Chocolate Bread Pudding with Maple Whisky Sauce

I enjoy making custards. They're easy and elegant, and there are so many variation on how they can be made.

There are baked custards (like Crème Brûlée), cooked custards (the Pastry Cream in Boston Cream Pie), and frozen custards (like French Vanilla Ice Cream). And let's not forget that drinkable custard, eggnog.

Bread pudding is another form of custard. When I make Chocolate Bread Pudding, I'm once again making a variation of créme anglaise (aka vanilla sauce).

The concept is simple. Basically, bread pudding is stale bread soaked in an egg-and-cream custard, then baked until the custard sets. It's similar to a baked french toast casserole. Bread pudding with chocolate is very popular, and you can include other mix-ins as well.

And that silky Maple Whisky Sauce…well, luckily this recipe makes a lot, so you'll have leftovers to drizzle on ice cream, cookies, cakes... (we get the picture).

What you need

The ingredients for a chocolate bread pudding recipe are simple: eggs, heavy cream, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. This custard is also spiked with maple syrup and whisky, and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I use 1% milk in the custard, but any type (including dairy-free milk substitutes) will do.

For the filling, a soft bread (like brioche or leftover challah bread) is used along with chocolate chips, dried cherries, and pecans.

You can alter the filling ingredients to your liking. Use raisins, fresh or dried apples, apricots or any other fruit you’d like. Vary the nuts (how about almonds or walnuts?) or leave them out entirely. Use toffee or butterscotch chips for the chocolate chips or leave those out, too. It’s totally customizable and up to you!

Serving bread pudding with a sauce is optional, but including it gives the dish a bit of elegance. Here the sauce is a variation on Butterscotch Sauce. It's a mixture of butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, heavy cream, and salt, and also spiked with whisky.

Flavoring the custard and sauce with whisky is optional, and makes this an adults-only treat. The alcohol is mostly cooked out, but be cognizant of serving it to children and pregnant women. If you do choose to include the whisky, make sure whatever you use is good quality and something you like to drink. 

How to make chocolate bread pudding

Step 1: Prepare the filling

In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, dried cherries, chocolate chips, and ½ cup of the pecans. Add the melted butter and toss to coat evenly (photo 1).

Step 2: Make the custard

In another large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add in the brown sugar, maple syrup, whisky, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and stir until combined. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream.

Pour the custard over the bread mixture and mix well. Let the filling sit at least 30 minutes to allow the custard to soak into the bread cubes (photo 2).

Step 3: Bake the bread pudding

Butter a 3-quart glass oblong baking dish (2-inch deep 9- x 13-inch, 2 inches deep). Transfer the bread mixture into the baking dish and top with the remaining pecans. Bake at 350˚F for 40 to 60 minutes, or until it's golden brown and the custard is almost set (it will finish setting as it cools). Remove the dish from the oven and let it cool at least 30 minutes (photo 3).

Step 4: Make the maple whisky sauce

In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar and maple syrup and stir until smooth.

Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the whisky (the mixture will sizzle) and cook about 30 seconds, then stir in the warmed cream and salt. Bring back to a boil and cook for 1 minute more, stirring, then remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool (photo 4).

Questions asked and answered

Here are some questions you might have...

Pro Tip: Make the bread pudding ahead of time

You can bake the Chocolate Bread Pudding ahead of time and keep refrigerated until later. About two hours before you want to serve it, pop it in the oven and warm at 325°F before serving.

The Maple Whisky Sauce will separate upon standing. If necessary, reheat it gently, either in a water bath (place the jar in a pot of simmering water) or in short bursts in the microwave on a low power setting, then stir.

A homey, yet elegant dessert

I love contrasting flavors and textures, and adding chocolate chips to bread pudding is just the start. Technically, this dish should be called Cherry Pecan Whisky Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Maple Butterscotch Whisky Sauce, but that’s a bit of a mouthful, don’t you think?

What is a mouthful is how well these ingredients go together. Chocolate and cherries bring sweetness, toasted pecans add a crunch, and whisky kicks it up a notch.

Chocolate chip bread pudding is easy and homey, yet it can be dressed up and become an elegant dessert to serve to your guests. Give it a try!

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