Bourbon Chocolate Bread Pudding

So we’re in the longest spring of 2020 if you know what I mean. I had several leftover chunks of bread...a baguette, some panettone, and some stale sandwich bread. I used them all and this turned out great! Saved me a trip to the store!

I also used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, and added homemade whipped cream to top. Delicious!

I just found this recipe for something to do for St. Patrick's Day that is easy and also using ingredients I already have on hand. This is my first bread pudding, ever.

Easy and delicious! Will definitely make it again! For those who needed to know, I measured out the bread cubes and 4 packed cups is about 6 oz of a baguette, cut into 1/2-3/4" cubes.

My changes: doubled the recipe and baked in a glass 9x13 pan, used skim milk, granulated sugar, Ghiarardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, and mix of bourbon and Irish whiskey (ran out of bourbon). I also followed suggestions and added about 1C of dried tart cherries soaked in Irish whiskey. I would've liked to have more cherries, but I love dried cherries. I had to bake for an additional 15 min for the pudding to set in the middle.

I served it with an Irish cream sauce I pulled from epicurious.

I loved this recipe! Turned out perfectly. I omitted the sugar and tossed in a couple bananas that I needed to use up.

Sorry "Veronique" but your recipe seems way toooo long for me to fiddle with.....Food 52s much easier... Penny~

Fantastic - i was very popular at the dinner party i brought this too - i baked it at mt friends house so everyone loved the scent if it baking too :) Thanks for the great easy crowd pleaser

Wonderful!. I can't drink, so I left the bourbon out. In it's place, I caramelized the sugar in the recipe with a 1/3 cup water to a light amber color. I think I managed to maintain the bit of smokiness and lovely color of the bourbon. In an case, a wonderful bread pudding. Thank you!

I tried this recipe yesterday - my first time making bread pudding - and it worked out surprisingly well. I used skim milk instead of whole, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and dried cherries as suggested in the comments below. The cooking time, however, went well beyond 40mins - I think about 70mins, but came out perfectly.

I have tried to make bread pudding twice now...onece it was quite dry so I the next one I soaked overnight although it was really moist I think it could have been too mushy...what's the correct texture supoosed to be like...My English friends say originally is was quite dry..the American was is way creamier

I made this bread pudding (absolutely delicious) and added a simple bourbon sauce on top- it was delicious and impressed my friends =)

I don't have any bourbon on hand, but as soon as I can, will purchase it to make this lucious sounding bread pudding. However, I do have toasted bred cubes, done recently to save left over bread and have the toasted cubes for bread pudding adn other dishes calling for bread cubes. Will they work in this recipe? BettyN

I, like veronique, found the end product dry. I use a second thermometer in the oven to ensure proper temperature but think it may be the amount of bread used. "4 cups day-old French bread cubes (packed)" can vary depending upon how tightly 'packed' on fills the cup. I do believe the use of weights, when possible, will provide a more consistent result. One question I have is if the baking dish was buttered before pouring in the mixture?

delicious, thank you! I pre-soaked dried cherries and it tasted great. :-)

This is a delightful weeknight dessert. I substituted dark chocolate chips in lieu of shaving a chocolate bar, making the preparation even easier. I also used Challah (we get a loaf every week courtesy of my son's school so we always have a surplus) with good results.

I have a similar recipe on my site, but I add some orange marmalade to the bread w/ the chocolate and bourbon. I use Blanton's or Woodford Reserve bourbon and this recipe is the best! We love it, it's my go to bread pudding.
http://www.staceysnacksonline.com/2010/11/best-orange-chocolate-bourbon-bread.html

(not sure why that commenter was so disappointed......bread pudding is bread, eggs and milk and whatever else you want to add.....no rules!).

hi! i was wondering if it was ok if it soaked longer in the fridge. i'd love to make it earlier in the day and just pop in oven from the fridge while people were eating dinner. is that a no no? thanks!

This is an elegantly simple recipe to make, and just as good to eat. I wouldn't change a thing. It was so good, I had it for breakfast this morning. Is that a bad???

Glad this just popped up on my screen. I've saved it and will make it the next time I need a special dessert!

this is soooo delicious. i used a can of low-fat coconut milk from traders joe's and 1/4 c. heavy cream to replace all the whole milk. and only 3 eggs, since that's all i had and we're stuck in a blizzard here. it's going to be hard to make the dish last a few days...

Great success! I doubled this recipe except for the chocolate, of which I only had 11 oz of 78% cocoa. It had a great balance of intensity and mildness, and was pleasantly not too sweet or rich. I wish we had any leftovers so that I could have this for breakfast. I would be curious to taste the difference with a nicer bourbon than Evan Williams...

