This Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce is out of this world delicious, y’all! It’s giving you all the bells and whistles of an old-fashioned bread pudding dish along with an epic, swoon-worthy hot buttered rum sauce. You’ll love the rich, flavorful custard that beams with sweetness, golden raisins, cinnamon, and pecans. Serve this bread pudding for a truly luxurious dessert recipe that everyone will go crazy over!

slice of bread pudding with rum sauce on small white scalloped plate with gold spoon

These last two months of the year are all about the food. I mean, sure, there’s the cozy fall vibes as well but we all know November and December scream food. Let’s just be all the way real with it. I’ve got some pretty delicious recipes coming your way all month long in anticipation of the foodie holidays, too. That leads me to tell you about this bread pudding recipe. One of my favorite desserts of all time, y’all. I love this recipe so much I could burst, let’s get into it!

slices of bread pudding with vanilla ice cream on white scalloped plates

Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce 🙌🏾

An iconic dessert dish, bread pudding is a staple like no other. This bread pudding is laced with so much flavor and richness and has every bit of a wow factor. The bread pudding is outstanding on its own, but it’s taken up several notches when topped with my scrumptious hot buttered rum sauce, whew. Both elements of this recipe are so easy to make and it’s the ideal dessert to share with family and friends anytime, but especially during the holiday season!

⇢ Desserts that are poppin’ at the moment, my Sticky Toffee Pudding, this Caribbean Rum Cake, and for sure this Sweet Potato Pound Cake ♡.

bread pudding with rum sauce in white baking dish with Pete & Gerry's egg carton

Back to Basics: What Is Bread Pudding?

Bread pudding is a traditional dish with English origins. Going back as far as the 11th century, bread pudding was considered “poor man’s food” because it was a way to use up leftover, stale bread. It has since been internationally recognized as the quintessential dessert dish of the South. Most notably, bread pudding is an iconic staple in Louisiana, specifically New Orleans.

At its core, bread pudding is a baked dessert that encompasses stale bread pieces soaked in a custard mixture (milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and butter) and then baked until set and golden. There are endless options and varieties across the globe when it comes to bread pudding, too. In the South, it’s almost commonplace to complete bread pudding with some sort of sauce as well. That sauce soaks and seeps into the bread pudding and the two elements become one in perfect harmony. This bread pudding with rum sauce is beyonddd!

ingredients for bread pudding with hot buttered rum sauce laid out on surface

Ingredients Needed For This Bread Pudding with Hot Buttered Rum Sauce Recipe:

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

  • Bread: We can’t make some bread pudding without the main star! Use any day-old bread that’s accessible to you. The best breads for bread pudding include French bread, Italian bread, brioche, challah, and regular white sandwich bread (big fan of Sara Lee Artesano).
  • Eggs: A classic necessity for developing a custard, high-quality eggs are important.
  • Evaporated milk: Not condensed milk! This shelf-stable, highly concentrated type of milk has 60% of the water content evaporated from the milk, leaving it extra rich and creamy. I recommend it the most here, but whole milk or half and half would be the next best alternatives.
  • Heavy cream: A powerhouse for adding a rich, lush texture to the custard.
  • Granulated sugar: The main sweet for the bread pudding.
  • Butter: Bread pudding needs some fat within the custard mixture.
  • Golden raisins: They’re a bit sweeter, more plump and have a deeper taste as opposed to regular raisins.
  • Rum extract: To amp up the rum flavor- you can sub with vanilla if needed.
  • Cinnamon: A pop of fragrance and warm undertones.
  • Pecans: For a little texture, and the loveliest bit of crunch.
  • & For the rum sauce: Butter, sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, and rum. This rum sauce is perfectly rich and decadent!
bread cubes soaking in custard mixture in large white bowl
unbaked soaked bread pudding in white baking dish

How To Make This Dessert Recipe:

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

  1. Place the cubed/torn bread pieces into a large bowl and set aside. Then grease a large baking dish with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In another medium bowl, combine the eggs, evaporated milk, heavy cream, sugar, melted butter, raisins, rum extract (or vanilla), ground cinnamon, and pecans. Whisk the custard mixture well to thoroughly combine. 
  3. Pour the custard mixture over the bread and use a spatula or your hands to toss until combined- ensuring the bread pieces are well saturated with the custard mixture. Set the bowl aside to rest and soak.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  5. When the oven is preheated, empty the soaked bread into the prepared baking dish. Bake the bread pudding for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the custard is set and the bread and edges are golden brown. Set aside to cool while you prepare the rum sauce.
  6. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, condensed milk, heavy cream, and brown sugar- stir to combine. Let the mixture cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted. Then increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Once achieved, remove the sauce from heat. Then stir in the rum until fully incorporated. 
  7. Pour half of the hot buttered rum sauce over the bread pudding-save the remaining sauce for serving. Let pudding sit for at least 30 minutes. 
  8. Slice the bread pudding into wedges and serve, passing the remaining rum sauce over bread pudding servings as desired. Enjoy!
hot buttered rum sauce in glass jar with gold spoon

