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 might’ve started as a way to use up stale bread, but today it reigns as the king of cozy desserts. Chunks of bread soak in a rich custard of eggs, milk, sugar, and butter, transforming simple ingredients into something truly special. Once known as “poor man’s pudding,” this version—made with buttery challah and a splash of bourbon—is anything but humble. Serve it warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, and you’ve got a dessert that feels like a hug in a bowl.
You can prep this bread pudding recipe the night before and pop it in the oven when it’s time to serve. And if you’re looking to mix things up, give my chocolate bread pudding and apple rum raisin bread pudding a try.
“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: Bring everything together, giving the pudding its structure and rich, custardy texture.
- Whole Milk: Makes the pudding creamy and keeps it perfectly moist.
- Sugar: Sweetens the pudding.
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture.
- Bourbon: Brings subtle notes of caramel and vanilla, adding depth without making the dessert taste boozy.
- Cinnamon: A warm, cozy spice that pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the pudding.
- Vanilla: Boosts the flavor with its sweet, fragrant 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. Leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months.
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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!!!