Bread Pudding with Apple Butter Rum Sauce

Bread Pudding with Apple Butter Rum Sauce is a life changing treat. This cozy comfort food is perfectly warm, dense, sweet, cinnamony, and beautiful!

Bread pudding is one of my favorite treats. Enjoy it warm or cold, for breakfast or dessert! This version with the buttery apple rum sauce will become a family favorite for special holidays, gatherings, or just a weekend breakfast! 

Not only does it come together very easily, it can be made ahead and served at any temperature. It also freezes and reheats extremely well.

APPLE BUTTER RUM SAUCE 

This sauce alone makes the recipe worth it! The flavor of the cinnamon bread with butter rum sauce is AMAZING.

The sauce is a caramely, thick, and super flavorful. I use rum extract or rum bakery emulsion for this recipe, which adds great flavor without having to use actual alcohol. 

Bakery emulsions are used in the same ratios as extracts, but are much more potent in flavor. They’re great to use in baked goods because the flavors stay very strong, even being cooked.

Try doubling the sauce to use as pancake syrup or ice cream syrup.

INSTANT POT BREAD PUDDING

This recipe for bread pudding can be made in the Instant Pot. It will not be crispy or browned, and the end result will be a little denser and very moist.

In order to fit into a pan compatible with the Instant Pot, the bread pudding recipe has to be divided into smaller portions. That’s something to consider when choosing a cooking method.

I like it both ways, but if I’m making this for my family or for a larger portion, I’ll bake it in the oven.

Instant Pot Bread Pudding Recipe

BREAKFAST RECIPES

• The Best Avocado Toast
• Instant Pot Yogurt + FAQ (2-Ingredients, Plain or Sweet!)
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GRAND AMERICA HOTEL BREAD PUDDING RECIPE 

The original inspiration for this recipes comes from the Grand America Hotel, the premier luxury hotel in Salt Lake City. It’s where the NBA teams stay, and where all the fanciest events are held.

The Grand America holds a legendary Sunday brunch service. I have actually never had the chance to go to brunch at the Grand, but I hear it’s phenomenal. One of the signature dishes served at Sunday brunch is a croissant bread pudding with a butter rum sauce.

HOW TO MAKE BREAD PUDDING

• Cut and place the bread cubes in a large bowl, set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine cream, sugar, and cinnamon over medium heat until steaming, but not boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
• In a liquid measuring cup, whisk eggs. Slowly temper the egg mixture by adding ⅓ of the hot cream mixture and whisking continuously. Slowly add the egg mixture back to the rest of the heavy cream mixture and whisk to combine.
• Pour the cream mixture through a strainer over the bread pieces to remove any lumps. Fold the hot cream into the bread and allow all the pieces to get coated. Be careful not to over mix and create a slimy mush. Soak for about 5 minutes.
• Place the bread mixture into a 9×13 pan, or cast iron pan. Bake at 350ºF for about 35-40 minutes or until golden on top.
• Enjoy with berries, whipped cream, and butter rum sauce.

BREAD PUDDING TIPS

• Start with day old or stale bread. You can use croissants, french bread, or any kind of bread in this recipe. I do prefer a thicker bread vs. sandwich bread for the best texture. Sourdough bread would be a delicious variation of this recipe.
• If you only have fresh bread, cut the bread into 1-2 inch cubes and place on a lined cookie sheet. Either leave the bread uncovered on the counter or in the oven for a couple hours, or place it in the oven at 250ºF for about 15-20 minutes, shaking or tossing the bread every 5 minutes. You don’t want croutons, but you do want the bread to be able to absorb the custard without getting soggy.
• Allow the bread to soak in the custard mixture for a couple of minutes before baking. This will allow all the bread to absorb the flavors, and be able to have a consistent texture throughout after baking. If the bread doesn’t absorb the liquid, it may overbake on the top and turn out too crispy.
• Serve bread pudding hot out of the oven, at room temperature, or cut into squares and served cold. 
• I recommend warming up the sauce and serving it warm, as the butter in the sauce will solidify and not have a great texture served cold.
• Add chunks of cream cheese, chocolate, nutella/nut butter, berries, dollops of pie filling, or stone fruit slices throughout the bread pudding before baking for a fun variation.

NO MORE MOLDY BERRIES

Serve this yummy bread pudding recipe with whipped cream and berries.

