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This classic New Orleans-style bread pudding is taken up a notch with the addition of chocolate chips and rich, buttery brioche bread. It’s served with a warm bourbon sauce for a bold kick to your taste buds! 
Why this recipe is so great:
- Easy to make – Everything from the bread pudding to the sauce is super easy to make. For the pudding, all you have to do is cut up the bread and layer it with chocolate chips, pour the egg mixture on top, let it soak, and bake. And while that’s cooling, all you have to do is melt some butter, sugar, and milk over the stovetop. Stir in some bourbon and you’ve got this amazing warm boozy sauce to go with the pudding.
- Tastes divine – What really makes this bread pudding recipe special is the ingredients, starting with the brioche bread. It’s already sweet, buttery, and fragrant. Adding a rich and creamy custard made with half heavy cream instead of just milk takes this bread pudding to a whole new level of indulgence. On top of that, having swirls of melty chocolate in the mix and warm buttery bourbon poured all over the top makes it even better.
- Can be made in advance – This recipe can be prepped the night before and served freshly baked out of the oven. Even the sauce can be made in advance and warmed up just before serving.
- Here are some reviews:
“It was absolutely delicious! My family loves caramel so we did a little drizzle of caramel and the Bourbon sauce – it was perfection. We will definitely be making and enjoying this recipe again.” – Nadia
“Just deliciously decadent! I made it with cinnamon breakfast bread and the added flavor was wonderful!! Will make it again. Would also be great warm with good vanilla ice cream!!” – Queenie 
How to make bread pudding with bourbon sauce:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- Spread half of the brioche bread cubes into a greased 2.5 qt baking dish. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips over top. Repeat with the remaining bread and chocolate chips.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Pour the mixture over top of the bread and chocolate.
- Using a rubber spatula, press down on the bread to make sure all is soaked into the egg mixture. Cover and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until set. Let cool while making the sauce.
- Combine the butter, sugar, and milk in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Slowly and carefully stir in the bourbon. Serve warm.
Variations:
- Bread pudding with whiskey sauce – replace the bourbon with whiskey in the sauce.
- Bread pudding with rum sauce – use rum instead of bourbon in the sauce.
- Challah bread pudding – substitute the brioche with challah bread
- Rum raisin bread pudding – omit the chocolate chips, use cinnamon raisin bread instead of brioche, and rum instead of whiskey. Add more raisins if desired.
- Non-alcoholic version – serve with caramel or maple syrup instead of the bourbon sauce. You can also serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
FAQ:
Can I use regular sliced bread?
Yes, you can use regular sliced bread. The bread pudding won’t be as buttery or fragrant as using brioche bread, but it will still taste great.
Can I make it the night before and reheat it the next morning?
You can make it the night before and simply reheat it in the microwave the next morning. If you want to reheat it in the oven, loosely cover it with foil to prevent it from drying out. It will still be delicious either way!
You might also like:
- Easy Bread Pudding
- Eggnog Bread Pudding
- Croissant Bread Pudding
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Baked Rice Pudding
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 8 reviews
- Author: Lily Ernst
- Prep Time: 25 min
- Chill Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 1 hr & 30 min
- Yield: 8-10
- Category: dessert, breakfast
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This classic New Orleans-style bread pudding is taken up a notch with the addition of chocolate chips and rich, buttery brioche bread.
Ingredients
bread pudding
- 8 cups (350g) brioche bread, cut into cubes
- 1 cup (175g) chocolate chips
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
bourbon sauce
- 1/2 cup (114g) butter
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) bourbon
Instructions
bread pudding
- Spread half of the bread into a greased 2.5 qt baking dish. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips over top. Repeat with the remaining bread and chocolate chips.
- Whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Pour over the top of the bread and chocolate. Using a rubber spatula, press down on the bread to make sure all is soaked into the egg mixture. Cover and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until set. Let cool while making the sauce.
bourbon sauce
- Combine the butter, sugar, and milk in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
- Slowly and carefully stir in the bourbon. CAUTION; the sauce might bubble up, so add in the bourbon a little at a time. Serve warm.
Notes
The bourbon sauce might harden as it cools, simply reheat and stir until all the sugar is dissolved to use again.
Leftover bread pudding can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
This post was originally published on Jun 6, 2018, and has been recently updated with a video and more information.
