From the recipe author: This classic bread pudding recipe has all the bells and whistles of an old-fashioned bread pudding dish, along with a swoon-worthy hot buttered rum sauce. You’ll love the rich, flavorful custard that beams with sweetness, golden raisins, cinnamon, and crunchy pecans. Serve this bread pudding with rum sauce for a truly luxurious dessert recipe that everyone will go wild for!

What is bread pudding?

Bread pudding is a beloved baked dessert often prepared using leftover or pantry ingredients. The dish has origins in Europe and a deeply loyal following in the American South, and can be made for sweet or savory occasions. Typical old-fashioned bread pudding recipes call for soaking chunks of stale or day-old bread in a custardy mixture of milk, cream, eggs, sugar, and butter before baking until golden brown. Flavoring possibilities for the dish are endless, making bread pudding a flexible recipe to make with ingredients you already have around the kitchen. And just like the recipe for bread pudding with rum sauce below, it's commonly served with a sauce that seeps into every nook and cranny or a dollop of whipped cream.

To make the bread pudding

1. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray. In a large bowl, add cubed bread pieces and set aside. 
2. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, evaporated milk, heavy cream, sugar, melted butter, raisins, rum extract, ground cinnamon, and pecans. Whisk the custard mixture well to thoroughly combine.
3. Pour the custard mixture over the cubed bread. Using a spatula or your hands, toss until combined and the bread pieces are well saturated with the custard mixture. Set aside to let rest and soak.
4. Place an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350F. 
5. Once the oven is preheated, transfer the bread to the prepared baking dish. Place in the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the custard is set and the bread and edges are golden brown. Set aside to cool while preparing the rum sauce.

To make the rum sauce:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, condensed milk, heavy cream, and brown sugar. Using a heatproof spatula, stir the mixture briefly to semi-combine.
2. Let the mixture cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted. Once melted, increase heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a gentle boil.
3. Once boiling, remove sauce from heat. While stirring, slowly add the rum to the sauce until fully incorporated.
4. Working carefully, pour half of the hot butter rum sauce over the bread pudding. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to cool and set. Pour the remaining hot butter rum sauce into a small ramekin or mason jar to save for serving (see notes).
5. Slice the hot buttered rum bread pudding into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature, pouring the remaining rum sauce over each slice as desired. Garnish with chopped pecans if using and, for an extra pop of sweetness, top pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Farm Team Tips

Golden raisins bring both a unique flavor and vibrant color to this bread pudding recipe with rum sauce, but traditional raisins also work well.

If rum extract isn't a staple in your baking pantry, try using high-quality vanilla extract instead for a similar flavor. 

Any leftover hot butter rum sauce may thicken as it cools. If this happens, simply reheat your rum sauce in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave until warm. 

Once cooled, leftover bread pudding with rum sauce can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Properly stored leftovers can be enjoyed cold or reheated gently in the microwave until warmed through. 

Yes, this bread pudding recipe can be frozen—just be sure to skip the sauce to avoid sogginess! Once baked and cooled to room temperature, tightly double-wrap the bread pudding and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready, thaw in the fridge overnight before preparing the rum sauce as directed.