This Chocolate Bread Pudding is spiced custard and bread tossed with chocolate chips, dried cherries, maple syrup, and spiked with whisky. Top it with a silky Maple Whisky Sauce and it's an elegant adults-only dessert. It's a great use for leftover challah bread!
[Side Note: a version of this post first appeared on my OutlanderCast column, 1/24/2019]
Why this recipe works
- Bread pudding is easy to make, just mix up a custard base and toss it with cubed bread
- The mix-ins are customizable to your preferences
- Whisky sauce adds a level of elegance to what is otherwise a homey dish
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).
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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...
Bread pudding can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. When served with a warmed sauce, warming the bread pudding is advisable.
Generally speaking, bread pudding is made with stale (or toasted) bread, which tends to hold its shape when soaked in the custard. Firm breads, like brioche or challah, also do well in this dish. If your bread pudding is mushy, then the bread you used was too soft to hold together.
Chocolate bread pudding can be frozen after baking (make sure the baking dish is freezer safe). Cool the dish completely, then wrap it well with a double layer of plastic wrap and a double layer of foil before freezing. Defrost the dish in the refrigerator overnight. Frozen bread pudding will keep 2 to 3 months.
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!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
Related Recipes
Custards come in many forms, but the method is similar across the board. Luckily, the technique is easy to master, and you'll be able to make a whole range of treats!
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Recipe
Chocolate Bread Pudding with Maple Whisky Sauce
Equipment
- 3-qt glass oblong baking dish
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 18-ounce loaf french brioche bread, cubed, about 8 to 10 cups
- 12 ounces chocolate chips, (2 cups)
- 1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
For the custard
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup whisky, optional, see Recipe Notes
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups milk, see Recipe Notes
- 1 cup heavy cream
For the sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup whisky, optional, see Recipe Notes
- 1 cup heavy cream, warmed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Move rack to middle of oven. Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter a 3-quart glass oblong baking dish (2-inch deep 9- x 13-inch, 2 inches deep).
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, chocolate chips, dried cherries, and ½ cup of the pecans. Add the melted butter and toss to coat evenly.
- 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 filling and mix well. Let the bread mixture sit at least 30 minutes to allow the custard to soak into the bread cubes.
- Transfer the bread mixture into the buttered baking dish and top with the remaining pecans. Bake 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
- Make the maple whisky sauce: While the bread pudding is baking, 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.
- 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.
- To serve, reheat bread pudding at 325 °F until warm (if needed). Drizzle the warmed sauce on, then plate and serve with additional sauce on the side. Enjoy!
- Chocolate bread pudding can be frozen after baking (make sure the baking dish is freezer safe). Cool the dish completely, then wrap it well with a double layer of plastic wrap and a double layer of foil before freezing. Defrost the dish in the refrigerator overnight. Frozen bread pudding will keep 2 to 3 months.
Ella says
Sounds yummy, although I might substitute the cherries for dried cranberries, or maybe leave them out all together since I'm' not a big fan of dried cherries. I'm glad it's so customizable!