Brunch Father's Day Video Recipes bourbon butter sauce bread pudding chocolate chip bread pudding New Orleans whiskey sauce
by Lily Ernst on Nov 27, 2021 (updated Mar 3, 2024)
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30 comments on “Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce”
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Karen Esquirell —Reply
I covered this and refrigerated. Am I supposed to bake it covered
Lily Ernst —Reply
Good question. You bake it uncovered. I’ll clarify in the instructions. Thank you
Nadia —Reply
This is delicious. Used some left over Panatone. My husband uttered OMG with his first mouthful. Served warm with ice cream and a drizzle of the sauce (substituted Cointreau)
Thank you for a great simple recipe!Lily Ernst —Reply
You’re very welcome, Nadia! So glad you and your husband enjoyed it:)
Nic —Reply
Would substitution of heavy cream for the milk in the sauce be a reasonable idea, disastrous, or likely not huge difference?
Lily Ernst —Reply
Yes, you can use heavy cream. It will just make the sauce a bit thicker. Enjoy!
Kelley Robert —Reply
Very Good!!!
Lily Ernst —Reply
Thank you!
cat —Reply
there’s no seasoning – cinnamon, nutmeg…? i want to try it but sounds bland, even with the chocolate…
Lily Ernst —Reply
It’s not bland at all. Between the rich brioche bread, chocolate, egg custard, cream, and vanilla – it’s plenty flavorful. Oh, and don’t forget the bourbon sauce! Try it for yourself and see:)
Matt —Reply
I haven’t done the sauce yet, but the sweetness level was perfect and a nice drizzle of something sweet will balance it out nicely. Thanks.
Lily Ernst —Reply
You’re very welcome, Matt! Enjoy the bread pudding and have a great day!
Nadia Ann —Reply
It’s was absolutely delicious!
My family loves caramel so we did a little drizzle of caramel and the Bourbon sauce it was perfection. We will definitely be making and enjoying this recipe again. Thank you for sharing May God Bless you and your Beautiful Family.Lily Ernst —Reply
You’re very welcome and thank you for your kind words, Nadia!
Veronica Simmons —Reply
Delicious and easy!
Was a hit at our family dinner 🙂Lily Ernst —Reply
So great to hear! Thank you for your lovely feedback, Veronica:)
Eileen —Reply
Hi Lily
Can I use normal white bread which I have on hand now. And also can I omit the liquor. If so, what can I substitute with liquor.
Thank you.
Lily Ernst —Reply
Hi Eileen,
Yes, you can use regular bread. If you want to omit the bourbon, I would bring the sauce to a boil, and let it simmer until it browns and thickens into a caramel sauce. Enjoy!
Melissa —Reply
Can I make this recipe the night before and just reheat in oven the next day? Or does it dry out and would be best served fresh? Thanks.
Lily Ernst —Reply
You can make it the night before and simply reheat it in the microwave the next morning. If you want to reheat it in the oven, loosely cover it with foil to prevent it from drying out. It will still be delicious either way.
Betsy S. —Reply
I used your basic recipe, but substituted frozen mixed berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries) for the chocolate chips, used a little Fiori di Sicilia (orange infused vanilla oil) In addition to the vanilla extract and served with a Grand Marnier sauce instead of bourbon. YUMMMMMM!!
Lily Ernst —Reply
The Grand Marnier sauce sounds heavenly! Thank you for your feedback:)
QUEENIE —Reply
Just deliciously decadent! I made with with cinnamon breakfast bread and the added flavor was wonderful!!
Will make again. Would also be great warm with good vanilla ice cream!!Lily Ernst —Reply
Thank you for your lovely feedback! I’m glad you enjoyed it:)
Donna —Reply
Number of egg in ingredient lists? I’m in the middle of making it and just had to make an educated guess!!
Lily Ernst —Reply
My sincerest apologies for the typo. I have corrected the recipe, and I hope it still turned out well for you.
Rebecca —Reply
The pictures themselves were enough to make my mouth water! I am so excited to try this recipe out soon!
Lily Ernst —Reply
Thank you! You won’t be disappointed:)
Samantha —Reply
Lily its look so yummy and tasty. Thanks for sharing your recipe, i will try this in weekend.
Lily Ernst —Reply
Thanks Samantha! I hope you enjoy it:)
