Classic Southern Bread Pudding with Whisky Sauce is quintessential soul food, so it is perfect for serving at your Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration. Of course, this dessert is also good anytime you’re planning a southern menu, or for that matter, anytime you happen to have some stale bread.

Bread pudding was originally prepared as a cost saving measure on the early plantations in the South to use up stale bread – nothing went to waste. Nowadays we purposely dry bread out just so we can make this delicious dessert. Plain custard is good on this bread pudding, but in some places in the south such as New Orleans, Whiskey Sauce is essential.

I have never seen a southern cookbook that didn’t include at least one recipe for bread pudding; this is my favorite, and my catering clients request it often.

Classic Southern Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

12 Servings

6 cups very stale French bread or homemade-type bread (not marshmallowy white bread such as Wonder or you’ll have a soggy mess) cut into 1" cubes

1 cup heavy cream
2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/3 cup raisins

Whiskey Sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.


2. Butter the inside of a 7 x 9” or 8” or 9” square shallow baking dish.


3. Place the bread cubes in a large bowl.


4. Mix the milk and cream; pour over the bread cubes and let soak a minute or two until the liquid is absorbed.


5. In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins; add to the bread mixture and mix well.


6. Pour into the prepared baking dish.


7. Bake in the preheated oven 45-50 minutes or until the custard is set.


8. Serve warm or room temperature with the whiskey sauce.


9. Whiskey sauce: Place the heavy cream and sugar in a microwaveable container.


10. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth; whisk the mixture into the cream.


11. Microwave on high power for 2 minutes; whisk until smooth and microwave an additional minute or two until boiling.


12. Immediately stir in the whiskey.


13. Taste the sauce; whisk in a little more sugar if you like it sweeter.


14. Cool the sauce to room temperature and serve over the bread pudding.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 417 Calories from Fat 170
Percent Total Calories From: Fat 41% Protein 8% Carb. 48%

Nutrient Amount per Serving
Total Fat 19 g
Saturated Fat 11 g
Cholesterol 115 mg
Sodium 341 mg
Total Carbohydrate 51 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 8 g

Vitamin A 14% Vitamin C 1% Calcium 0% Iron 10%