Desserts Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Bread Pudding with Jack Daniels Sauce
A rich, custardy bread pudding crowned with a warm buttery Jack Daniels whiskey sauce.
Contains common allergens
In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Cube the bread into 1-inch pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and butter a 13x9-inch baking dish.
- 2
In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole milk, eggs, evaporated milk, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon until well combined.
- 3
Pour the milk mixture over the bread and let it soak for 15 minutes, gently pressing the bread down so it absorbs the custard evenly.
- 4
Transfer the soaked bread mixture to the buttered baking dish and dot the top with a little extra cut-up butter. Bake for 60 to 90 minutes, until the pudding is set, golden, and has risen about 1 inch.
- 5
While the pudding bakes, make the sauce: in a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the butter and simmer until melted, then cook over high heat for 2 minutes.
- 6
Stir in the Jack Daniels and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Spoon the warm sauce generously over servings of the warm bread pudding.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
65/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving280
Calories
4 g
Protein
41 g
Carbs
12 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Bread pudding is a dish of resourcefulness, using stale bread that would otherwise go to waste, and versions appear across European and American cooking from the Middle Ages onward. The American South elevated it into a beloved dessert institution, particularly in New Orleans where French bread bread pudding with a whiskey or bourbon sauce became a restaurant staple in the 19th century. The Jack Daniels sauce is a Tennessee variation, substituting Tennessee whiskey (technically not bourbon) for the Creole versions that use Kentucky bourbon.
Listahan note
This version soaks the bread until fully saturated before baking, producing a custardy interior rather than a firm, bready one, and finishes with a butter-and-whiskey caramel sauce made separately for maximum richness.
Technique cues
- Stale bread is not optional — fresh bread repels the custard soak and produces a gummy, unevenly textured pudding; if your bread is fresh, spread cubes on a sheet pan and dry in a 300 F oven for 10 minutes.
- The combination of whole milk and evaporated milk creates a richer, more stable custard than whole milk alone — evaporated milk has had about 60% of its water removed, concentrating the milk solids and giving the pudding a creamier set.
- For the sauce, cook the sugar and water to a proper caramel (golden amber, about 350 F) before adding butter and whiskey — adding whiskey to under-cooked sugar produces a flat, sugary sauce rather than a complex caramel one.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- While the bread soaks in the custard (30-60 minutes), gather the sauce ingredients and prep the baking dish so the pudding goes straight in when the soak is done.
- Make-ahead
- Assemble the pudding up to the point of baking, cover, and refrigerate overnight; bake directly from the refrigerator, adding 10 minutes to the bake time. Make the sauce fresh just before serving.
- Leftover move
- Leftover pudding slices reheat beautifully in a 325 F oven for 10-12 minutes; rewarm the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat, adding a splash of cream if it has thickened.
- Cleanup rhythm
- The custard bowl and the sauce pan are the main items; deglaze the caramel pan immediately with hot water while still warm to dissolve the hardened sugar.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
1 loaf (about 1 lb) stale French or white bread, cubed
structural base and custard carrier
Purpose: Day-old bread absorbs the custard without disintegrating, creating the characteristic creamy-yet-structured texture of proper bread pudding.
Handling: Cube into roughly 1-inch pieces and let soak in the custard for at least 30 minutes, pressing down occasionally to ensure full saturation.
Adaptation: Brioche or challah produces a richer, more tender pudding; croissants create an especially indulgent version with a flakier interior.
2 cups whole milk
custard base
Purpose: Whole milk provides the liquid body of the custard; lower-fat milks produce a less creamy, more watery pudding.
Handling: Whisk together with the evaporated milk and eggs before pouring over the bread.
Adaptation: Replace entirely with a 50/50 mix of heavy cream and milk for a richer result closer to a classic bread-and-butter pudding.
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
richness and custard stability
Purpose: Evaporated milk concentrates milk protein and fat, giving the custard a creamier, more stable set than whole milk alone would produce.
Handling: Add directly to the custard mixture; no preparation needed.
Adaptation: Full-fat coconut milk can replace evaporated milk for a dairy-free version that adds a mild tropical note.
4 large eggs
custard binder
Purpose: Eggs set the custard as it bakes, giving the pudding a cohesive, sliceable (or scoopable) structure rather than a wet mush.
Handling: Whisk well before combining with the milks to ensure even distribution through the batter.
Adaptation: No effective substitute for eggs in a custard application at this quantity.
1/4 cup Jack Daniels whiskey
sauce flavor
Purpose: Tennessee whiskey adds a vanilla-oak-caramel complexity to the sauce that complements the cinnamon-nutmeg spicing of the pudding itself.
Handling: Add off the heat or to a cooled caramel to prevent flare-up; the alcohol cooks off during sauce reduction.
Adaptation: Bourbon is the closest substitute; use 2 Tbsp brandy or 1 tsp vanilla extract plus 1 Tbsp apple cider for an alcohol-free sauce.
Technique notes
- Bake the pudding in a water bath (set the pan in a larger pan with 1 inch of hot water) if you want an especially silky, evenly set custard — it prevents the edges from overcooking before the center sets.
- The pudding is done when a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with no liquid custard; it will still jiggle slightly — that is fine and it will firm as it rests.
- Make the Jack Daniels sauce just before serving; caramel sauce seizes when it cools and reheating repeatedly breaks the emulsion, so fresh is best.
Ingredient swaps
- Alcohol-free sauce
- Replace Jack Daniels with 2 Tbsp apple cider plus 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp bourbon-smoked salt for a similar depth without alcohol.
- Dairy-free option
- Use full-fat coconut milk in place of both milks (same total volume); the sauce can be made with coconut cream and vegan butter.
- Richer version
- Replace the whole milk with heavy cream for a significantly more indulgent, denser bread pudding closer to a baked custard.
Serve alongside
- a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream
- fresh whipped cream with a pinch of nutmeg
- sliced fresh strawberries to cut the richness
- small pour of neat Tennessee whiskey alongside
- strong chicory coffee in the New Orleans tradition
- cold whole milk
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate the pudding tightly covered for up to 4 days; store the sauce separately in a jar.
- Reheat individual portions in a 325 F oven for 12 minutes or microwave on 70% power for 90 seconds.
- Freeze the pudding (without sauce) for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven.
Equipment
- 9x13-inch baking dish
- large mixing bowl for the custard
- heavy-bottomed saucepan for the caramel sauce
- candy thermometer (optional, for monitoring caramel temperature)
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