raisins instead of dried cranberries.
- You can use brioche, challah, sliced white bread, or dinner rolls instead of French bread.
- If your bread is not stale enough, toast it slightly to dry it out. After you cube the bread, toast it a 350°F for 5-10 minutes, depending on how fresh your bread is.
- Feel free to use any milk instead of whole milk. It may adjust the final flavors depending on the milk.
- For a richer flavor, you can use brown sugar instead of white sugar in the bread pudding.
- Add 1 cup of chocolate chips and chopped pecans for a turtle bread pudding.
- Do not skip the step of squeezing the stale bread. This will rapidly increase the time for the bread to rehydrate.
- Beating the right amount of air into your eggs helps create a light and airy custard.
- For a Bananas Foster bread pudding, swap out the bourbon sauce for a bananas foster sauce.
- Double the recipe and bake in a 9 x 13 baking dish for a larger crowd.
Yevette says
Hi. Dying to try recipe. Can you use half granulated sugar and half brown? Thank you.
Kenneth Temple says
Hi! Yes or you can use Trivia a healthier sugar sub.
Christina B says
I am confused about the list of ingredients. The list says 6 cups, but the recipe only mentions 2 cups. Am I missing something?
Kenneth Temple says
The first 2 cups are to soak the bread in, and the remaining is for the custard.