Caramel Eggnog Bread Pudding with homemade chocolate sauce

(this blog post had new photos coming soon)

Swirled with caramel. The hint of warm spices from the eggnog. This rich and decadent dessert is so easy to make and will impress everyone you invite to your table!

Why I love bread pudding so much

Bread pudding was born out of the necessity to use leftover bread. Some of the most comforting and well loved recipes have been born out of not wasting food, and this is one of my favorites. We ate this quite often growing up. My mom put raisins and cinnamon in it and when it was warm out of the oven we would drizzle it with her homemade chocolate sauce. Oh my, my, myyy! I can smell it and taste it now. Writing about it brings me directly back to that little kitchen with tera cotta linoleum, mustard yellow counter tops, and a avocado green phone on the wall. It was groovy baby.

Gather these ingredients

How to make caramel sauce

Note: caramel and chocolate sauces can be made up to 3 days in advance of making bread pudding.

Start by making the caramel sauce. Over medium heat add 8 tablespoons of butter to sauce pan. When butter has melted add in brown sugar and whisk until sugar dissolves completely and incorporates with the butter and becomes smooth. Continue to whisk until butter and sugar start to bubble and boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute. Turn heat to low and add 1/2 cup heavy cream continue to whisk until smooth, cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until caramel is smooth and thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Store any leftovers in a mason jar, or plastic container in the refrigerator.

How to make bread pudding

Cut or rip bread into 1 inch sized cubes. You should have 10 cups of bread cubes.

In a large bowl whisk 2 eggs, 2 1/2 cups eggnog, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg until frothy. You can do this by hand or with a stand or hand mixer.

Fold bread pieces into the eggnog custard base. Set aside for 15 minutes allowing the bread to soak up all the eggnog mixture. Fold in 1/3 cup of mini chips.

Butter baking dish. This can be a deep dish lasagna pan, or a 9×13 baking dish. I have even fit it into a 11×7 baking dish. My mom used to bake it her large pyrex bowl.

Add eggnog bread pudding mixture to buttered baking dish. Take 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce and drizzle it over the bread pudding, poking some holes in so it doesn’t just sit on top, but there are pockets of caramel. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. I usually check after 45 minutes to make sure that the edges aren’t getting too dark. It should be a golden brown around the edges when done.

How to make chocolate sauce

Over medium heat melt 8 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Then add 1/2 cup corn syrup, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt whisk until smooth. Stir frequently, let cook at a low boil for 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 tablespoon dark brewed coffee, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream. Bring temperature back to a low boil, let boil like this for 3-5 minutes whisking continuously. When it starts to thicken and holds to the back of a spoon remove from heat. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in a mason jar, or airtight container in the refrigerator.

FAQs & tips

• Make the caramel and the chocolate sauce ahead of time. The sauces are at the best quality up to 3 days but can stay in the refrigerator for a week.
• Bread: Use day old or week old bread. If you find that you have bread ends or half loafs of stale bread (not moldy) that are not getting used this is a great way to use them up. Place them in a zip-loc bag in your refrigerator. The best bread to use for bread pudding are challah, brioche, Italian or French loafs, or cinnamon raisin bread.
• Eggnog: Have you ever bought eggnog just because it’s the holiday season and you think someone might want it? Then 2 weeks later you find yourself pouring it down the drain. This recipe gives you a good reason buy eggnog or to use that leftover eggnog. No need to throw it away!
• Make it boozy! If you want to add a little extra something to this recipe you can make it boozy by adding a splash of rum to the eggnog custard mixture. (1 or 2 tablespoons dark rum)

I hope you make this dessert for your family

A few simple ingredients are all you need to make this delicious dessert. What could be better than ending your holiday meal by making this eggnog bread pudding recipe. If you love this recipe as much as my family does please take the time to give it a star rating in the recipe card below. Thank you so much. Enjoy, Sheila