Description
A rich, festive dessert made with custard-soaked bread, creamy eggnog, warm spices, and a decadent bourbon sauce. Perfect for Christmas, New Year’s, or any cozy winter gathering.
Ingredients
For the Bread Pudding:
6 cups cubed day-old bread (brioche, challah, or French bread)
2 cups eggnog (store-bought or homemade)
1 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for greasing dish)
For the Bourbon Sauce:
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup bourbon
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Prepare Bread
Cube bread into 1-inch pieces and dry overnight, or toast at 300°F (150°C) for 10 minutes.
Make Custard
Whisk eggnog, milk, eggs, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth.
Soak Bread
Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Add bread cubes, pour custard evenly, and press lightly. Refrigerate 30 minutes–4 hours.
Bake
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake 45–50 minutes, until custard is set and top is golden.
Make Bourbon Sauce
Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in sugar and cream, whisk 4–5 minutes until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in bourbon and salt.
Serve
Rest pudding 10 minutes. Spoon warm bourbon sauce over slices before serving.
Notes
Use day-old bread for best texture.
Reduce added sugar if using sweetened eggnog.
For lighter bourbon flavor, use only 2 tablespoons in sauce.
Bread pudding freezes well without sauce for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice with sauce
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: <0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
Keywords: eggnog bread pudding, bourbon bread pudding, Christmas dessert, holiday bread pudding