New Orleans Style Bread Pudding
Creamy, comforting, and packed with warm spices, this New Orleans Style Bread Pudding is a decadent dessert that features a custardy center with a boozy bourbon sauce.
Servings: 8 servings
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Baking Dish
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Bread Pudding Ingredients
- 10 oz stale French bread, crumbled (about 6-8 cups)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (for pudding)
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup raisins, plump (no need to soak)
- 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, as preferred)
- 1 cup chopped pecans (lightly toasted for extra flavor)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 cups whole milk (preferred for richness)
Whiskey Sauce Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (for whiskey sauce)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (for whiskey sauce)
- 2 large egg yolks (for whiskey sauce)
- 1/2 cup bourbon (for whiskey sauce)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish thoroughly and place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the crumbled stale French bread and granulated sugar. Toss briefly to coat the bread.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, beaten eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and milk until smooth.
- Pour the wet mixture over the sugared bread. Add raisins, shredded coconut, and chopped pecans. Stir gently to ensure all bread pieces are saturated. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the soaked bread mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly and pressing down lightly.
- Bake on the lower rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center is set.
- While the pudding bakes, prepare the whiskey sauce. In a saucepan off the heat, cream together the room-temperature butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks quickly. Stir in the bourbon.
- When the pudding is done, let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm with a drizzle of the whiskey sauce over each portion.
Notes
For best results, use day-old French bread and toast the pecans before adding. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.