This Irish Bread Pudding with Caramel Whiskey Sauce makes the perfect dessert for grown-ups! The Whiskey Sauce Recipe is amazing! Sweet, creamy and with a kick of whiskey! A double dose of whiskey with whiskey soaked raisins in the bread pudding and whiskey in the sauce!
Click here to pin this Irish Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce now!
The Best Bread Pudding Recipe
I don't do a lot of cooking specifically for St. Patrick's Day. Other than Corned Beef and Cabbage, I don't associate the holiday with food. I associate it with beer. Lots of beer. Most likely green. I did add a Midori Gin and Tonic to my list of green cocktails recently!
I never gave any thought really to a dessert to serve on St. Patrick's Day. Something green? A smoothie? Green cupcakes?
Then I found the Best Bread Pudding Recipe - seriously, this is the best. Or maybe I should say the Best Whiskey Sauce Recipe because that is what makes this even more amazing. I've brought this to parties and I've seen people licking their plates afterwards to get every last bit of the sauce!
Ingredients in Irish Bread Pudding and Whiskey Sauce
Ingredients in the bread pudding:
- Bread - brioche, french bread, stale bread.
- Raisins
- Whiskey - Irish or your favorite whiskey.
- Eggs - four eggs, use three if you want it less custard like.
- Milk - whole, low fat, or half and half.
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract - I used my Homemade Vanilla Extract
- Butter
- Cinnamon
Ingredients for the Caramel Whiskey Sauce:
- Sugar
- Water
- Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Irish Whiskey
- Milk
Steps for Making Irish Bread Pudding
- Step 1 - gather your ingredients. Also bring out the cream cheese to soften.
- Step 2 - in a small bowl soak the raisins in the whiskey.
- Step 3 - lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
- Step 4 - Cut bread into ½ inch cubes, until you have 4 cups of bread. Place in casserole dish.
- Step 5 - in a batter bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
- Step 6 - pour over the bread and push down to get all the bread moist. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Step 7 - scatter raisins and whiskey over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 more minutes.
- Step 8 - remove from oven.
Steps for Making the Whiskey Sauce
The whiskey sauce is the highlight of this bread pudding. It is luscious and creamy with a kick from the whiskey.
You begin by caramelizing sugar and water. Mix sugar and water in a saucepan over medium high heat until sugar dissolves. Cook for 15 more minutes (with no stirring) or until it reaches a caramel color.
While it's cooking, cube the butter and the softened cream cheese. When the sugar is caramelized, remove it from the heat and whisk in the cream cheese and butter, one cube at a time. Add milk and whiskey.
The whiskey sauce can be a little tricky. Sometimes the cream cheese doesn't emulsify completely and you have very tiny white bits in the sauce. Sometimes the sauce separates on standing. Even if this happens, it still tastes amazing! Just stir it before drizzling.
The sauce is from a cooking light recipe, but I don't make it light. I make it with full fat milk, butter and cream. This is seriously amazing!
Irish Bread Pudding and Whiskey Sauce
This has to be my favorite bread pudding! It doesn't hurt that it has a double dose of whiskey! Whiskey soaked raisins and whiskey in the sauce!
Guess what? I'm not a huge fan of whiskey. I'll drink it in a mixed cocktail, but I don't drink it straight or neat or whatever they call it.
But in this bread pudding and whiskey sauce, it's amazing! So even if you aren't a huge fan of whiskey, you will still love this!
Looking for More Whiskey Recipes
Apple Rosemary Whiskey Cocktail
If you make this amazing bread pudding, be sure and let me know what you thought!
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Irish Bread Pudding with Caramel Whiskey Sauce
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 4 cups bread cut into ½ inch cubes
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup Irish whiskey
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- cooking spray
Caramel-Whiskey Sauce
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ⅔ cup water
- ¼ cup butter softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup Irish Whiskey
- ¼ cup milk
Instructions
Bread Pudding
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Combine raisins with whiskey in a small bowl and let soften.
- Grease a casserole dish and add the bread cubes.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and push down to soak every piece of bread. Let sit for 10 minutes
- Scatter the whiskey soaked raisins over the top and drizzle the whiskey. Combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over the top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes, uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.
Whiskey Sauce
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium high heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Cook for 15 minutes (not stirring) or until golden.
- Cut the butter and cream cheese into small cubes.
- Remove sugar from the heat and carefully add butter and cream cheese , whisking until smooth. Cool slightly and stir in whiskey and milk.
Notes
Nutrition
This week I am linking up with:
This post was originally published in 2015 and has been updated for 2019!
Jen says
This is such a favorite! I originally discovered it from Cooking Light, too! 🙂 So thankful for the validation on how sometimes it separates on you too, and the reminders of how to make! Thank you! A few notes for the DAIRY FREE peeps out there: We use either Earth Balance, or now, Ghee (not everyone can do ghee, but with the milk solids removed, we have had great success, and avoid seed oils - yay!...and LOVE it baking, etc. Also, we use an organic soy milk, since it has a bit more structure, but want to try it with goat milk sometime. And... we use the Daiya cream cheese, with excellent luck. If it begins to separate, I put the tiniest - like 1/8 tsp of GF flour blend (tapioca, potato, brown rice blend - any kind of starch should do).
Pam Greer says
Thanks for all the variations!
