Apple Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

We had this Apple Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! You can bet we’ve been making it again and again since.

This dessert is the epitome of comfort food. Warm and gooey and filled with those cozy fall and winter spices that just make you feel good all over.

Prefer a pumpkin dessert instead? Try this simple pumpkin swirl with cream cheese filling.

Apple Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Ingredients:

• 8 cups of bread cubes, stale
• 3 medium apples, peeled and chopped
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ cup sugar

For the topping:

• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. sugar

For the bourbon or vanilla sauce:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. Bourbon
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions for the Bread Pudding:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 9 by 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Using a large bowl (you’re going to be adding your bread cubes into this eventually, so it needs to be big enough!), lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the yogurt and cream until blended. Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.
4. Stir your apple pieces into the egg mixture. Fold in the bread gently. You want it incorporated into the mixture, but you don’t want to break all the pieces of bread apart!
5. Pour bread pudding into the pan.
6. Combine the topping ingredients – sugar and cinnamon – and sprinkle this over the bread pudding in the pan.
7. At this point, you can cover the pan and place it in the fridge overnight. Or you can go straight to the baking step. I’ve made it both ways and they’re both delicious!
8. Bake about 30-40 minutes. You want it golden brown in color with no raw, liquid parts remaining.

Instructions for the Bourbon or Vanilla Sauce:

1. While baking, you can make the sauce. This may sound complicated but it’s not. You just need to be sure to set up each component so it’s all ready to go. Begin by adding the cream, milk, and sugar in a saucepan. Don’t heat this up yet.
2. Pour the bourbon into a cup or small bowl. Use a fork to whisk in the cornstarch.
3. In yet another cup or small bowl, use a fork to beat the egg yolks.
4. Now that the components of the sauce are ready to go, it’s time to assemble the sauce. Begin by placing the saucepan over medium heat.
5. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the cream mixture in the pan.
6. You want this mixture to come to a boil. Stir constantly as it heats up to keep the sauce smooth.
7. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently.
8. Now you need to temper the egg yolks. To do this, pour 1/2 cup of the hot mixture from the saucepan into the bowl of egg yolks, whisking as you do. Once blended, pour the whole egg mixture back into the saucepan, continuing to whisk.
9. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer over low heat.
10. Stir in the butter and vanilla.
11. The sauce will thicken a bit more even after removed from the stove. As it cools, a “skin” will form on top of the sauce. You can prevent that by pouring the sauce into a bowl and covering it with some plastic wrap. Make sure the wrap is touching the surface of the sauce.
12. Serve the bread pudding with the sauce. You can pour some over each piece as you serve or pass it around and let guests pour their own sauce.

What Kind of Bread Should I Use?:

I don’t think that a strong flavor like a rye or pumpernickel would taste very good in this recipe, and I am not a fan of whole wheat bread in it either. The first time I made this, all we had on hand was a simple French white bread and it was really tasty.

Other breads that I’ve tried with success in similar bread puddings: Challah, brioche, raisin bread (you might want to cut back on the spices if using this), and even sourdough (although it does change the flavor a bit).

What’s most important is that you dry the bread out. Cube it and then let it sit out for a few hours before making the bread pudding. To speed things up, you can also put them in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Can I Make Any Ingredient Substitutions?:

You sure can!

Use whole milk in place of the heavy cream (in either or both of the bread pudding and sauce). It won’t be quite as rich but it’s still tasty!

Try pear instead of apple.

You can use vanilla yogurt instead of plain. You might want to eliminate the vanilla extract then. If you can find it, the eggnog yogurt would be fantastic in this recipe!

Add nuts such as walnuts or pecans.

Add dried fruits like raisins or dried cranberries.

Leave out the bourbon if you want a non-alcoholic dessert.

Make-ahead Tips:

To make ahead of time, combine all of the ingredients together as if you were popping it into the oven. Simply cover the pan and place it in the fridge overnight. The next morning, put the pan in the oven and bake as per the instructions. YUM!

Can I Make This in a Slow Cooker?:

Yes! Cook on low for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. I strongly suggest using a slow cooker liner or spraying well with cooking spray for easier cleanup.

4.5 from 2 votes

Print

Apple Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

A comfort food dessert that's a perfect addition to any dinner or brunch menu. Really easy to make you can even make it ahead of time!

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 12

Calories 392 kcal

Ingredients

• 8 cups bread cubes stale
• 3 medium apples peeled and chopped
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ cup sugar

For the topping:

• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tbsp. sugar

For the bourbon or vanilla sauce:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. bourbon
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a 9 by 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Using a large bowl (you’re going to be adding your bread cubes into this eventually, so it needs to be big enough!), lightly beat the eggs. Whisk in the yogurt and cream until blended. Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.
4. Stir your apple pieces into the egg mixture. Fold in the bread gently. You want it incorporated into the mixture, but you don’t want to break all the pieces of bread apart!
5. Pour bread pudding into the pan.
6. Combine the topping ingredients – sugar and cinnamon – and sprinkle this over the bread pudding in the pan.
7. At this point, you can cover the pan and place it in the fridge overnight. Or you can go straight to the baking step. I’ve made it both ways and they’re both delicious!
8. Bake about 30-40 minutes. You want it golden brown in color with no raw, liquid parts remaining.
9. While baking, you can make the sauce. This may sound complicated but it’s not. You just need to be sure to set up each component so it’s all ready to go. Begin by adding the cream, milk, and sugar in a saucepan. Don’t heat this up yet.
10. Pour the bourbon into a cup or small bowl. Use a fork to whisk in the cornstarch.
11. In yet another cup or small bowl, use a fork to beat the egg yolks.
12. Now that the components of the sauce are ready to go, it’s time to assemble the sauce. Begin by placing the saucepan over medium heat.
13. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the cream mixture in the pan.
14. You want this mixture to come to a boil. Stir constantly as it heats up to keep the sauce smooth.
15. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently.
16. Now you need to temper the egg yolks. To do this, pour 1/2 cup of the hot mixture from the saucepan into the bowl of egg yolks, whisking as you do. Once blended, pour the whole egg mixture back into the saucepan, continuing to whisk.
17. Cook for 1-2 minutes longer over low heat.
18. Stir in the butter and vanilla.
19. The sauce will thicken a bit more even after removed from the stove. As it cools, a “skin” will form on top of the sauce. You can prevent that by pouring the sauce into a bowl and covering it with some plastic wrap. Make sure the wrap is touching the surface of the sauce.
20. Serve the bread pudding with the sauce. You can pour some over each piece as you serve or pass it around and let guests pour their own sauce.

Recipe Notes

An average sized loaf of bread yields about 10-12 cups of bread cubes.

You can use any kind of bourbon you prefer. I used Jim Beam Devil’s Cut and it was scrumptious in this sauce! 

Nutrition Facts

Apple Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Amount Per Serving

Calories 392 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 5g

Cholesterol 138mg46%

Sodium 232mg10%

Potassium 216mg6%

Carbohydrates 44g15%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 25g28%

Protein 9g18%

Vitamin A 801IU16%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 134mg13%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.