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Bourbon Apple Pecan Bread Pudding is a decadent dessert made with butter, cream, brown sugar, apples, pecans, challah bread, cinnamon, and bourbon. They all add up to a most delicious sweet treat! And I haven’t even gotten to the sauce! Keep reading you won’t be sorry!
*This post is sponsored in conjunction with AppleWeek . I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the AppleWeek recipes. All opinions are mine alone.
Fall baking is one of my favorite times of the year! Isn’t it a season all to itself?? Well, if not I am declaring it one!
So you have to realize how giddy I became when this Swiss Diamond Cast Iron was laid on my doorstep! If you have been following along you know how much I love to cook in cast iron. And this, my friends, is one gorgeous pan. The quality is amazing and have you gotten a look at this brilliant blue color??
I just could not wait to debut my new pan for Apple Week! I knew just the thing to christen this bad boy! Bourbon Apple Pecan Bread Pudding!
Easy Bread Pudding
Bread Pudding is really a very classic dish. Cubed bread and a custard (Eggs and Milk/Cream) are the base of this dessert. You can change the flavors by incorporating spices, nuts, fruits, and in this case a little bourbon.
I cannot express how easy bread pudding really is to make. It does take a few simple steps to bring it together, but it really isn’t rocket science, like you may think! So, do not let this dish intimidate you! If I can make so can you!
And let me say you will be so glad you did!
How to make Bourbon Apple Pecan Bread Pudding
It really is best to start by getting organized. Gather your ingredients, so you will have everything right at your fingertips for each step.
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then start creating your base. Mix the milk, cream, and vanilla in a large bowl. Then cube up your bread and let it soak in the mixture and come to room temperature,
Second head over to the stove and place your Cast Iron Skillet over medium-high heat. Get that butter melted. Whisk in your brown and white sugar until well combined. Remove it from the heat and let it cool off for a minute or two.
Third At this point, I like to temper the eggs with a little bit of the butter mixture. That just means pour a little of the warmer butter mixture into the eggs and whisk before you add them back into the pan of sugar and butter mixture.
Slowly whisk in those (room temperature) eggs and then 4 tablespoons of the bourbon. Followed by the apples, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of pecans.
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At this point, the kitchen is smelling heavenly! But it only gets better! Pour in the bread mixture into the skillet and stir it all together until well combined.
Now sprinkle on the rest of the pecans and the turbinado sugar! This just gives the top some extra crunch!
It is ready for the oven. Cover with a lid (or foil) and bake for 55 minutes. Then remove the lid or foil and bake for about 15 more minutes, until it is golden brown and a wooden pick comes out clean when placed in the center.
While it is finishing off those last 15 minutes, it’s time to make the SAUCE!
BREAD PUDDING SAUCE
Bread pudding is known for being served with a sauce! Many are made with a rum sauce, but in this case, we are using Bourbon! It gives it such a smooth flavor and pairs so well with the apples and pecans.
The sauce is made with powdered sugar, melted butter, and bourbon. Mixed until smooth (I use a whisk or fork). Add in the cream and mix again until smooth! SIMPLE RIGHT? But it is DIVINE!
If you are opposed to the bourbon, you can omit it and add in water or milk to get the desired thickness.
Pour the sauce over the Apple Pecan Bread Pudding. I usually only pour about half and reserve the rest to drizzle over individual servings. But you can pour it all on as well!
SERVING BOURBON BREAD PUDDING
Bread pudding can be served warm or at room temperature. However, I think it is best served warm! There is just something about a warm bite with that sauce! YUM!
Store leftovers in the refrigerator covered for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. You may want to slice it into individual servings and freeze them. Then thaw and enjoy!
5 Fabulous Apple Recipes
- Apple Butter Cheesecake Tart
- Instant Pot Apple Butter
- Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
- Apple Pecan Sticky Bun Bites
- Fried Green Apples
Bourbon Apple Pecan Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 1 20 ounce challah loaf, cubed
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups heavy cream, (or 4 cups half & half)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- ½ cup white sugar
- 4 large eggs, beaten lightly
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 tbsps bourbon
- 1 large apple, chopped, (I use a sweet but firm apple)
- ¾ cup chopped pecans, divided
- 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
Bourbon Sauce
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 2 tbsp bourbon
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Bread Pudding
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large combine milk, cream, and vanilla. Add in cubed bread and gently combine until coated. Let sit at room temperature.
- In a 12 inch cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar and white sugar until combined. Remove from heat.
- Whisk in eggs (you can temper in a little of the butter mixture first) and 4 tbsp bourbon until combined. Add in apples, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup pecans, and stir.
- Pour in bread mixture and fold in until combined.
- Sprinkle on remaining 1/4 cup pecans and turbinado sugar. Cover with lid or foil.
- Bake for 55 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown about 15 minutes. Inserting a wooden pick or cake tester in the center and be sure it comes out clean.
Bourbon Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, melted butter, 2 tbsp bourbon until smooth. Whisk in heavy cream until smooth. Drizzle sauce on top of warm bread pudding and serve immediately while warm.
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Nutrition Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Soulfully Made is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
©️Soulfully Made
Can this be made ahead and refrigerated before baking? I would allow to come to room temperature before baking.
I haven’t specifically tested it, but it should work just fine. Enjoy!
I serve this at my bed and breakfast, and everyone says “mmmmm “ at the first few bites.
Mmm is the best compliment! Thank you for sharing this with your bed and breakfast friends!
First of all I love me a thick slice of bread pudding but the bourbon put it way in the stratosphere!
I love it too! The bourbon and the apples are so good together!
This bread pudding is the stuff dreams are made of. I requested it for my birthday (in place of a traditional cake) and OH MY WORD. We’ll be making this again and again.
This is in my oven right now, and it smells heavenly! I can’t wait to eat it!
I don’t have access to challah bread where I live. Do you think this will be ok with French?
Yesh french bread will work also! Enjoy Rhonda!
How much butter for step 3 of making the pudding? Your recipe ingredients list does not state.
3/4 cup of butter. Thanks for letting me know I have that corrected.
No bourbon for me, but it looks divine! Thank you for sharing at our apple celebration of Celebrate 365 Blog Party!
LOL! I don’t drink it but it I think it is wonderful in recipes! Thanks for the link up to celebrate apples!
Holy moly does that ever look good! My dad is a big bread pudding fan and I can’t wait to make this for him! (Of course I’ll have to help it eat it, it’s only right!)
It really is delicious! The bourbon gives it a great flavor! Absolutely, he def can’t have it alone 😉 !
You had me at bourbon.
LOL! 😉 It is so tasty in baking and cooking too! I really love it with apples!
Omg this looks amazing. Bread pudding is one of my favorite desserts!
Thank you so much Amanda! It’s one of mine too! The sauce on this is so delish!
I want to dive right into this bread pudding like NOW!! Perfect for apple week and all the apple lovers like me. 🙂
Sue go right ahead my friend! I don’t blame you a bit! I am so enjoying all the recipes this week celebrating all things apple! Perfect way to kick off fall!