Hot Buttered Rum Sauce 😋

Oooeee, this sauce! I could guzzle it down on its own if I didn’t know any better, ha. It’s perfectly rich and sweet without any cloying. There’s a minimal amount of rum in the mix so the alcohol content is not overpowering. While any rum will suffice, I do recommend dark rum because since they’re more aged, the flavor is deeper and smokier. The rum sauce adds so much depth and oomph!

black hands pouring rum sauce over baked bread breading in baking dish
bread pudding with hot buttered rum sauce in white baking dish

Serving Bread Pudding

After pouring the rum sauce over the bread pudding, it’s tempting to wanna dive right on in. However, I recommend waiting for at least 30 minutes to let the sauce work its magic. Ideally, bread pudding is best served the next day because the sauce soaks into all the nooks and crannies, mmm. This bread pudding with rum sauce can be served warm or at room temperature. Many folks enjoy their bread pudding chilled, too. A scoop of vanilla ice cream is very much a cardinal rule for the ultimate bread pudding experience that’ll make you holla! 🙌🏾

Bread pudding is a must for nearly any kind of holiday get-together dessert. It’s a family favorite to be served up for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Easter Sunday, and other holiday-centered celebrations or festivities.

slice of bread pudding with rum sauce on white scalloped plate

Storing Bread Pudding & Freezing

Since bread pudding is often made in a large baking dish, you’ll likely have some leftovers. Here’s my tips on storing:

Keep on the counter: You can keep this bread pudding, covered well, on the counter for up to 12 hours if you’d like to serve it the next day. Any longer and I recommend refrigerating it for food safety.

To refrigerate: First, make sure the bread pudding has cooled down to room temperature. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil. It will keep stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can be eaten cold or you can pop it in the microwave to gently heat until warmed through.

To freeze: To prevent any sogginess from happening, this bread pudding can be frozen but without the rum sauce. Make sure the bread pudding base is at room temperature first. Then wrap well in plastic wrap and then once more using foil to prevent freezer burn. I like to label the dish with the date made for safekeeping as well. The base of the bread pudding will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Then prepare rum sauce as directed and pour over bread pudding and serve.

Storing the rum sauce: Make sure the rum sauce is cooled to room temperature. Then transfer it into a small ramekin or mason jar and cover well with foil or airtight lid. The butter rum sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. Note: the rum sauce may thicken once chilled, to remedy, reheat in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave- if needed.

bread pudding with rum sauce and vanilla ice cream on white plate

This Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce will most definitely shake up the table. It’s such a dessert showstopper, peeps. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

More deliciousness you might love:

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slice of bread pudding with rum sauce on small white scalloped plate with gold spoon

Best-Ever Bread Pudding with Hot Buttered Rum Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 8 reviews
  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 9-12
  • Category: Desserts & Sweets
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Southern
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Description

This Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce is out of this world delicious, y’all! It’s giving you all the bells and whistles of an old-fashioned bread pudding dish along with an epic, swoon-worthy hot buttered rum sauce. You’ll love the rich, flavorful custard that beams with sweetness, golden raisins, cinnamon, and pecans. Serve this bread pudding for a truly luxurious dessert recipe that everyone will go crazy over!

Ingredients

For the bread pudding:

  • 1 loaf of day-old bread (about 1 lb)- cut into small cubes
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted & slightly cooled
  • ⅓ cup golden raisins
  • 1 tablespoon rum extract (or vanilla extract)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¾ cup chopped pecans

For the hot buttered rum sauce:

  • ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup rum- I use Myers’s dark rum

For serving bread pudding– optional:

  • Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream & chopped pecans, as desired.

Instructions

  1. Place the cubed/torn bread pieces into a large bowl and set aside. Then grease a 9×13-inch (or similarly large baking vessel) baking dish with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In another medium bowl, combine the eggs, evaporated milk, heavy cream, sugar, melted butter, raisins, rum extract (or vanilla), ground cinnamon, and pecans. Whisk the custard mixture well to thoroughly combine. 
  3. Pour the custard mixture over the bread and use a spatula or your hands (fitted with disposable gloves, if desired) to toss until combined- ensuring the bread pieces are well saturated with the custard mixture. Set the bowl aside to rest and soak.
  4. Meanwhile, place an oven rack in the center position, and then preheat the oven to 350°F.
  5. When the oven is preheated, empty the soaked bread into the prepared baking dish. Bake the bread pudding for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the custard is set and the bread and edges are golden brown. Set the dish aside to cool while you prepare the rum sauce.
  6. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, condensed milk, heavy cream, and brown sugar. Briefly stir the mixture to semi-combine. Let the mixture cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted. Then increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Once achieved, remove the sauce from heat. Then stir in the rum until fully incorporated. 
  7. Evenly pour half of the hot buttered rum sauce over the bread pudding. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to cool and set. Pour the remaining sauce into a small ramekin or mason jar to save for serving. 
  8. Slice the bread pudding into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature, passing the remaining rum sauce over bread pudding servings as desired. [Note: the rum sauce may thicken as it cools, to remedy, reheat in the saucepan over low heat or in the microwave- if needed]. For an extra pop of deliciousness, top pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, and garnish with chopped pecans, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.