Bourbon Bread Pudding with Bourbon Crème Anglaise

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Weekend mornings are made better with this delicious Bourbon Bread Pudding with simple Bourbon Crème Anglaise. Think, your favorite french toast casserole, but even BETTER! Made with a simple, but warming bourbon, vanilla, and cinnamon custard, that has just a dash of nutmeg to really set things apart. Then, poured over thickly sliced brioche and soaked until the bread has absorbed all the wonderful flavors. It’s then baked until just set, and served warm with a super simple homemade crème anglaise that’s only 6(!!!) ingredients. Every bite of this bread pudding is soft, perfectly balanced between sweet and spiced, custardy, with just the right amount of bourbon. It’s SO good! Pour crème anglaise generously over your slice and serve with your favorite mug of coffee for a truly delicious breakfast.

About The Recipe

It’s finally Friday and, with it being a long weekend this weekend, it doesn’t get better than this. Long weekends, to me, just scream sleeping-in, enjoying breakfast/brunch, and taking things slow. I mean, my family and I don’t do this, as we generally work through the weekend, BUT when I hear the words long weekend…that’s the general idea that comes to my head.

So, with our Mardi Gras theme still going strong from Wednesday’s King Cake, there seemed to be no better time than to share this bread pudding!

Though, I do have to admit, with all the work we’re getting done, we’ve also been trying to get the house updated a bit! If you follow us on Instagram, you’ll have seen us trying to pick out paint color/asking opinions on what you all think. So, while working on the blog has been a priority, this weekend…we might just do a bit of painting!

What are you going to be up to this long weekend? Any fun activities planned?

I know that we are definitely going to be enjoying this bread pudding for brunch for the next few days. It’s probably the best addition to your mornings to really get you going. That and a cup of coffee!

So, if you want to be enjoying this bread pudding too, then let’s get started! This casserole is actually SO simple and, if you’re worried about the crème anglaise, don’t be! We have pretty much a never-fail recipe that turns out every time. So good and so simple.

Reasons You Need To Make This Bourbon Bread Pudding

• It’s the perfect addition to your weekend breakfast and/or brunch!
• Has just enough bourbon in the pudding to be delicious, but not over-powering.
• The crème anglaise is actually SO simple and is a wonderful addition to this special bake.
• Tastes absolutely delicious and oh so custard-y!
• The perfect bake to make with brioche!

Equipment Needed

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• 2 Quart Pot
• Kitchen Thermometer
• Rubber Spatula
• 9×13 Inch Casserole

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Bread Pudding:

• Brioche
• Large Eggs
• Granulated Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Bourbon
• Ground Cinnamon
• Ground Nutmeg
• Salt
• Whole Milk

For The Crème Anglaise:

• Egg Yolks
• Granulated Sugar
• Whole Milk
• Heavy Cream
• Bourbon
• Vanilla Extract

How To Make Bourbon Bread Pudding

Step 1: Make the crème anglaise

Combine egg yolks and sugar in medium sized bowl. Mix together carefully, being sure not to incorporate any air into the mixture. Set aside.

Heat milk until it just starts to bubble around the edges.

Pour small amounts into the egg mixture, stirring constantly, to temper the eggs.

Pour the egg mixture back into the pot and cook over low heat until thickened, about 180 degrees. Remove from heat.

Strain mixture through a fine meshed sieve into a clean bowl.

Stir in the bourbon and vanilla. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1-2 hours.

Step 2: Make the custard for bread pudding

Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, bourbon, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Stir in the whole milk.

Step 3: Soak the bread and bake

Place cubed bread in greased casserole and pour custard over it, being sure to coat every piece.

Cover with plastic wrap and let the bread soak for about an hour, or until the bread has absorbed most of the custard. Bake at 350 for 70 minutes, or until set.

Serve with chilled crème anglaise and enjoy!

Bourbon Bread Pudding FAQ’s

What’s the best bread to use for this recipe?

We highly recommend using our Homemade Brioche (or store-bought!). The texture holds up well and absorbs the custard perfectly. It’s definitely our favorite bread to make this bread pudding with, but you can use whatever thick sliced bread you have. Just make sure it’s a softer loaf like a brioche.

Help! My bread won’t stay down in the custard.

No worries! We had the same problem, too. The best way to resolve this is by getting a slightly smaller casserole and setting it on top of your bread! It sounds silly, but it actually works to hold your bread down.

Can I refrigerate this overnight?

We tested this and, while you technically can, it doesn’t work as well. You have to set the casserole out of the fridge to come back to room temperature the next morning before baking because this casserole already takes a while to bake, but putting it in there cold increases the cook time by 30 or 45 minutes!

Why did my casserole sink after baking?

No worries! This is totally normal. In the simplest of terms, the heat and the steam from the oven cause your casserole to rise, but as soon as it starts to cool, the casserole sinks because you’re losing all the heat and steam. It’s nothing to worry about!

Topping Ideas

If you don’t want to make the crème anglaise or just want a few different options, no worries! We have you covered. Here’s a quick list of a few of our favorite things to serve on top of this bread pudding.

• Chantilly Cream
• Powdered Sugar
• Maple Syrup
• Chocolate Sauce
• Vanilla Ice Cream

How To Store

If you have leftover bread pudding, you can cover the casserole and keep it in the refrigerator (without the crème anglaise on top) for about 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for up to a month! To store the creme anglaise, place it in an air-tight container and store in the fridge for about one week.

Expert Tips

• When making the creme anglaise, be sure to mix while you add the hot milk to the egg yolk mixture. You don’t want to wind up scrambled egg yolks!
• Don’t skip straining the crème anglaise through a sieve. This will catch any cooked bit of eggs you might have.
• To speed up the chilling process, you can place the creme anglaise in the freezer! Just be sure to stir it often.
• Be sure to coat the bread ENTIRELY with the custard.
• If you’re having trouble keeping the bread down while trying to soak it, use a slightly smaller casserole to set on top of the bread to weight it down.
• Be careful when baking this casserole! It can be hard to tell when it’s done. When it’s puffed in the middle and you can’t see any more runny custard, that means it’s done.
• You will have to cover this casserole with foil to prevent over-browning.

When you make this Bourbon Bread Pudding with Bourbon Crème Anglaise, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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