Best 2 Southern Style Bread Pudding Recipes

Bread pudding, a delectable Southern-style dessert, is a symphony of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds. This classic dish transforms humble ingredients like stale bread, milk, eggs, and sugar into a comforting and nostalgic treat. With a custard-like center enveloped by a crispy golden crust, bread pudding is a true crowd-pleaser.

This article presents a collection of bread pudding recipes that cater to diverse preferences and dietary restrictions. From the traditional Southern-style bread pudding to gluten-free, vegan, and low-carb variations, there's a recipe for every palate. Indulge in the rich and creamy classic bread pudding, bursting with raisins, spices, and a hint of vanilla. Explore the decadent chocolate bread pudding, a chocolate lover's paradise with its moist, fudgy texture and rich chocolate flavor. Discover the delightful gluten-free bread pudding, a celiac-friendly alternative that uses almond flour and coconut milk to create a light and airy treat. For a healthier option, try the low-carb bread pudding, which incorporates almond flour and sweetener to satisfy your sweet cravings without compromising your diet. And for those seeking a plant-based option, the vegan bread pudding uses almond milk, flax eggs, and maple syrup to create a compassionate and equally delicious dessert.

Here are our top 2 tried and tested recipes!

SOUTHERN STYLE CHRISTMAS BREAD PUDDING WITH BOURBON SAUCE

Southern Style Christmas Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Time 3h

Yield 10 to 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

2 loaves Raisin Cinnamon Bread
8 eggs plus 2 egg whites
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar or vanilla sugar
2 tablespoon Madagascar vanilla
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 lemon juiced and zested
1 cup dried cherries and raisins
1/4 cup melted butter, for baking dish
2 cups bread crumbs from crusts
Bourbon sauce, recipe follows
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick cold butter, cut into cubes
2 egg yolks
1 stick butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup bourbon

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove crusts from bread and reserve. Cut bread slices into cubes. In a large bowl, beat eggs well. Add milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, Grand Marnier and mix well. Add cinnamon, juice, and lemon zest. Stir in cherries and raisins. Add bread cubes and stir until well coated. Let stand 30 minutes, stirring often. If mixture is soupy, you may need to add additional slices of white bread (crusts removed.) The mixture should be wet but not soupy. Pour into buttered baking dish, dusted with sugar. Prepare topping in a food processor. Add crusts, butter and brown sugar, pulsing until mixture is crumbly. Spread evenly over top of pudding. Bake in a water bath for 50 minutes covered with foil. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes or until brown on top. Serve with bourbon sauce.
Mix eggs, butter, and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and 1/2 cup bourbon. In top of a double boiler cook until temperature reads 165 on a thermometer. Beating constantly and being careful not to curdle eggs. Remove from heat and strain. In a mixer bowl, beat sauce until slightly cool, adding remaining bourbon a little at a time. Serve with bread pudding.

SOUTHERN-STYLE BREAD PUDDING

Southern-Style Bread Pudding image

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories dessert

Time 3h15m

Yield 8 to 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 cups 1-inch cubes Italian bread
5 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups raspberries (a few reserved for garnish)
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon honey, plus more if desired
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Steps:

For the bread pudding: Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Put the bread cubes in the dish.
Whisk together the half-and-half, 3/4 cup of the sugar, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, salt and eggs in a large bowl. Pour this mixture over the bread. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a microwave or on the stove and drizzle over the top of the bread pudding. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top.
Place on the center rack in the oven. Bake until the edges start to rise, a knife inserted into the center comes out mostly clean and the pudding jiggles when shaken, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a rack 35 to 40 minutes before serving.
For the sauce: Puree the berries in food processor. Press through a fine-mesh strainer. Stir in the honey and lime juice. Taste and adjust with more honey if it's not sweet enough for you.
Serve the bread pudding with a drizzle of sauce. Garnish with additional berries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Tips:

Use a variety of breads for a more complex flavor and texture. Try using a combination of white bread, whole wheat bread, and sourdough bread.
Soak the bread cubes in the milk mixture for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight. This will help the bread to absorb the flavors of the milk and eggs.
Add your favorite spices and flavorings to the bread pudding batter. Some popular options include cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
For a richer flavor, use heavy cream instead of milk. You can also add a tablespoon or two of butter to the batter.
Bake the bread pudding in a water bath. This will help to prevent the pudding from drying out.
Serve the bread pudding warm with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Conclusion:

Southern-style bread pudding is a classic comfort food that is easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser. With its rich flavor and creamy texture, it's the perfect dessert for any occasion. So next time you're looking for a sweet treat, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!