This luxurious eggnog bread pudding with brown sugar bourbon sauce is an elegant holiday dessert made with buttery croissants soaked in a festive eggnog custard. The sweet and boozy sauce is the perfect finish.
What Makes This Dessert Special
The original concept of a bread pudding was to use up days old bread that had started to go stale. When soaked in a flavorful custard base, baked, and then often drizzled with some variety of sauce or syrup, an entirely new dish was born.
Though chunks of French bread are a popular choice, this eggnog bread pudding uses croissants instead, and let me tell you, use of the flaky buttery layered pastries really adds an extra level of interest to this dish.
Chopped pecans are added for some extra crunch to the already crispy top of the bread pudding. Beneath, you have the softer eggnog custard-soaked croissant pieces, held sturdy by the use of eggs.
The piece de resistance is the warm brown sugar bourbon sauce that gets drizzled onto each individual serving. Trust me, do not make this eggnog bread pudding without also making that sauce... it's what truly makes this entire dessert.
Put this one on your list for your holiday spread this season - you won't regret it.
Which Ingredients Do I Need To Make This?
- Croissants - I used a bag of mini croissants from my grocery store's bakery section. The bag contained 12 ounces of croissants. You can use full-sized croissants instead as long as the amount is generally the same
- Butter - I used unsalted butter to melt over the croissants and also in the bourbon sauce. If you use salted, omit the salt in the recipe.
- Eggnog - No need to use anything super expensive or fancy, but feel free to use your favorite variety here.
- Milk - I used whole milk. You can use lower fat versions, but the custard won't be quite as rich or thick. You can also get even more sassy and use half and half instead.
- Eggs - 6 large sized eggs will structure the bread pudding.
- Nutmeg, Vanilla, and Salt - these things will punch up the flavor in the custard base... eggnog and nutmeg do love each other so. Vanilla is also used in the brown sugar bourbon sauce.
- Chopped Pecans - I sprinkled these over the top of the dish before baking to add even more crunch and flavor. You can use walnuts, almonds, or macadamia nuts if you prefer.
- Brown Sugar - The bourbon sauce uses brown sugar for extra rich flavor.
- Heavy Cream - Just a quarter cup to add richness to the bourbon sauce.
- Bourbon Whiskey - Again, no need to go fancy here, and if all you have are non-bourbon whiskeys in your cabinet, go ahead and use it.
How Much Time Do I Need?
Though this is a very simple recipe, it will take a little planning. You'll need about 15 minutes to create the custard that will become the base for the eggnog bread pudding.
Once the croissants are soaked with the eggnog mixture, you'll want to let the dish rest in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours, up to 24 hours. This will let all of that flavorful goodness fully soak into the croissants.
Once the dish has rested in the fridge, it will need anywhere from 40-55 minutes in the oven to set the center and brown and crisp up the top.
When the dish comes out of the oven, it's best to let it cool for 20-30 minutes to let the center fully firm up. You can make the brown sugar bourbon sauce during the cooling period, since it comes together quickly and only takes a few minutes.
So, like many special holiday treats, this one takes a little time and a little planning, but the execution is very simple and the result is SOOO worth it!
Is This A Good Make Ahead Recipe?
Because eggnog bread pudding requires a good rest time in the fridge to soak in all of that custardy goodness, this is, by nature, a make ahead dessert. You can prepare the bread pudding a full 24 hours in advance and then just make sure you leave yourself about an hour and a half for baking and cooling.
You can also prepare the brown sugar bourbon sauce in advance and then just reheat in the microwave prior to serving.
If you want to prepare a fully-baked bread pudding in advance, please follow reheating instructions below.
How To Reheat Bread Pudding
This eggnog bread pudding is best when reheated in the oven. Preheat to 350F and cover the dish with aluminum foil. If the bread pudding looks like it has dried out, drizzle on a little extra eggnog or milk to add moisture. Reheat in the oven, covered, until warmed through. 10-15 minutes is a good estimate, but check often. You can remove the aluminum foil near the end to crisp up the top.
Print
Eggnog Bread Pudding with Brown Sugar Bourbon Sauce
- Total Time: 70 minutes
- Yield: 12-15 servings 1x
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 12 oz croissants cut into 1-2 inch pieces
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 ½ cups eggnog
- 2 cups whole milk
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or pure vanilla bean paste
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Brown Sugar Bourbon Sauce
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup (4 TBS) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup bourbon whiskey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or pure vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Place croissant pieces into a 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle the ½ cup of melted butter over the croissants and use clean hands to mix until the butter coats all of the pieces.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, stir together the eggnog and milk. Heat to steaming - it will look like a thin skin starts to form on top.
- While the milk and eggnog are heating, use a large mixing bowl to combine the eggs, sugar, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk vigorously until light.
- Temper the eggs by drizzling about a cup of the hot eggnog and milk mixture into the egg mixture, while whisking constantly. Then transfer the egg mixture into the saucepan. Heat for 2-3 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Pour heated eggnog mixture through a fine mesh strainer back into the large mixing bowl you used before. Then pour the mixture over the croissant pieces. Use the back of a spoon to gently press down on the pieces so that they get fully coated in the liquid. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
- When ready to bake, take the dish out of the refrigerator and remove the plastic. Let it sit on the counter while you preheat the oven to 350F.
- Bake uncovered for 40-55 minutes or until the top is golden and the center is set. Let cool for a good 20-30 minutes before serving.
- While the bread pudding is cooling, heat the brown sugar, heavy cream, and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, and then remove from heat. Whisk in the bourbon and vanilla extract.
- Drizzle the sauce over plated servings of warm bread pudding and enjoy. Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the refrigerator (store the sauce in its own airtight container separately)
Notes
I used a 12 oz bag of mini croissants found in my grocery store's bakery section
Recommended Equipment
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop and Oven
Not making this just yet? Make sure to save this recipe so you can find it before the holidays! Use the photo below to Pin to your Pinterest boards or share this post on social media by using the buttons at the top or bottom of this post. Thank you for stopping by and trying my recipes!
Mrs. C
This was so delicious! We replaced the bourbon with more eggnog in the sauce and it turned out great. Thanks for the recipe!
Erin
I'm so happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know!