Bread Pudding Caramel Sauce

Experience this homemade caramel sauce’s luxurious and creamy goodness, specially crafted to elevate your bread pudding game! 

It adds the perfect combination of flavors and textures to your bread pudding, leaving your taste buds craving more.  

I love bread pudding and make it quite often, but adding this melt-in-mouth caramel sauce takes it to a new level and makes it super moist with a sweet finish. 

This caramel sauce’s smooth and velvety consistency perfectly complements the tender and fluffy bread, leaving you with a delightful and satisfying treat that will please any palate. A perfect addition to your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any Southern holiday menu!

What is bread pudding caramel sauce?

This caramel sauce for bread pudding comes together quickly using a few pantry staples, including sugar (white granulated and brown), vanilla extract, heavy cream, and butter. 

The delectable sauce adds moisture and sweetness to your bread pudding, making it the perfect dessert to serve at any party or gathering.

What is bread pudding sauce made of?

This simple Southern dessert sauce only requires a few ingredients: heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.

What is caramel sauce made from?

• The whipping cream adds a luscious creaminess that perfectly balances the sweetness. 
• While the vanilla extract imparts a warm and inviting aroma to the sauce and helps balance out the flavors. 
• The butter, on the other hand, adds a rich, buttery flavor that adds an extra layer of flavor to this decadent sauce.
• The brown sugar adds a light molasses sweet flavor profile, perfect for a syrupy caramelization.
• And, of course, the granulated white sugar assists in the caramelization of the ingredients into a smooth and velvety sauce!  

You can use brioche bread, challah bread, sourdough bread, French bread, or Italian bread to make bread pudding at home. 

Then add nuts and dried fruit such as walnuts, pecans, raisins, or craisins to your bread pudding for a delicious and nutritious twist! 

What else do you need? 

Try bread pudding today with this caramel sauce and experience the ultimate indulgence in every bite!

How to make bread budding caramel sauce

Making your own delicious caramel bread pudding sauce is easier than you might think! 

Add white sugar, brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, and butter to a saucepan and cook over medium heat on the stovetop for 3-5 minutes until brought to a boil. 

Stir the mixture and remove it from the heat.

Then, add the vanilla extract and mix well.

Finally, top your bread pudding with this velvety caramel sauce. 

This sauce is versatile and delicious and adds a yummy twist. Pour over Irish bread pudding, Southern bread pudding, banana bread pudding, or pumpkin bread pudding (a perfect fall dessert). Or pour over ice cream, brownies, cinnamon rolls, or any dessert. You name it!

This is just one of the many delicious classic bread pudding sauce variations, including whisky caramel sauce, bourbon caramel sauce, or salted caramel sauce for salted caramel bread pudding!

Don’t forget to top with whipped cream!

Kitchen equipment for bread pudding caramel sauce

• Medium-sized saucepan or Instant Pot (on sauté mode)

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Ingredients for bread pudding caramel sauce

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup butter

Instructions for bread pudding caramel sauce on the stovetop

1. Add the white sugar, brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, and butter to a saucepan and cook over medium heat on the stovetop.
2. When the sauce comes to a boil (after approximately 3-5 minutes), stir the mixture. 
3. Then remove the bread pudding caramel sauce from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. 
4. Spoon the bread pudding caramel sauce over warm homemade bread pudding, serve, and enjoy!

Instructions for bread pudding caramel sauce in the Instant Pot

1. Open the Instant Pot lid and turn on the sauté function for 5 minutes. 
2. Add the white sugar, brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, and butter to the stainless-steel inner pot.
3. When the sauce comes to a boil (after approximately 2-4 minutes), remove the stainless-steel inner pot with the caramel sauce from the Instant Pot burner.
4. Stir the hot mixture.
5. Now stir in the vanilla extract. 
6. Spoon the bread pudding caramel sauce over warm homemade bread pudding, serve, and enjoy!

Bread pudding caramel sauce FAQs

What is the origin of bread pudding?

While Black folks’ Southern bread pudding is famous in New Orleans, people still ask, “What nationality is bread pudding?’

History tells us that Europeans would use excess bread scraps and crumbs by mixing them with milk and sweeteners. Then, this unsophisticated mixture was boiled and served.

Black people later spiced up this sweet treat, and we have what we know today as Southern soul food bread pudding!

What does bread pudding taste like?

Bread pudding is a custard mixture that meets sweet bread. It has a creamy and rich taste with a soft and slightly moist texture, giving this dish its “pudding” flare. 

The taste of bread pudding can vary depending on the ingredients or spices used in the recipe, but it is commonly known for its warm and comforting appeal.

How do you make bread pudding from scratch?

You’ll need a large bowl and baking dish to make and bake bread pudding, which is made with cut bread pieces, milk, eggs, sugar, and spices like cinnamon or nutmeg. 

Some recipes include raisins or nuts and a bread pudding sauce for extra richness and flavor.

Then, mix the ingredients, and the bread mixture is baked until the center is firm and set.  

Do you eat bread pudding hot or cold?

Bread pudding can be served in various ways: hot, warm, room temperature, or cold. But because it’s known as a comfort food, many people prefer it warm with this delicious caramel sauce for a tasty Southern dessert treat!

How do you know when bread pudding is done?

Why is your bread pudding soggy in the middle? Because it’s not cooked through or done.

Should you cook it longer?

A proper bread pudding is crispy on the edges and soft in the middle (but not soggy). 

The best way to tell if it’s done is to check the edges to see if the edges turned golden brown and the center is no longer runny. 

What kind of bread should you use to make bread pudding?

Asked another way, what is the best bread for bread pudding?

Bread pudding can be made with various breads, but stale or day-old French bread or brioche is the most commonly used bread. 

However, depending on your preference, you can also use other types of bread, such as Challah, whole wheat bread, Italian bread, or white bread for the cubed bread needed to prepare a bread pudding recipe.

Why do you use stale bread for bread pudding?

The reason for using stale bread is that it has a firmer texture and less moisture as compared to fresh bread. It can absorb the custard mixture better without becoming too mushy or falling apart.

Should you cube or slice your bread for bread pudding?

I recommend cubing the bread into bite-sized pieces rather than slicing it when making bread pudding. 

This is because the bread cubes absorb the custard mixture more evenly, resulting in a smoother and creamier texture.

How long will leftovers of bread pudding last?

Store leftover bread pudding in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Pro tip: It’s best to store bread pudding without adding sauce so the dessert doesn’t get soggy or mushy.

Can you freeze homemade bread pudding?

Freeze leftover bread pudding by placing it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Again, it’s best to freeze this dessert without adding the bread pudding sauce. 

How can you moisten the bread pudding?

How can you fix this? An easy way to moisten dry bread pudding is to pour this bread pudding caramel sauce over the dessert to moisten and flavor, reviving the pudding!

What do you think about this Southern bread pudding caramel sauce recipe?

Now tell me: What could be more inviting to your family and friends for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other Southern holiday, soul food Sunday dinner, or special occasion than warm, decadent Southern bread pudding topped with a velvety, smooth homemade caramel sauce?

Does your family have a dessert casserole recipe?

Have you had this one?

Would you make it? 

Comment below and lemme know. 

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