Brioche Bread Pudding with Caramel

About this recipe

Rich, custardy Brioche Bread Pudding topped with a silky whiskey caramel sauce. No raisins, pure indulgence. Your new favorite crowd-pleasing dessert starts here.

↓ Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy

This post is sponsored by Javy Coffee. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Watch the recipe

Until I’ve made this caramel bread pudding recipe, I’ve never had a bread pudding before. Then I had a bite of this bread pudding and my life was changed!

I’ve wanted to try a bread pudding for so long! If you know me, helloooo, I love bread! This dessert seemed like such a dream come true! I wanted to keep this bread pudding simple and classy for my first try, and honestly simplicity is key here! The bread is just out of this world, and of course I just had to add a chocolatey touch since I love my chocolate too!

For a first attempt on video (check it out and subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already!), I can say that bread pudding is easy to do and it’s perfect for any occasion! I can’t wait make one again! If you want to learn more about how you can be inspired by working around with a set of ingredients and a theme, then check out my free guide 5 Tips To Make Cooking Fun! This has certainly been on my bucket list and it felt so satisfying to tick that box off! The bucket list is one of my themes in my Live to Cook one-month challenge! If you’ve been wanting to make your own bread pudding but you’ve been putting it off because you thought it was too hard or whatever other excuse you’ve had, then break free of that and it’s time to make it! Get your two freebies by signing up to my newsletter, and please tag me on Instagram to include me in your personalized cooking journey! I’d love for this bread pudding recipe to be a part of yours!

Let’s get baking!

Brioche bread pudding with caramel sauce served in white bowls on a wooden table.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Caramel Bread Pudding Recipe!

Easy: This is actually a really easy recipe to make! It may feel like a lot if you have to make your caramel sauce as well, but if you have that already prepared then making the bread pudding itself is all you need to do, and that process is very straight forward! I’ll break down all the instructions so you’re set up for success!
Fluffy and light: This is the best thing is that super soft bread! I just love this so much!
Warm and gooey: Not only is the bread itself super soft and spongy, but you’ll have a nice warm and gooey pudding and molten chocolate chips! It’s really hard to resist!
Make-ahead friendly: If you’re making this Caramel Bread Pudding for a special occasion, then you can certainly prep it the night before and bake it the day of. Additionally, even if you’ve already baked it, you can keep it in the fridge for a day or two and you can easily reheat it in the oven or microwave!
Scalable recipe: I used this casserole dish to make the bread pudding recipe for two. You can even reduce the quantities by half to make it a single portion or you can increase the recipe to serve as many guests as you’re going to have for your special gathering!

What Bread to use for Caramel Bread Pudding?▼

I’m using Brioche bread for this caramel bread pudding recipe! You can use any kind of white bread, but Brioche bread is the best choice here because it’s very soft and buttery, which all add lots of flavour! It’ll be super soft when you bake it and it’ll absorb your eggs well. Brioche also has a nice sweetness to it! If you don’t have brioche bread, then you can use a regular white bread that you have on hand. Challah would be another great choice, and I’ve even seen bread puddings made with croissants!

Why Do you Use Stale Bread for Caramel Bread Pudding?▼

Ideally you want to use stale bread because this will absorb your pudding mixture better. However, if you live life on the edge and you’ve decided to make your Chocolate Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce last-minute, then that’s fine! I actually did the same thing as you! I did buy my brioche bread early in the morning and to allow it to dry out, I’ve cut it up and just let it sit at room temperature for a couple of hours.

How Do You know When the Caramel Bread Pudding is Done Baking?▼

Bread pudding should take 35 to 40 minutes to bake. At the 35 minute point, check the doneness using a knife or a skewer. If the knife or skewer comes out wet, it still needs a few more minutes to bake. The right doneness should result in some moist crumbs sticking onto the knife or the skewer.

In case the knife or skewer comes out dry, you have likely over-cooked the pudding.

Baked brioche bread pudding with chocolate chips in a white ceramic baking dish, golden brown on top.

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Caramel Bread Pudding

Let’s see what we’ll need for the Chocolate Chip Caramel Bread Pudding and for the caramel sauce. I’ll quickly discuss how to make the caramel sauce here, but if you want to learn more and get some tips and tricks for the best Coffee Whiskey Caramel Sauce, then please check out the full recipe here! Remember, the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD with all ingredient quantities and full instructions is at the bottom of this post! You can save the recipe for later and adjust the recipe based on how many servings you want to make - all the ingredient quantities will automatically be adjusted so you won’t need to do any mental math!

For the Bread Pudding

Brioche bread
Eggs
Milk
Sugar
Vanilla extract
Cinnamon
Mini chocolate chips

For the Whiskey Caramel Sauce for Bread Pudding

Heavy Cream
Butter
Whiskey
Sugar
Water
Vanilla extract
Javy Caramel Instant Coffee (click that link for 20% off your order!)

