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Traditional Louisiana Bread Pudding Recipe With Warm Vanilla Sauce

Traditional Louisiana Bread Pudding With Vanilla Sauce

A classic Louisiana bread pudding made with stale French bread, cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, and pecans, served warm with a creamy vanilla sauce. The recipe yields 10–12 generous servings.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bread Pudding
  • 12 ounces Stale French bread or day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 cups Whole milk
  • 3 eggs Large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 cup Raisins
  • 1/2 cup Chopped pecans
Vanilla Sauce
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup Unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup Heavy cream or evaporated milk
  • 1 egg Large egg
  • 2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch Salt

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
  2. Place the cubed French bread in a large bowl. If it is not stale, dry the cubes in a 300°F oven for about 10–15 minutes, then let them cool briefly.
  3. Whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth.
  4. Pour the custard over the bread. Add the raisins and pecans if using, and toss gently until every cube is moistened.
  5. Let the bread mixture stand for 20–30 minutes so the cubes can absorb the custard.
  6. Transfer the soaked bread to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
  7. Bake for 45–60 minutes, until puffed and golden brown with only a slight jiggle in the center.
  8. For the sauce, combine the sugar, butter, cream or evaporated milk, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
  9. Beat the sauce egg in a separate bowl. Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot sauce into the egg, then return the tempered mixture to the saucepan.
  10. Cook gently for 2–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Do not boil; remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
  11. Serve the bread pudding warm with generous spoonfuls of vanilla sauce.

Notes

Use stale French bread for the best texture. Bourbon, dark rum, or whiskey may be added in a small amount as a variation. Keep the vanilla sauce below a simmer so the egg does not curdle.