Bourbon Apple Bread Pudding

A Bite And A Shot

By Mark Hinds | Updated January 28, 2025

Bourbon Apple Bread Pudding is delicious dessert when it’s served on its own, better when you add some maple whipped cream, and damn fine when it comes with a side of good bourbon.

This bread pudding recipe gets its rich caramel flavors from the bourbon and vanilla paste that make it ideal when you’re looking for a special occasion dessert or something to pair with good BBQ.

If you can’t get a good load of brioche or challah bread you can use a loaf of soft Italian or French bread. If you’re substituting bread, you may want to add either another 1/4 cup of brown sugar or 1 tbsp of maple syrup to make up for the difference in sweetness between the two types of bread.

A tip when you’re making this bread pudding is that bourbon is flammable and pouring it far above a really hot pan can result in large flames, trust us we know this from experience, so add the bourbon from a low altitude early to the butter and brown sugar before the pan gets super hot.

Sautéed Apples
Sauté the apples to create a rich buttery sauce

A couple of dishes that go well with this recipe are Maple Bourbon Glazed Grilled Ham and Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Chili Rub.

A Bite And A Shot

Bourbon Apple Bread Pudding

4.3 from 6 votes
Bourbon Apple Bread Pudding is delicious when it's served on its own, better when you add some maple whipped cream, and damn fine when it comes with a side of good bourbon. This bread pudding recipe is ideal when you need to make a special occasion dessert or are looking for something to finish off a good BBQ.
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb loaf of challah or brioche bread
  • 2 apples
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp bourbon
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Madagascar bourbon vanilla paste
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 cups milk
  • 3 tbsp of maple syrup

Maple Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

Instructions 

  • Start by peeling and coring two apples. Cut them into small bite sized chunks.
  • In a large pan sauté the apples in the butter, brown sugar, bourbon, vanilla paste, cinnamon, allspice, and a pinch of salt for five to six minutes. You want to bring everything together to create a rich buttery sauce for the apples. Once you’ve finished sautéing everything take the apples off the heat and set aside for later.
  • Tear the bread into small bite-sized pieces, making sure you have enough bread that it forms a mound over the top of a 9 by 13 pan.
  • In a separate bowl whisk the milk, eggs, and maple syrup together.
  • Add the sautéed apples to the milk and eggs, stirring everything until it comes together. In a very large bowl combine the bread with the egg and apple mixture. Make sure to stir everything enough, so every piece of bread gets completely coated.
  • Pour the bread mixture into a 9 by 13 pan that has been greased with butter. Spread the bread evenly in the pan and bake in a 350℉ oven for 40 to 50 minutes. The bread pudding should be starting to brown slightly on top when it’s done.
  • While the bread pudding is baking whip one cup of heavy cream with one tbsp of brown sugar and one tbsp of maple syrup.
  • Serve the bread pudding warm with some maple whipped cream on top. I also like to serve a little pick me up of good bourbon on the side with the bread pudding.

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The nutrition information shown is an estimate based on available ingredients and preparation.

Mark is an experienced food writer, recipe developer, and photographer who is also Umami’s publisher and CEO. A passionate cook who loves to cook for friends, he can often be found in the kitchen or by the grill testing new recipes.

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4.34 from 6 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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