Don’t forget to try my Everlasting Berry Hack to keep your berries fresh for weeks. No more mold on those precious berries!

FREEZING BREAD PUDDING

Bread pudding will keep in the fridge for 7-10 days. I like to cut the cooked bread pudding into individual portions before storing in my favorite snapware containers, or in a gallon sized or sandwich sized baggy.

To freeze, I like to wrap each portion in parchment paper to avoid sticking, then place each piece in a gallon sized bag. You can then take individual portions to rewarm in the microwave or thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bread pudding stays good in the freezer for 3-6 months.

INSTANT POT DESSERT RECIPES

End a yummy meal (or start one!) with a delicious Instant Pot Dessert.

• Instant Pot S’mores Cheesecake
• Instant Pot Creme brulee
• Homemade Carrot Cake 
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries (Instant Pot) | Baby Shower Food Ideas
• Dairy Free Coconut Rice Pudding
• Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cakes For Two
• Instant Pot Vanilla Bean Rice Pudding
• Instant Pot White Chocolate Candy Cane Creme Brulee
• Easy Air Fryer + Instant Pot Donuts

Bread Pudding with Apple Butter Rum Sauce

Bread Pudding with Apple Butter Rum Sauce is a life-changing treat. This cozy comfort food is perfectly warm, dense, sweet, cinnamony, and beautiful!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS

• 14 oz French bread or croissants diced into 1-2 inch cubes, stale or dried overnight (14 oz is 1 standard grocery store loaf of French bread)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Butter Rum Sauce

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup apple juice, apple sauce, or apple cider
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon rum extract or rum
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

Bread Pudding

• Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease a 9×13 dish or a large cast iron pan and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine cream, sugar, and cinnamon over medium heat until steaming, but not boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
• In a liquid measuring cup, whisk eggs. Slowly temper the egg mixture by adding 1/3 of the hot cream mixture into the eggs and whisking continually. Slowly add the egg mixture back to the rest of the heavy cream mixture and whisk to combine.
• Place the bread pieces into the greased dish.
• Pour the warm cream mixture through a fine mesh strainer over the bread pieces to remove any lumps. Press the bread into the custard and allow all the pieces to get coated. Be careful not to over mix. Soak for 5 minutes.
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown on top.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing, or cool at room temperature until ready to eat. Enjoy with berries, whipped cream, and butter rum sauce.

Butter Rum Sauce

• Combine butter, sugars, apple juice, and heavy cream in a small pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil for five minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat, and add extracts. Stir to combine, then serve.

NOTES

• I use rum extract or rum bakery emulsion for this recipe, which adds great flavor without having to use actual alcohol.
• Try doubling the sauce to use as pancake syrup or ice cream syrup.
• Start with day old or stale bread. You can use croissants, french bread, or any kind of bread in this recipe. I do prefer a thicker bread vs. sandwich bread for the best texture. Sourdough bread would be a delicious variation of this recipe.
• If you only have fresh bread, cut the bread into 1-2 inch cubes and place on a lined cookie sheet. Either leave the bread uncovered on the counter or in the oven for a couple hours, or place it in the oven at 250ºF for about 15-20 minutes, shaking or tossing the bread every 5 minutes. You don’t want croutons, but you do want the bread to be able to absorb the custard without getting soggy.
• Allow the bread to soak in the custard mixture for a couple of minutes before baking. This will allow all the bread to absorb the flavors, and be able to have a consistent texture throughout after baking. If the bread doesn’t absorb the liquid, it might over-bake on the top and turn out too crispy.
• Bread pudding can be served hot out of the oven, at room temperature, or cut into squares and served cold. 
• I recommend warming up the sauce and serving it warm, as the butter in the sauce will solidify and not have a great texture served cold.
• Add chunks of cream cheese, chocolate, nutella/nut butter, berries, dollops of pie filling, or stone fruit slices throughout the bread pudding before baking for a fun variation.
• Bread pudding will keep in the fridge for 7-10 days. I like to cut the cooked bread pudding into individual portions before storing in my favorite snapware containers, or in a gallon sized or sandwich sized baggy.
• To freeze, I like to wrap each portion in parchment paper to avoid sticking, then place each piece in a gallon sized bag. You can then take individual portions to rewarm in the microwave or thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bread pudding stays good in the freezer for 3-6 months.

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