It is National Baking Month! Who knew?! In honor of this news, I have created an Easy Cinnamon Bread Pudding with a Butter Bourbon Sauce that is oh-so decadent!
Baking has typically been a bit of a scary space for me due to a “traumatic” childhood baking experience that went so bad! Maybe someday I will share…
With that being said, finding or creating baking recipes that are “EASY” is my way of tackling baking and creating a stress-free experience. 😉
This Cinnamon Bread Pudding can be served as a breakfast casserole AND also as a decadent dessert making it a very versatile recipe!
For years, I have enjoyed my mother’s famous “Jack Daniels Bread Pudding” so I decided to create my own version that would be easy to duplicate.
My mother is one of those amazing cooks that does not typically use recipes. For one, she is legally blind and has not been able to see to read since her thirties. Secondly, she just has the ability to cook and bake things without recipes. An inspiration, for sure! Here’s to hoping that I make her proud!
During the holidays and when we host multiple house guests, I enjoy making breakfast casseroles (sweet and/or savory) that I can make ahead the day before and just pop in the oven the next morning. This recipe would be great served for breakfast with just some maple syrup. However, making the butter bourbon sauce really makes this bread pudding a delicious option for dessert and your guests will be so impressed!
Easy Cinnamon Bread Pudding with a Butter Bourbon Sauce
Most bread puddings are made with a loaf of stale-ish bread. My shortcut for this recipe (and part of what makes it so EASY!) is using pre-made cinnamon rolls as the foundation for the bread pudding. Not only does this save time but it also simplifies the recipe, especially in terms of the number of ingredients.
I just bought a pre-made box of cinnamon rolls from my local grocery store to slice up as the starting point for this simple recipe. All that was left was to create the custard mixture that will be soaked up by the cinnamon rolls and then bake it. Presto!
Eggs and milk/cream are the typical foundation of most custards. For this recipe, you can use a variety of combinations of milk and cream. You can easily make this bread pudding without the heavy cream especially if you need to use a lactose-free version or another type of milk. I like to use heavy cream for the added richness but that is only a personal preference.
Most bread puddings also require more sugar in the custard than this recipe requires but that is because the cinnamon rolls were already made with a sugar-based glaze. I actually add a bit of salt to the custard to offset the sweetness and to help bring out some of the other flavors in the bread pudding.
At the end of the baking time (approximately 60 minutes), the bread pudding will be quite “puffed up” in the baking dish and will be moderately wobbly when it is finished cooking.
Once it rests for 10 minutes or so, it will “settle down” back into the baking dish and is ready to serve.
There are several other ingredient options that you could add to customize this recipe even more. You could include pecans, raisins, dried or fresh fruit, or even chocolate for added decadence.
If you would rather serve this bread pudding without the alcohol, just substitute one tablespoon of vanilla in lieu of the bourbon. OR, if you are gutsy, just burn off the alcohol by lighting the mixture on fire (supervision or experience is advised for this!).
If serving this for dessert, you could also serve it with ice cream or whipped cream. I have a delicious recipe for my Homemade Pumpkin Spice Whipped Cream HERE.
Easy Cinnamon Bread Pudding with a Butter Bourbon Sauce
This easy bread pudding recipe can be made to serve as a breakfast casserole or can be served as a very decadent dessert making this a very versatile recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 Box Pre-made Cinnamon Rolls 20 – 24 ounce box
- 1 tbsp Butter (softened) to coat the baking dish
- 1 1/2 cups Milk (any variety) I used 2% lactose-free milk
- 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream (optional…if not use 2 cups of milk)
- 3 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 cup Butter salted
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp Bourbon to taste
Instructions
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Dice the cinnamon rolls into 1/2" – 1" pieces.
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Place cinnamon roll pieces into a butter-coated baking dish.
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Add milk, cream, eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl.
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Blend the ingredients above with a mixer until the custard is a bit frothy.
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Pour custard mixture over the cinnamon rolls.
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Use the back of spoon to make sure that all of the bread is soaking in the custard.
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Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight, if possible.
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Bake at 375 for 50-60 minutes until the custard is moderately wobbly.
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Let rest for 10 minutes (the pudding will settle down a bit).
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While resting, warm the butter, brown sugar, and bourbon (to taste) over medium heat on the stove until bubbly.
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Serve each portion of the bread pudding with the Butter Bourbon Sauce.
The good news about this easy recipe is that anyone can do this! It will most certainly help you come across as a seasoned baker if you are not already! If I can do it, then you can too!
Here are a few of my favorite products to use for making this bread pudding recipe…
I hope that this Easy Cinnamon Bread Pudding with a Butter Bourbon Sauce recipe inspires you to go for it this National Baking Month! My family has really been enjoying the process of me testing this recipe to get it just right for you!
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