If you don’t have the Javy Peppermint Mocha instant coffee then that’s no problem! You can still get a mocha touch to your caramel sauce by substituting with espresso powder.

How to Make Brioche Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

For the Coffee Caramel Whiskey Sauce

In a pan, add the sugar and water and whisk well to combine.
Turn the heat to medium-high heat and leave the sugar-water mixture alone. The mixture will start to simmer, and eventually the color will change from white to amber. Keep a close eye and don't stir or shake the pan until the color changes.
Then, remove the pan from the heat and pour in the cream gently, while whisking well. Add the butter as well.
Once the mixture has stopped bubbling and has turned into a rich caramel color, add the javy coffee, whiskey and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Set aside to cool down while you prepare the bread pudding.

Sugar and butter melting in a skillet to make caramel sauce.

Whiskey caramel sauce cooling in a dark pan with rich amber color and bubbles visible on surface

Whisking white cream into rich brown caramel sauce in a saucepan with a whisk.

Whiskey caramel sauce being whisked in a saucepan, rich amber in color with a glossy texture.

Golden spoon holding whiskey caramel sauce over a pot of rich brown caramel mixture.

Hand pouring vanilla extract into a pan of rich brown whiskey caramel sauce with bubbles.

For the Caramel Bread Pudding

Tear the brioche bread into rough cubes, alternatively you may chop the bread into cubes as well. To dry out the bread slightly, transfer the bread pieces to a baking sheet and bake in an oven at 350F for 10-12 minutes.

Once baked, the bread should be lightly toasted, but still spongy in the middle.

Hands tearing lightly toasted brioche bread into rough cubes for bread pudding.

Torn brioche bread cubes spread on a red baking sheet, lightly toasted and ready for bread pudding.

In the meanwhile, add the milk to a saucepan and bring the milk to a simmer. The sides of the milk should start to bubble up. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk well. Set aside to cool slightly (5-10 minutes).

Arrange the toasted brioche bread to an appropriately sized casserole.

Simmering milk in a saucepan next to toasted brioche bread cubes in a red baking dish.

Pouring hot milk into eggs while whisking to create smooth custard for bread pudding.

Brioche bread pudding ingredients: toasted brioche cubes in red baking dish and whisked custard mixture in saucepan.

Whisking hot milk into eggs in a saucepan to create smooth custard for bread pudding.

Add the eggs to a large bowl and slowly start to pour the milk while whisking well. Once whisked, the texture should be smooth and not curdled. Add the cinnamon and mix well.

Using a ladle, pour the milk-egg custard mixture over the bread.

Top with chocolate chips or raisins if using. Bake in an oven at 350 F for 35-40 minutes or until the bread pudding is set. Poking the pudding with a knife or skewer should result in some crumbs - it should not be wet.

Whisking egg yolk in a glass bowl with a wire whisk, brioche bread cubes visible on the side.

Pouring milk-egg custard mixture over brioche bread pieces in a baking dish with a ladle.

Custard mixture in a glass bowl next to a white bowl of cubed brioche bread for bread pudding.

Milk-egg custard mixture in a glass bowl beside a white dish of cubed brioche bread for bread pudding.

Custard mixture being poured over cubed brioche bread in a white baking dish.

Baked brioche bread pudding with chocolate chips in a white oval baking dish, golden brown on top.

Let the pudding stand for 5-10 minutes and then slice, and serve with ice cream. Top the pudding with the whiskey caramel sauce.

Brioche bread pudding with chocolate chips baked until golden brown, served in a white bowl.

Baked brioche bread pudding with chocolate chips in a white ceramic baking dish, ready to serve.

Brioche bread pudding slice topped with vanilla ice cream and whiskey caramel sauce, served on a white plate.

Brioche bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with whiskey caramel sauce, served on a white plate.

Enjoy!

Brioche bread pudding slices topped with vanilla ice cream and whiskey caramel sauce, served on a white plate alongside a baking dish.

Tips for an Excellent Irish Bread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel Sauce

For the caramel sauce make sure to leave the pan alone until the color changes to amber. Otherwise the caramel will not turn out right.
The milk should not be too hot before adding it to the eggs. Otherwise, the eggs will curdle. Make sure to let the scalded milk cool down slightly beforehand.
For the pudding, ensure all of the bread pieces are coated with the milk-egg custard mixture.

How to Store Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread Pudding▼

Store bread pudding in an airtight container or cover your casserole with aluminum foil. Bread pudding will stay good in the fridge for two to three days.

You can reheat your Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread Pudding either in the microwave or in the oven. If reheating in the microwave, transfer into a microwave-safe bowl or container and reheat in 30 second intervals until entirely warmed through. If reheating in the oven, preheat the oven to 375 F, and depending on how much you have left over, it should take 5 to 10 minutes for your bread pudding to be entirely warmed through.

