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sweet potato bread pudding with sauce on plate

Sweet Potato Bread Pudding with Maple Rum Sauce

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  • Author: Quin Liburd
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8
  • Category: Desserts & Sweets
  • Method: Baking, Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Southern

Description

This Sweet Potato Bread Pudding is loaded with big-time flavor and decadence. There’s nothing quite like this sweet potato-forward bread pudding recipe, y’all. An easy custard base with warm spices, sweet potato essence, and pecans marries with cubed French bread. The bread pudding is finished with a rich, indulgent maple rum sauce that will make you holla! It’s the perfect dessert for the holidays and beyond!


Ingredients

For the sweet potato bread pudding:

  • 1 loaf of day-old French bread (about 14 ounces)- cut into cubes
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup sweet potato puree
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted & slightly cooled
  • ¾ cup chopped pecans
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla essence (extract or paste)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the maple 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
  • 1 tablespoon maple extract
  • ¼ cup rum- I use Myers’s dark rum

For serving bread puddingoptional:

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


Instructions

  1. Place the cubed/torn bread into a large bowl and set aside. Then grease a 10×10-inch (or similarly large baking vessel) baking dish with butter or cooking spray and set aside.
  2. In another medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sweet potato puree, brown sugar, melted butter, pecans, vanilla essence, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 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. When the oven is preheated, empty the soaked bread into the prepared baking dish. 
  5. Bake the bread pudding at 350°F 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 maple rum sauce.
  6. For the maple rum sauce: 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 maple extract + rum until fully incorporated. 
  7. Next, evenly pour half of the maple rum sauce over the bread pudding. Let it 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 maple 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- as 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.