I made this last night and it came out wonderful. The only thing I would adjust is the amount of chocolate. I added 6 oz, but I would have just put in 3 oz. There was such a lovely boozy taste but I felt like it was masked by the chocolate. But a great dessert, especially since it is so easy to prepare.

Could I make this in individual ramekins? Or would it cook incorrectly?

I just made this for my friend for dinner and she requested it as her birthday cake. I added some dried cherries and I think, because of Japanese labeling, adding light brown sugar instead of raw. But no worries. It was wonderful. Thanks for the recipe! May all our birthdays be so bourbon-y.

I made this recently and it was a hit with everyone - so deliciously boozy, and custardy without being too sweet or heavy. A really great recipe.

This recipe looked very promising, but my fiancé and I were both disappointed. I'm an experienced cook, I followed the recipe carefully (which I rarely do), and even bought first-rate chocolate. The final product was dry and overly rich. It died a slow death in our fridge. Bread pudding needs a real custard and should not (in my mind) be gussied-up with too many other flavors. I found a vastly better recipe on the Cooks Illustrated site (I'm a subscriber and have no other connection to them):
------------------------------
Serves 8 to 10. Published March 1, 2010. From Cook's Illustrated.

Challah is an egg-enriched bread that can be found in most bakeries and supermarkets. If you cannot find challah, a firm high-quality sandwich bread such as Arnold Country Classics White or Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White may be substituted. If desired, serve this pudding with softly whipped cream or with Bourbon-Brown Sugar Sauce (see related recipe). Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. To retain a crisp top crust when reheating leftovers, cut the bread pudding into squares and heat, uncovered, in a 450-degree oven until warmed through, 6 to 8 minutes.


2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 (14-ounce) loaf challah bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 10 cups) (see note)
9 large egg yolks
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon table salt
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven racks to middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine brown sugar and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in small bowl; set aside.

2. Spread bread cubes in single layer on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake, tossing occasionally, until just dry, about 15 minutes, switching trays from top to bottom racks halfway through. Cool bread cubes about 15 minutes; set aside 2 cups.

3. Whisk yolks, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and salt together in large bowl. Whisk in cream and milk until combined. Add remaining 8 cups cooled bread cubes and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and let stand, occasionally pressing bread cubes into custard, until cubes are thoroughly saturated, about 30 minutes.

4. Spread reserved bread cubes evenly over top of soaked bread mixture and gently press into custard. Using pastry brush, dab melted butter over top of unsoaked bread pieces. Sprinkle brown-sugar mixture evenly over top. Place bread pudding on rimmed baking sheet and bake on middle rack until custard has just set, and pressing center of pudding with finger reveals no runny liquid, 45 to 50 minutes. (Instant-read thermometer inserted into center of pudding should read 170 degrees.) Transfer to wire rack and cool until pudding is set and just warm, about 45 minutes. Serve.

This was delicious! I made it last night, and convinced my husband that it was no worse than french toast for breakfast in the morning.

Made this last night for a group of seven, assuming that two of the very skinny women would only eat a bite. Wrong! I could have made a double recipe and we'd still have finished the whole fantastic, chocolatey, boozy concoction. A real keeper, this one.

This recipe has it all: the taste and feel of melted chocolate, a hint of bourbon as a bass note, and an incredibly satisfying warmth. Easy to put together, and easy to eat - I've had three servings in the last 12 hours, dessert, breakfast, snack. And I'm looking forward to more after I go dancing tonight.

Oh my god, this sounds delicious!

Bread pudding is my favourite teatime snack. But this sounds wonderfully exotic. Definitely not something I'm going to leave for guests to finish. (Vote: Slurrpalicious)

I'm not fond of bread pudding as a dessert class, but the combination of dark chocolate and quick/easy prep make this a surefire opportunity to use up some mediocre bourbon in the cabinet.

"Amply boozy yet not too sweet, we..."

I've been a grammar dork for over 20 years, and this is the most delightful dangling modifier I've ever seen.

The recipe sounds great. Lastnightsdinner and I are also not fond of really sweet desserts, but we like 'em boozy and tart, and this is right up our alley.

I was sold on the chocolate and booze part, but when you mentioned the 5 minutes of preparation, this recipe catapulted to the top of my to-try list.

sounds amazing chocolate and bourbon, two of my favorites
i cant wait to try making it

Confession: I love to eat this for breakfast too!

I love boozy bread pudding. It's a dessert AND a nightcap! I'll have to look for that Billy Idol bourbon. ;-)