If you liked this recipe please let me know in the comments. Tag your post on social media using #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. If you’ve tried out Javy coffee concentrate for this syrup, be sure to tag #drinkjavy in your posts too! Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra

Brioche Bread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel Sauce

Rich, custardy Brioche Bread Pudding topped with a silky whiskey caramel sauce. No raisins, pure indulgence. Your new favorite crowd-pleasing dessert starts here.

Be the first to rate ✦

Saved to your collection

30 min

Prep

40 min

Cook

1 hr 10 min

Total

servings

hard

Level

Ingredients

Tap any quantity to scale

For the whiskey caramel sauce

(200 g) SugarShop →
(240 ml) WaterShop →
(240 ml) Heavy Cream
(14 g) ButterShop →
(30 ml) WhiskeyShop →
(15 ml) Javy Caramel Instant CoffeeShop →
(5 ml) vanilla extractShop →

For the brioche bread pudding

Brioche bread
(480 ml) MilkShop →
(50 g) SugarShop →
(10 ml) Vanilla extractShop →
(3 g) CinnamonShop →
Eggs
(8 g) Mini chocolate chipsShop →
Raisins (optional)Shop →

Instructions

For the whiskey caramel sauce

1
In a pan, add the sugar and water and whisk well to combine.
In a pan, add the sugar and water and whisk well to combine.
2
Turn the heat to medium-high heat and leave the sugar-water mixture alone. The mixture will start to simmer, and eventually the colour will change from white to amber. Keep a close eye and don't stir or shake the pan until the colour changes.
Turn the heat to medium-high heat and leave the sugar-water mixture alone. The mixture will start to simmer, and eventually the colour will change from white to amber. Keep a close eye and don't stir or shake the pan until the colour changes.
3
Then, remove the pan from the heat and pour in the cream gently, while whisking well. Add the butter as well
Then, remove the pan from the heat and pour in the cream gently, while whisking well. Add the butter as well
4
Once the mixture has stopped bubbling and has turned into a rich caramel colour, add the javy coffee, whiskey and vanilla and whisk to combine.
Once the mixture has stopped bubbling and has turned into a rich caramel colour, add the javy coffee, whiskey and vanilla and whisk to combine.
5
Set aside to cool down while you prepare the bread pudding.
Set aside to cool down while you prepare the bread pudding.

For the brioche bread pudding

1
Tear the brioche bread into rough cubes, alternatively you may chop the bread into cubes as well. To dry out the bread slightly, transfer the bread pieces to a baking sheet and bake in an oven at 350F for 10-12 minutes.
Tear the brioche bread into rough cubes, alternatively you may chop the bread into cubes as well. To dry out the bread slightly, transfer the bread pieces to a baking sheet and bake in an oven at 350°F (177°C) for 10-12 minutes.
2
Once baked, the bread should be lightly toasted, but still spongy in the middle.
Once baked, the bread should be lightly toasted, but still spongy in the middle.
3
In the meanwhile, add the milk to a saucepan and bring the milk to a simmer. The sides of the milk should start to bubble up. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk well. Set aside to cool slightly (5-10 minutes).
In the meanwhile, add the milk to a saucepan and bring the milk to a simmer. The sides of the milk should start to bubble up. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk well. Set aside to cool slightly (5-10 minutes).
4
Add the eggs to a large bowl and slowly start to pour the milk while whisking well. Once whisked, the texture should be smooth and not curdled. Add the cinnamon and mix well.
Add the eggs to a large bowl and slowly start to pour the milk while whisking well. Once whisked, the texture should be smooth and not curdled. Add the cinnamon and mix well.
5
Arrange the toasted brioche bread to an appropriately sized casserole and using a ladle, pour the milk-egg custard mixture over the bread.
Arrange the toasted brioche bread to an appropriately sized casserole and using a ladle, pour the milk-egg custard mixture over the bread.
6
Top with chocolate chips or raisins if using. Bake in an oven at 350 F for 35-40 minutes or until the bread pudding is set. Poking the pudding with a knife or skewer should result in some crumbs - it should not be wet.
Top with chocolate chips or raisins if using. Bake in an oven at 350°F (177°C) for 35-40 minutes or until the bread pudding is set. Poking the pudding with a knife or skewer should result in some crumbs - it should not be wet.
7
Let the pudding stand for 5-10 minutes and then slice, and serve with ice cream. Top the pudding with the whiskey caramel sauce and enjoy!
Let the pudding stand for 5-10 minutes and then slice, and serve with ice cream. Top the pudding with the whiskey caramel sauce and enjoy!

Nutrition per serving

1648

Calories

28g

Protein

233g

Carbs

68g

Fat

Fiber

183g

Sugar

710mg

Sodium

Share This Recipe

Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi

Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Caramel Bread Pudding Recipe!