Authentic New Orleans style bread pudding with whiskey sauce made with bread, milk, eggs, sugar, and spices. So incredibly delicious!

New Orleans is famous for its many delicious dishes, including buttery pralines, red beans and rice, gumbo, and the wonderful baked bread puddings that are served up in restaurants all over the city. I grew up in New Orleans and this bread pudding recipe is the real deal!
This New Orleans bread pudding makes the perfect dessert to enjoy. We've topped it with a rich whiskey sauce that's easy to make and totally decadent.
Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe is a wonderful way to use up leftover bread.
- It's so delicious and very easy to make.
- The bread pudding and the whiskey sauce come together quickly.
RELATED: Single Serving Comfort Food Recipes
Ingredient Notes
See below for ways to use leftover ingredients.
- Bread: I like to use French or Italian bread in my bread pudding recipes. You can use sourdough, croissants, or another type of bread. You can even make your own homemade french bread!
- Butter: I use salted butter for greasing the baking dish.
- Eggs: Two large eggs are all you need.
- Milk: Use any percentage cow's milk; whole, 2% or skim work well.
- Brown sugar: Gives the bread pudding a gloriously sweet flavor.
- Vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt: For flavor.
For The Whiskey Sauce
- Heavy cream: Adds richness to the whiskey sauce.
- Milk: Any percentage cow's milk.
- Sugar: Simple granulated sugar sweetens the sauce.
- Cornstarch: Helps to thicken the sauce
- Whiskey: Use your favorite whiskey or bourbon.
- Salt: Use less or more if you'd like.
- Butter: Stir in the butter at the end for a wonderfully decadent whiskey sauce.
How to Make This Recipe
See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Grease an 8 x 6 - inch baking dish with the tablespoon of butter and set aside.
- Place the cubes of bread in a large bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the bread and gently stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the bread mixture to the baking dish and bake until the center of the bread pudding is set, 45 to 50 minutes.
- While the bread pudding is baking, make the whiskey sauce:
- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the cream, milk and sugar.
- Add the cornstarch and the whiskey to a small mixing bowl and whisk to blend until smooth.
- Pour the whiskey mixture into the cream mixture and bring to a boil.
- Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat, add the salt and stir in the butter.
- After the bread pudding has finished baking, remove from the oven and pour Whiskey Sauce over the top. Serve warm.
RELATED: 15 Easy Dessert Recipes For One
Expert Tips
- To make a really good New Orleans style bread pudding, you need to use a crusty loaf of either French or Italian bread, sourdough, brioche or challah. If you have day-old croissants, they work well too.
- Don't use fresh bread. Day-old or bread that is a few days older work best in bread puddings.
- Store bread pudding in the refrigerator.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this bread pudding recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
- Bread: Croutons, Breadcrumbs, Breakfast Casserole, French Onion Soup
- Eggs: Cheesy Baked Eggs, Eggs Benedict, Crustless Quiche Lorraine, Mini French Silk Pie
- Milk: Flan, Apple Dutch Baby, Baked Oatmeal, Hot Chocolate
- Heavy cream: Vanilla Ice Cream, Lemon Cheesecake, 2-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse, Mini Devil's Food Cake
- Cornstarch: Banana Cream Pie, Vanilla Pudding, Sesame Chicken, Mini Boston Cream Pie
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg: Baked Apples, Donut Holes, Apple Galette, Fried Apples
Frequently Asked Questions
For this bread pudding recipe, I use an 8 x 6-inch baking dish. A loaf pan will also work well.
If you would like more information on the cooking and baking dishes I use in our “recipes for one”, please visit our FAQ page.
For examples of the dishes used at One Dish Kitchen, please visit our Store page.
My personal preference is to eat bread pudding warm from the oven. After about 15-20 minutes after pulling the bread pudding out of the oven is perfect for me. Others enjoy bread pudding chilled and that's okay too. You decide which way you like best.
This bread pudding comes with a whiskey sauce but you could pour a small bit of heavy cream over the top, add a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
If you’ve tried this Louisiana bread pudding with whiskey sauce or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mini Bread Pudding With Whiskey Sauce
See the post above for expert tips,
FAQs and ways to use leftover ingredients.
Equipment
- 8x6 inch baking dish or a 9x5 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
- 5 cups cubed French or Italian bread
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
WHISKEY SAUCE
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅓ cup whiskey
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C).
- Grease an 8 x 6-inch baking dish with the tablespoon of butter and set aside.
- Place the cubes of bread in a large bowl and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the bread and gently stir to combine.
- Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the bread mixture to the baking dish and bake until the center of the bread pudding is set, 45 to 50 minutes.
- While the bread pudding is baking, make the whiskey sauce.
- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the cream, milk and sugar. Add the cornstarch and the whiskey to a small mixing bowl and whisk to blend until smooth.
- Pour the whiskey mixture into the cream mixture and bring to a boil.
- Once the sauce begins to boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat, add the salt and stir in the butter.
- After the bread pudding has finished baking, remove from the oven and pour Whiskey Sauce over the top.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- To make a really good New Orleans style bread pudding, you need to use a crusty loaf of either French or Italian bread, sourdough, brioche or challah. If you have day-old croissants, they work well too.
- Don't use fresh bread. Day-old or bread that is a few days older work best in bread puddings.
- Store bread pudding in the refrigerator.
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Susan Jones says
I used cinnamon raisin bread, dried a bit in a 200 degree F oven. I also sprinkled a mix of cinnamon & gran. sugar on top before baking. It gives a little crunch. I also used powdered sugar instead for the sauce, no corn starch.
Joanne says
Hello, I am so happy to have found your site. I was looking for a turkey cutlet recipe and that is how I found you. Your recipe for cutlets was so good. I am dairy free as I am allergic to anything that comes from a cow, like beef, butter, cheese, etc. all the good things. I just found the praline recipe and love them but now wonder if I can substitute soy milk or dairy free butter when one of your recipes calls for regular milk or butter. Thanks
Joanie Zisk says
Hi Joanne, I haven't tested the praline recipe with anything other than cow's milk and the higher the fat content in the milk, the better. But, I wonder why soy milk wouldn't work here. The pralines wouldn't be as rich but I bet they'd still be delicious. Maybe full fat coconut milk might work better than soy? If you experiment with it, please let me know how they turn out.
I haven't tested all of our other recipes using dairy free ingredients. We do list other substitutions if we find they work though. This article about adjusting baking recipes to be dairy free might be helpful - sorry I can't be of more help. https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/how-to-adjust-a-baking-recipe-to-be-dairy-free/
Michelle @ Blackberry Babe says
Absolutely love this! My husband and I try to go to NOLA every few years, he goes for the oysters, I go for the bread pudding! Haha! It drives him nuts because he isn't a dessert eater, and it always extends our dinners by 20-30 minutes, but SO WORTH IT!
Joanie says
New Orleans is one of the best cities in the world and so fun to visit. You're right, Michelle - the bread pudding is so worth it 😉
Cookin Canuck says
The first time I ever tried bread pudding, it was topped with a whiskey sauce and I immediately fell in love. Now I'm craving this!
Joanie says
I think the whiskey sauce makes the dessert so special. Thanks, Dara.
Ila Valentine says
What to use in place of whiskey
Joanie Zisk says
You can leave the whiskey out or use a touch a maple syrup instead.
Nancy | The Bitter Side of Sweet says
I have actually never made bread pudding before! I need to change that!
Joanie says
It's so easy to make, Nancy. I bet you'd love it!
eat good 4 life says
I am very intrigued about the whiskey sauce. I bet it tastes fabulous. Great looking pudding!
Joanie says
Thank you!