Warm, custardy bread pudding studded with tart cherries and finished with a vanilla bourbon sauce.
Bread pudding has been a resourceful American dessert for generations, born from the practical habit of turning stale bread into something worth serving rather than throwing it away. Cubes of day-old bread soak in a rich egg-and-cream custard until fully saturated, then bake until the top turns golden and slightly crisp while the inside stays soft and pudding-like. Sour cherries fold into the mix here, their tartness cutting through the richness of the custard the same way they balance heavier baked goods across Midwestern baking traditions. A bourbon-vanilla sauce, poured warm over each serving, is a classic Southern and New Orleans-inspired finishing touch that turns this from a simple dessert into something a little more indulgent. Served warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into the sauce, this is a low-effort dessert built almost entirely from pantry basics and whatever stale bread happens to be on the counter.
Serves 6
Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread bread cubes evenly and scatter sour cherries throughout.
Whisk eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt together until fully combined.
Pour the custard evenly over the bread, pressing down gently so every cube absorbs liquid. Drizzle with melted butter. Let sit 20 minutes, pressing occasionally, so the bread soaks up as much custard as possible.
Bake at 175C (350F) for 40-45 minutes until puffed, golden on top, and just set in the center — a knife inserted near the middle should come out mostly clean.
While the pudding bakes, combine cream and sugar in a saucepan and simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in bourbon and butter until glossy.
Add the bourbon off the heat so the alcohol's aroma isn't cooked away entirely, keeping the sauce flavorful rather than flat.
Let the pudding cool 10 minutes, then cut into squares. Drizzle generously with warm bourbon sauce before serving.
Use bread that's genuinely stale or lightly toasted — fresh, soft bread turns to mush and won't hold any structure after baking.
Press the bread down into the custard a few times as it soaks so the pieces on top absorb liquid as evenly as the ones at the bottom.
Let the bourbon sauce simmer until it visibly coats a spoon before adding the butter, or the finished sauce will be too thin to cling to the pudding.
Omit the bourbon and use extra vanilla for a family-friendly, alcohol-free version.
Swap sour cherries for chopped fresh peaches or apples when cherries are out of season.
Add a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts to the bread mixture for extra crunch.
Refrigerate covered up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, or cover the whole dish and warm in a 160C (325F) oven for about 15 minutes.
Bread pudding has roots in medieval European frugal cooking and became a well-established American dessert by the 19th century, with regional variations like this bourbon-sauced style closely associated with Southern and New Orleans home cooking.
Yes, assemble everything up to a day ahead, cover and refrigerate, then bake straight from cold, adding about 10 extra minutes to the bake time.
Substitute apple juice or extra vanilla extract in the sauce for the same warm, sweet finish without the alcohol.
It needs more time in the oven; every oven varies slightly, so check again in 5-minute increments until a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
Per serving (220g / 7.8 oz) · 6 servings total
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