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Irish Bread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel Sauce

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Irish Bread Pudding with Whiskey Caramel Sauce! It's such a decadent and delicious dessert that you may just look for reasons to make it all year long.
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients

For the whiskey caramel sauce:

  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ⅔ cup water
  • ¼ cup butter cubed
  • 2 ounces cream cheese cubed
  • ¼ cup Irish whiskey
  • ¼ cup milk

For the bread pudding:

  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 can evaporated milk 12 ounces
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • ⅔ cup whiskey caramel sauce
  • 10 cups cubed French bread cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • ½ cup raisins or chocolate chips if you don't like raisins
  • cinnamon sugar to taste
  • Additional whiskey caramel sauce for serving
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make the whiskey caramel sauce:

  • Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Use a larger saucepan than you think you will need for more surface area on the bottom. Stir until the sugar completely dissolves.
  • Stop stirring and allow to simmer until mixture is golden (about 17 minutes). The mixture should be bubbling the entire time. Keep a close eye on it; the sauce will go from no color to golden to burnt very quickly. DO NOT STIR!
  • Remove from heat.
  • Carefully add butter and cream cheese, whisking constantly until all clumps are dissolved. CAUTION! Mixture will be very hot and can bubble up during this time.
  • Stir in whiskey and milk. Mixture will bubble a bit at this step as well. Set aside.

To make the bread pudding:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • If using (1) 9x13-inch casserole dish, spray with nonstick spray, or spray (6) 6-ounce ramekins with nonstick spray.
  • Combine cream, sugar, vanilla extract, evaporated milk, eggs, and 2/3 cup whiskey caramel sauce in a large bowl. Stir well with a whisk.
  • Add bread cubes, using a spatula to push down and make sure each piece of bread is coated.
  • Cover and allow to sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to soak up all the goodness.
  • Pour bread mixture into the prepared baking dish or ramekins.
  • Sprinkle top with raisins or chocolate chips and cinnamon-sugar as desired.
  • Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until set.
  • Serve warm with more whiskey caramel sauce as desired.

Notes

If you’d like, you can soak the raisins in some more of the Irish whiskey while you work on the caramel sauce to add even more flavor.
If you prefer, you can stir the raisins or chocolate chips into the bread pudding mixture instead of sprinkling them on top.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.