Description
This classic New Orleans Style Bread Pudding is a rich and comforting dessert featuring crumbled stale French bread soaked in a spiced custard mixture with raisins, coconut, and pecans, baked to golden perfection. It’s served warm with a luscious Joe’s Whiskey Sauce made from butter, powdered sugar, egg yolks, and bourbon, making it a festive and flavorful Southern treat perfect for family gatherings or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Bread Pudding
- 10 ounces stale French bread, crumbled (or 6-8 cups of any bread; reduce milk to 3 cups if using fresh bread)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 eggs
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 4 cups milk
Joe’s Whiskey Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup Bourbon
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a 9×13-inch baking dish, ensuring the butter is evenly spread to prevent sticking.
- Mix bread pudding ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the crumbled stale bread, granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, raisins, shredded coconut, chopped pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg, and milk. Stir gently until the bread is moist and all ingredients are well incorporated without becoming too soupy.
- Bake the pudding: Pour the bread pudding mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set, indicating it is fully cooked through.
- Prepare Joe’s Whiskey Sauce: While the bread pudding bakes, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, use a hand-held mixer to cream the butter and powdered sugar together until the butter is fully absorbed and the mixture is smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks carefully. Gradually add the bourbon while stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly as it cools.
- Serve: Once the bread pudding is baked and cooled slightly, serve individual portions warm topped generously with the bourbon whiskey sauce for a rich and indulgent dessert experience.
Notes
- Using stale or day-old bread helps the pudding absorb the custard better, giving it a traditional dense texture.
- If using fresh bread, reduce milk to 3 cups to avoid an overly wet pudding.
- You can omit the Bourbon in the sauce for a non-alcoholic version; substitute with vanilla extract.
- Make sure not to overcook the whiskey sauce after adding egg yolks to prevent scrambling.
- Allow the pudding to cool slightly before serving to let it set properly and make serving easier.
