This Apple Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce is rich, cozy, and packed with fall flavor. It’s loaded with tender apples, warm spices, and finished with a velvety bourbon caramel sauce that takes it over the top. Whether you’re making it for brunch or dessert, this easy recipe is guaranteed to be a keeper.
Fall is all about the apple where I live. Everyone has trees bursting with apple goodness. So I love to take advantage and make lots of amazing apple recipes like my Apple Rustic Pie and my Apple Fritter. Try them both.
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Why this Apple Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce Recipe is a Keeper
This classic comfort dessert gets a cozy twist with bourbon and apples. Plus, it’s surprisingly easy to make. The whiskey sauce just elevates the whole dish.
- Comfort in a Bowl: The combination of soft, custard-soaked bread, tender apples, melted butter and warm spices is the epitome of comfort food. It’s a hug in a bowl, perfect for a chilly day.
- A Taste of the Holidays: The flavors of apple, cinnamon, and bourbon evoke a sense of festive celebration. It’s a dessert that feels special, even when made on a regular weeknight.
- Smart and Frugal: Bread pudding is a fantastic way to use up stale or day-old brioche bread, transforming what might otherwise be discarded into a decadent treat. This makes it a resourceful and economical recipe.
What Kind of Bread Should I Use for this Dessert?
The best breads are ones that soak up custard without turning mushy and add a touch of flavor or richness. Challah bread and brioche are top choices because they’re slightly sweet, eggy, and tender, creating a luxurious texture that pairs beautifully with apples. French bread works well too, especially when it’s a day old. For best results, use day old or lightly toasted bread cut into cubes so it absorbs the custard evenly and bakes up with a satisfying texture.
What Reader’s Are Saying…
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“Christina, I love bread pudding but have never had it with bourbon in the sauce, it’s delish.”
~ Sheena
Sauce Ingredient Notes for New Orleans Bread Pudding
All of the ingredients for the pudding soaked in bourbon sauce are easy to find and pantry-friendly. You may even have most of them on hand. If you tried this recipe, let me know.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Apples: Use firm, tart varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp so they hold their shape and balance the sweetness.
- Bread: Day old challah, brioche, or French bread work best; the drier, the better. It allows the bread to absorb all the custard and bourbon glaze.
- Bourbon Whiskey: Adds depth and warmth. Use a mid-range bourbon you’d enjoy sipping.
- Heavy Cream: Makes the sauce extra rich and silky. Avoid light cream or milk for this part.
Variations and Substitutions for Bourbon Bread Pudding
You can easily adapt this recipe to suit your taste or pantry.
- Fruit: While apples are classic, you can use other fruits like pears, peaches, or even a mix of dried fruits such as golden raisins or dried cranberries.
- Spices: Feel free to adjust the spices to your taste. Add a pinch of nutmeg, allspice, or cardamom for a more complex flavor profile.
- Nuts: Toasted pecans or walnuts can be added to the bread pudding or sprinkled on top for a delightful crunch.
- Bread: If you can’t find brioche or challah, a sturdy loaf of sourdough, sandwich bread or even croissants can make bread pudding. Cinnamon raisin bread or apple cinnamon bagels add even more fall flavor.
- Milk: This fantastic bread pudding is made with whole milk. Skim milk can be used in a pinch, but it won’t end up as creamy.
How to Make Apple Bread Pudding with Butter Bourbon Sauce
This apple bread pudding recipe comes together in just 5 easy to follow steps. It’s such an easy and delicious bread pudding, I come back to it again and again.
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Prep Oven and Pan: Preheat the oven and butter a 9×13 baking dish.
- Make the Batter: In a large mixing bowl, add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, bourbon, whole milk and eggs. Then, whisk in 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the brown sugar and granulated sugar.
- Prepare Bread and Apples: Add the bread cubes to the milk mixture, ensuring each piece is fully coated. Toss the apple with the rest of the cinnamon.
- Assemble and Bake: Place half of the soaked bread in the dish, followed by the apples and the rest of the bread on top. After letting sit for 30 minutes, bake until set.
- Make the Bourbon Sauce: In a small saucepan, add the caramel and bourbon. Cook over medium-low heat until the caramel thins. When done, drizzle bourbon sauce over the top of the bread dessert.
Prep Ahead Suggestions to Love this Recipe
Make this recipe ahead to save time and make entertaining easier.
