Recipe

Eggnog-Raisin Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce

Day-old bread gets new life in this tasty treat

By Katherine Cobbs

December 6, 2024

Photo: KATHERINE COBBS / BLUELINE CREATIVE GROUP

Ingredients

Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Eggnog-Raisin Bread Pudding
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. light brown sugar, divided
- 1 (1 lb.) loaf day-old cinnamon-raisin bread
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cups prepared eggnog
- 4 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup raisins, optional
- Rum sauce, optional (recipe follows)
Rum Sauce (Yield: about 1⅓ cups)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. spiced rum
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- Pinch kosher salt

Preparation

Bread pudding is a great way to use up day-old or stale bread or even last night’s dinner rolls. If you’d like to repurpose plain bread here, sprinkle the torn bread with a handful of raisins and a few teaspoons cinnamon.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the bottom of the dish with 1 tablespoon of the light brown sugar; set aside. Tear the bread slices into bite-size pieces and place in the prepared dish. Drizzle with the melted butter.

Whisk together eggnog, eggs, egg yolk, and sugar in a large bowl to combine. Pour evenly over bread slices. Gently press down with a spatula so bread soaks up liquid; let stand 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the top with the raisins, if desired, and remaining 1 tablespoon light brown sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown and set. Cool 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm with rum sauce, if desired.

Make the rum sauce: Whisk the cream, egg yolks, and sugar in a small saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until sauce just coats the back of a spoon. Strain the sauce through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl. Stir in spiced rum, nutmeg, and salt. Serve immediately drizzled over warm bread pudding.

Note: To make sauce ahead, fill a large bowl with ice, and nestle the bowl containing the sauce in the bowl of ice. Stir often to cool mixture completely, about 15 minutes. Remove from ice bowl and cover and chill up to 3 days. Reheat gently on low heat to serve.