Veronika says
Bread pudding sounds great! Whiskey sauce sounds even better! This is a great combo, and I want to eat it now!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Bread Pudding AND Caramel Whiskey sauce??? SIGN ME UP! This looks incredible and a must-make for the weekend! I so cannot wait to make this!
Danielle says
Now this is what the Irish bread pudding should be. It looks amazing and I can't wait to prove myself that it tastes delicious, too! In fact, just like you I haven't given much thought to dessert options for St. Patrick's. Glad I've stumbled upon this recipe!
Tammy says
The sauce is to die for! What a fabulous twist on bread pudding, Pam. This sounds amazing!
Tanya says
I think bread pudding is underrated. It's so yummy and easy to make. I can't wait to make this one and drink the caramel whiskey sauce. LOL! Thanks for sharing!
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli says
This dessert would make happy, not only for St. Patrick's day! Brioche bread, raisins, whiskey, cinnamon, everything contributes to making it special to my eyes. Delicious!
Gloria says
This is definitely the Luck of the Irish!! What a wonderful sounding dessert. Perfect for St. Patrick's Day...and any day!!
Chef Dennis says
This Irish Bread Pudding with Caramel Whiskey Sauce is such a wonderful delicious idea! I can't wait to let my wife try this one. She'll love this.
Elaine says
I am so glad I've stumbled upon your recipe BEFORE this weekend. I had a "great new dessert" on my list and I have not even started looking for it... And I won't need to now - this pudding hits all the marks! I wonder if I can use this whiskey sauce with other desserts, too, and still enjoy it as much?
Ben says
Aww yeah. I already love bread pudding, but the whiskey sauce really sealed the deal for me.
Kaitie says
my mouth is watering... I love this. It looks absolutely, especially with that caramel-whisky sauce. This is totally a must-make in our house!
Savita says
This is such a treat. Love the use of irish whisky. yumm!
Haley Williams says
I usually think of beer too, but this whiskey sauce looks SO GOOD. The perfect topping for bread pudding.
Elaine @ Dishes Delish says
Oh my gosh!! Seriously? I love bread pudding and now you are adding a caramel whiskey sauce to something that is even delicious dry! Swoon!! I can not wait to make your delightful recipe! Seriously, it looks so good!
Dana says
I love bread pudding, and I bet this one is ah-mazing! I'm not big on boozy desserts, but when it comes to bread pudding, it just works.
Catherine says
Dear Pam, what a delicious dessert...this looks marvelous with that sauce drizzled over it. Save me a slice! xo, Catherine
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
I love bread pudding...no need to make it light! I want to enjoy it! The sauce on this sounds amazing, Pam!
Debbie says
Hooray! I am not the only late commer--- this was my 2nd month for joining in. It's fun because I feel no weekly pressure and can do it when I want to.
The bread pudding looks great. I made a Bourbon Bread pudding a couple of months ago. Mmmmm
Deb in Hawaii says
It's about time!!! Just kidding. Happy to have you join in the fun. That first photo with the sauce dropping from the spoon has me drooling. Can I have this for breakfast?! 😉
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
Welcome to the club Pam....your bread pudding is to die for!!
Amy | Amy's Cooking Adventures says
Your bread pudding looks delightful! I can almost taste that caramel sauce!
Debra says
I love a good bread pudding, but I think I just want to slurp up that sauce!
Lorelai @ Life With Lorelai says
Oh, this looks amazing! I love bread pudding (I'd have to kick out the raisins), and caramel is my all-time favorite. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty - we hope to see you again next week. 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Joanne T Ferguson says
Your Irish Whisky Bread Pudding with Caramel Whiskey Sauce looks delicious Pam! Thank you for participating in your first #foodnflix that I had the pleasure to debut host! Pinned and shared the love!
Miz Helen says
This is a very special Irish Bread Pudding, fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday and have a fantastic weekend!
Miz Helen
Heather / girlichef says
Hey, better late than never, my friend! You definitely came in with a bang - this looks so phenomenal. It really was hard to resist both the bread and the whiskey in this flick, so this is a perfect choice. Welcome to the F'nF club! 🙂
Ann says
Eat the Pudding! Eat the Pudding! Eat the Pudding! Eat the Pudding!
Amy @Very Culinary says
Now I need to see that movie, and make this!
Susan | LunaCafe says
ZOW! A cream cheese, whiskey caramel sauce? And raisins and more whiskey in the bread pudding? I have to make this NOW. 🙂
Marjie says
I love bread pudding with copious amounts of cinnamon! Have you tried it with blueberries? Wonderful. Yours looks like something I need to try, too.
Sabrina Modelle says
I too have always meant to join with food and flix. Literally two of my favorite things... movies and food. This looks gorgeous and so yummy. Thanks for sharing.
Heather / girlichef says
Join us, Sabrina! Join us, join us, join us... 😉
JessicaJ says
You are killing me! This looks amazing times 10. I love the idea of caramel whiskey sauce, I bet that sauce would be good on many other things! Well, I'm pinning and you can bet I'll be trying this. I haven't made bread pudding in years, I think it's time to bring it back 🙂
Joanne says
Good for you for finally joining in! Now maybe one of these days, I will too... 😛 I'm already a sucker for bread pudding, but the caramel whiskey sauce just puts it over the top!