Classic bread pudding amplified with the addition of creamy sweet potatoes, fall spices, and the most heavenly pecan praline sauce!
I swear, nothing in this world makes my eyes roll into the back of my head quite like a good bread pudding. And today’s recipe is NO exception.
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I KNOW I have the perfect dessert for you to serve your friends and family this year…
This Sweet Potato Praline Bread Pudding is nothing short of drop-dead-droolworthy. Packed with delicious fall spices and the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes, this bread pudding absolutely screams Thanksgiving. It’s basically a mash-up of sweet potato casserole and french toast, except it’s also covered in the most divine praline sauce. But before we dive into the sauce (I wish this was literal), let’s start at the beginning, shall we?
The kind of bread I use for bread pudding is almost always determined by what I find in the day-old bakery rack of my local grocery store. Not only is the bread at least half-off, but it’s perfect for bread pudding which works better with day-old rather than fresh bread.
On this day, I ended up finding a rustic baguette. Rustic breads are usually my favorite for bread puddings since the thicker crust holds up better and doesn’t get overly soggy when baked in the custard. It also results in a nice slightly crisp top, and the crusty pieces lend a satisfyingly chewy texture to the bread pudding. Bread pudding is so versatile though, so you could definitely use other breads like challah, croissants, texas toast, or french bread.
Instead of cubing the bread with a knife, I prefer to cut it into thick slices, then use my hands to tear the bread up into pieces. The variety of different-sized pieces not only allows the bread to fit into the dish more evenly, but the torn pieces just give the pudding a more rustic look.
Now let’s talk custard! The custard contains pretty much all of your typical ingredients–butter, sugar (both brown and white), eggs, milk, cream, and vanilla. I strongly recommend using whole milk rather than skim or fat-free, if you can. Whole milk just adds more of that wonderful creaminess and keeps the bread pudding nice and moist.
Of course we can’t forget the star ingredient of the show–the sweet potato! One cup of mashed sweet potatoes is stirred into the custard along with cinnamon and a little nutmeg to round out the flavors. Use fresh sweet potatoes–not canned. You can either cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave (quicker and more convenient), or bake them in the oven, which is what I did. I baked mine in a 425ºF oven for about 30 minutes. Once cooked through, peel the skin off, and whip them up in a food processor (or with a beater) until nice and fluffy.
Once the custard is made, it’s poured over the bread, and the whole thing is allowed to soak for a few hours. It can also sit in the fridge overnight if you want to make it ahead and have it ready to bake the next day! If you do take the overnight route, I would recommend allowing the bread pudding to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before baking.
I also added a generous sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar to the top just before baking. I just LOVE the slightly crisp crust that forms on the pieces of bread when a little sugar is sprinkled on. The bread pudding takes about 40-50 minutes to bake in the oven. I usually test for doneness by giving the pan a little jiggle to see if it’s fully set.
Now, bread pudding isn’t REAL bread pudding if it’s not drowning in a heavenly sauce of some kind. No one likes a dry bread pudding! And since sweet potatoes and pecans go so impeccably well together, I made up a batch of buttery pecan praline sauce to go on top.
Guys, this sauce is basically liquid crack. I’m sure I’ve said this before about my salted caramel, but there’s just something so undeniably addictive about a buttery, brown sugary sauce that’s loaded with toasted pecans. Luckily though, this sauce is much easier to make than caramel. Just heat some butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and a little flour together until hot and bubbly. Stir in some heavy cream, vanilla, and finally the toasted pecans! I actually made this same exact sauce for my Sweet Potato Pie Pancakes a few years ago, and I forgot how glorious it was!
Bread pudding has to be one of, if not THE most comforting dessert for this time of year. And this Sweet Potato Praline Bread Pudding is absolute proof of that. Warm, creamy, and ooey gooey, there’s really no better way to end a Thanksgiving feast than with this beauty right here…
Sweet Potato Praline Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Bread Pudding:
- 8 ounces day-old torn/cubed bread*
- 1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Pecan Praline Sauce:
- 1 cup whole pecans toasted
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon-Sugar:
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Make the Bread Pudding:
- Spray an 8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place the bread cubes in the dish.
- In a medium bowl, stir the sweet potato, butter, sugars, and spices together until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla, then pour mixture evenly over the bread.
- Use a spatula to gently press and submerge the bread into the custard, making sure that all bread is soaked. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight**.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the bread pudding. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes.
Make the Praline Sauce:
- Coarsely chop the pecans; set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar, flour, and corn syrup until combined. Bring mixture to a boil and continue stirring for 3 minutes. Add the cream and cook for an additional minute, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat, stir in the vanilla, then fold in the chopped pecans.
- Serve bread pudding with a drizzle of pecan praline sauce.