- Make the Pudding Base: You can assemble the bread pudding up to a day in advance. Simply combine the bread, apples, and custard in the baking dish, cover it, and refrigerate. The longer it sits, the more the bread soaks up the flavors, resulting in an incredibly moist and flavorful pudding.
- Make the Bread Pudding Sauce: The bourbon sauce is easy to make ahead of time. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’ll thicken in the fridge, so gently reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
- Pre-toast the bread: Toast cubes a day ahead and store in an airtight container.
Alternate Cooking Methods
Want to try a different method? These options also work for making bread pudding with apples.
- Slow Cooker: For a hands-off approach, you can cook the bread pudding in a slow cooker. This method is great for keeping the pudding warm at a gathering.
- Individual Servings: Instead of a large baking dish, you can make individual bread puddings in ramekins. This reduces the cooking time and makes for a charming presentation.
- Air Fryer: Use ramekins for individual servings. Air fry at 320°F for 12–15 minutes.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftovers
This pudding stores beautifully, and leftovers are almost better.
- Store: Store leftover bread pudding and sauce separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: To reheat the bread pudding, a microwave is a good option for a quick warm-up. For a crispy top, you can reheat it in an oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10-15 minutes.
- Use Leftovers: Leftover bread pudding makes for a fantastic and decadent breakfast. You can also serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream for a simple second-day dessert.
Common Questions About This Bread Pudding Recipe
You don’t have to use stale bread, but it works best for soaking up the right amount of easy bread pudding sauce.
You don’t have to! Lessen the amount of bourbon, or skip it all together, and use vanilla or maple extract in the sauce instead.
Expert Recipe Tips for Making This Recipe
- Don’t Forget to Toast: If your bread isn’t stale, a quick toast in the oven will dry it out and prevent a soggy pudding.
- Balance the Sweetness: The apples add a natural sweetness, so taste the custard mixture before adding the bread and adjust the sugar if needed. A little salt in the custard and the sauce will also help to balance the flavors.
- Don’t Overcook: A properly baked bread pudding should be firm on the outside but still have a soft, custardy center. Overbaking can lead to a dry texture.
- Serving Temperature is Key: Bread pudding is best served warm, drizzled with the warm bourbon sauce. The contrast of the warm pudding and a scoop of cold ice cream is a classic combination.
- Serve this Recipe: Serve with other fall desserts like Homemade Snickers Bars, Pumpkin Milkshake or Pumpkin Spice Donuts.
More Recipes You Might Like
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Apple Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce
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Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 5 cups French or Italian bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 cup Whole milk
- ⅓ cup Brown sugar
- ⅓ cup Granulated sugar
- 4 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons Bourbon
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cinnamon, divided
- 2 large Apples, peeled and sliced
Bourbon Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup Caramel sauce, prepared ice cream sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Bourbon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and butter a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together heavy cream, milk, eggs, vanilla and rum.
- Add sugars and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and whisk until combined.
- Add bread cubes to the bowl and carefully stir, ensuring that each piece is soaked in the mixture; set aside.
- Toss the apples with remaining ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Place half of the soaked bread cubes in prepared baking dish.
- Top with cinnamon apple slices.
- Place remaining bread on top; lightly press down.
- Let sit for 30 – 60 minutes (or overnight).
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until set.
- Meanwhile, place caramel and bourbon in a small sauce pan.
- Heat over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until caramel thins.
- Drizzle Bourbon Caramel Sauce over the warm Apple Bread Pudding; serve immediately.
Christina’s Notes
- Start with dry bread: It soaks up more custard and keeps the texture just right.
- Use tart apples: They add balance and hold up beautifully during baking.
- Make the sauce ahead: It stores well and makes serving a breeze.
- Skip the booze: Use vanilla or maple extract for a family-friendly option.
- Customize it: Add nuts, raisins, or swap in other fruit for your own twist.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Rum? I don’t see rum in the ingredients but it’s whisked in a bowl with eggs , cream, vanilla!!
Help! Making this now!
It should say bourbon not rum. It will be corrected. sorry.
I do not get ice cream caramel sauce here so I looked at a couple of other recipes and made my own brandy/rum sauce and it came out fantastic.
Christina, I love bread pudding but have never had it with bourbon in the sauce, it sounds delish!