Buttery, flakey croissants and juicy red cherries immersed in a Bourbon-infused custard, baked until golden perfection, and drizzled in a luxuriously smooth Bourbon sauce!
As someone who grew up with a family cherry orchard, you would think that I’d have a multitude of cherry recipes on my blog. Unfortunately, I’m a bit behind in the cherry game, and I have some major catching up to do! So to make up for lost time, I decided to incorporate cherries into one of my favorite desserts…BREAD PUDDING.
The only question is, what flavor should I pair this wonderfully crimson red fruit with? More specifically, what kind of BOOZE should I pair it with?
How about…BOURBON.
All I have to say is Bourbon + Cherries + Bread Pudding = HEAVEN
This Bourbon Cherry Bread Pudding is BEYOND divine. If you haven’t jumped on the croissant bread pudding bandwagon, this recipe should definitely serve as motivation. The flakey croissants absorb every single drop of the exquisitely smooth bourbon custard, transforming them into fluffy clouds of deliciousness. Moreover, the sweet red cherries bake up to be so incredibly plump as their juices infuse the bread pudding with even MORE heavenly flavor.
Why You MUST Make This Bourbon Cherry Bread Pudding
Bourbon Cherry Nirvana: It’s no doubt that bourbon and cherry pair perfectly well together, and this bread pudding is definitely proof of how sinful this duo of flavors can be when they combine forces.
A Texture Lover’s Paradise: From the moist and pillowy croissants infused with creamy bourbon custard, to the lusciously juicy cherries and silky smooth bourbon sauce, you’ve got a mouthgasm just waiting to happen.
Super Simple To Make: Just whip up the custard in a large bowl, toss in your croissants and cherries, and pour it into a dish. Once it’s soaked for a few hours, bake for about 45 minutes until it’s nice and golden. The sauce is just as easy!
The Most Delicious Way To Use Up Stale Bread: The best bread pudding is made with dry or stale bread, which is fantastic for those of you who can’t stand wasting food. The dryer the bread, the better! In fact, I’ll often toast my bread in a preheated 350ºF oven for 8-10 minutes. Not only does it dry it out, but it also gives the bread that lovely toasted flavor.
How To Make Bourbon Cherry Bread Pudding
- Prep the bread. Use 14 ounces of dry/stale bread. If necessary, use the oven method (mentioned above) to dry out your bread. Either cut or tear the bread into bite-sized chunks; set aside.
- Make the custard. In a large mixing bowl, whisk 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 2 tablespoons bourbon (more if you want a stronger bourbon flavor), 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together until combined. Gradually stir in 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream.
- Toss in the bread and cherries. Add the bread to the custard, and use a silicone spatula to gently fold everything together until all of the bread is completely saturated in the custard. Next, fold in 1 and 1/2 cups cherries. Pour bread pudding mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.
- Allow bread pudding to soak. Cover the bread pudding with plastic wrap. Let rest and soak for a minimum of 2 hours. If making the night before, cover and place bread pudding in the refrigerator.
- Top the bread pudding. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar evenly over the bread pudding.
- Bake the bread pudding. If you made the bread pudding the night before, allow the bread pudding to sit at room temperature for 30-45 minutes to take the chill off. Bake the bread pudding for 40-45 minutes, or until golden and toasty. Allow it to cool and set for 15-20 minutes.
- Make the sauce. As the bread pudding is cooling, make the bourbon sauce by combining 1/3 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon of flour and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter over medium heat, then whisk in the sugar-flour mixture. Gradually pour in 1 cup of heavy cream and continue stirring until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Once it’s done, take the pan off of the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons of bourbon. Add more bourbon, if desired.
- Drizzle and enjoy! Scoop some bread pudding into a bowl and drizzle the sauce on top. Find a relaxing and QUIET spot in your home, and enjoy…
Can I make this without the bourbon?
Yes, you may! Although the bourbon is pretty subtle in this bread pudding, if you want to make it non-alcoholic, just leave out the bourbon. Same goes for the sauce!
On the contrary, if you want a stronger bourbon flavor, you can add more than what the recipe calls for. Just make sure not to go overboard, as you don’t want the bourbon to be too overwhelming. I added a total of 4 tablespoons–2 tablespoons in the custard and 2 tablespoons in the sauce. I found that this was just enough to give the bread pudding a hint of bourbon flavor, which was perfect for complementing the cherries.
What kind of cherries are best?
First off, make sure you use fresh cherries, and not frozen. For this bread pudding, I would recommend sweet cherries that are deep red in color and have a firm, but juicy texture. Bings and Lamberts are both great options. You could also use Rainier cherries which are sweeter and less tart than red cherries.
This Bourbon Cherry Bread Pudding is comfort dessertified. And as someone who doesn’t care for the taste of alcohol or liquor, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the flavors in this bread pudding. The key is to add just enough bourbon to bring out the natural flavors of each ingredient. So what are you waiting for?? Make this bread pudding stat!
Bourbon Cherry Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 14 ounces croissants, cut or torn into pieces*
Custard:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons Bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ cups fresh pitted cherries (about 8 ounces)
For Topping:
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
Bourbon Sauce:
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2-3 Tablespoons Bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Scatter the torn croissants evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and toasted, about 8-10 minutes.** Allow croissants to cool while you prepare the custard.
Make the Custard:
- In a large bowl, whisk the sugars, the egg yolks, egg, bourbon, vanilla, almond extract, and salt until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream and milk until combined. Gently fold in the croissants until every piece of bread is completely saturated in the custard. Then fold in the cherries.
- Pour mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish, gently pressing down on the bread to ensure that all of the pieces are completely saturated in the custard. Allow to sit and soak for at least two hours***.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly over the bread pudding. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until golden and toasty.
Make the Sauce:
- Combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a small bowl. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once melted, whisk in the sugar-flour mixture until combined. Gradually pour in the heavy cream, and continue whisking until sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Once thickened, remove saucepan from stove and stir in 2 tablespoons of bourbon and the vanilla. Add more bourbon, if desired.
- To serve, slice/scoop bread pudding into bowls. Drizzle sauce on top, and enjoy!