Bourbon-soaked raisins and spices make this New Orleans bread pudding extra special.

The recipe is based on a bread pudding recipe from the now-closed famed Bon Ton Cafe in New Orleans.

What Is Bread Pudding?

A spoonful of easy bread pudding taken out of a white casserole dish.

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The result is something like the creamy middles from a stack of French toast.

What elevates bread pudding to the realm of a truly decadent dessert is the sauce.

Making Bread Pudding Is Simple!

Overhead view of a casserole dish with bread pudding inside.

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Start with stale bread that’s at least a day old.

Stale bread holds its shape more easily when soaking up the custard mixture.

Fresh bread tends to fall apart and turn to mush.

A stack of plates with easy bread pudding set on top.

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Transfer everything to a casserole dish and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

How To Make the Bread Pudding Sauce

While the bread pudding bakes, make the sauce.

Melt butter in a small saucepan and whisk in sugar and an egg over low heat.

A serving spoon holding a bite of easy bread pudding scooped out of a white casserole dish.

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Cook the sauce just until it thickens, then remove it from heat and whisk in the bourbon.

Cover it and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Let it warm on the counter while your oven preheats and then bake as usual.

Pouring bread pudding sauce over a plate of bread pudding.

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Note that the longer you soak the bread pudding the softer and more custard-like the interior will be.

Get the raisins soaking in bourbon before you jump in anything with this recipe.

you might even soak them a day or two ahead.

Soaking raisins for the best bread pudding recipe.

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The bread you use should be a little dry.

Cover and soak for 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Soaking bread in a milk mixture to make a bread pudding recipe.

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Place milk in a large mixing bowl and add the cubed bread.

Pour over the bread and milk mixture.

Add the bourbon-soaked raisins.

Adding egg mixture to cubed bread for a bread pudding recipe.

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Stir gently to combine.

Simple Tip!

Pour the melted butter into the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.

A glass bowl with soaked bread and raisins

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Coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter.

Pour the bread milk and egg mixture into the baking pan.

Bake at 350F for 35 to 45 minutes, until the liquid has set.

A white casserole dish with bread pudding ready to be baked

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While the bread pudding is cooking make the bourbon sauce.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on low heat.

Add the sugar and egg and whisk to blend well.

Overhead view of easy bread pudding in a white casserole dish

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Do not allow the mixture to simmer or the sauce will curdle.

Whisk in bourbon to taste.

Whisk again before serving.

Whisking bread pudding sauce in a saucepan.

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The sauce should be soft, creamy, and smooth.

Serve the bread pudding with bourbon sauce on the side; pour on to taste.

Bread pudding is best served right away after it’s finished baking.

Spooning bread pudding sauce out of a saucepan.

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However, leftovers can be kept for up to 5 days refrigerated and can be reheated in the microwave.

To reheat, warm individual portions in 1-minute bursts in the microwave until warmed through.

The sauce can be drizzled over top and reheated along with the individual slice.

A thinner bread pudding sauce being spooned out of a saucepan.

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We do not recommend freezing bread pudding.

A large cut of easy bread pudding resting on a stack of plates

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