Eggnog Bread Pudding

Break out the rum and the rustic bread for this Eggnog Bread Pudding. Made with a few simple ingredients and a lot of holiday cheer, this baked custard will warm you up on a cold winter day.

It’s December 25th and I’ve Ho-Ho-Had It with Christmas. My bah-humbugging started when we forgot to put the tailgate up on our truck and my tree fell out while driving up a 65-foot bridge. Do you know what a Christmas tree looks like after flying out of a truck at 50 miles per hour? It looks like Christmas crap. If it wasn’t dead from being sawed down and driven to Florida in an 18-wheeler, it was certainly dead then. There’s no resurrecting it with water, either. Branches are missing, needles are falling and the so-called evergreen tree is now forever brown.

Basically, my Christmas tree is a carcass.

I tried camouflaging the flaws with spray paint and a preposterous amount decorations, but the jig was up. First the twinkle lights went out, then things went from bad to worse. Unlike The Night Before Christmas when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse, there most definitely was a creature stirring. Only it wasn’t a mouse, it was a small rat with a big tail.

That’s right, a rodent infamous for bringing plagues of pestilence upon the land was playing hide and seek in my Christmas tree. Not for nothing, but all of this is happening at 11:30 pm when I should be snug in my bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in my head. Not freaking out in my flamingo pj’s while my husband pokes a baby rat with a broomstick.

The tree was shaking, ornaments were breaking and the rat, covered in tinsel, eventually scampered out an open door. It goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: there’s not enough eggnog in my punchbowl to sleep after an ordeal like that. I made a double batch of nog to compensate, suffered insomnia replaying the events in my psyche then used the rum-spiked balance to make bread pudding at 4 in the morning.

Bread pudding is an amazing dish to enjoy as the sun rises on a rat-free day. Loaded with rum and rustic bread, this warm, baked custard will comfort you through all the holiday stresses: finances, family and four-legged rodents. Have a cup of holiday cheer, then have a bite of it in this old fashioned recipe.

Before sharing the recipe for Eggnog Bread Pudding, here are a few tips and tricks to help you out:

Ingredient Tips and Tricks

This recipe calls for a French baguette but any rustic bread, such as Italian, can be a substitute.

Why is stale bread better for bread pudding? Day-old, stale bread has less moisture than fresh, therefore, it makes the best base for soaking up eggnog.

Top bread pudding with turbinado sugar prior to baking to give it some holiday sparkle and a bit of crunch.

If you do not have stale bread then cut your loaf into slices and bake directly on the oven rack at 300 degrees for about 8 minutes (or until slices just begin to dry). Cut slices into cubes then proceed with the recipe.

How Do You Reheat Bread Pudding?

To reheat bread pudding, cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

How To Store Eggnog Bread Pudding

After bread pudding has cooled to room temperature, cover leftovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days.

I hope you enjoy this Eggnog Bread Pudding recipe. Please leave a rating and review below when you try it for yourself. And, while you’re at it, sign up for my weekly Recipe Newsletter so you never miss a tempting recipe.

Finally, if you can’t get enough eggnog in your life then you’ll love these Spiked Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls. Soft, fluffy and splashed with spiced rum eggnog, these frosted rolls make breakfast boozy and impressive.

Eggnog Bread Pudding

Heather Wolf

Break out the rum and the rustic bread for this Eggnog Bread Pudding. Made with a few simple ingredients and a lot of holiday cheer, this baked custard will warm you up on a cold winter day.

5 from 7 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Breads and Rolls

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Equipment

• Blender
• 2 quart baking dish

Ingredients

  

Spiked Eggnog (serves 6)

• 6 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract pure
• 3/4 cup spiced rum
• 2 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Eggnog Bread Pudding

• 7 cups 1-inch bread cubes from a day-old French baguette
• 3 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract pure
• 4 cups spiked eggnog *see above for recipe
• 2 Tbsp turbinado sugar

Garnish

• powdered sugar
• sugared cranberries

Instructions

 

Spiked Eggnog

• Add eggs to a blender then pulse until pale and frothy, approximately 1 minute.
• Add sugar and blend on medium speed until evenly combined, approximately 1 minute.
• Add remaining eggnog ingredients then pulse until combined, approximately 15 seconds.
• Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before drinking or use right away to make bread pudding.
• Store leftover eggnog in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Stir before enjoying.

Eggnog Bread Pudding

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 2 quart baking dish with butter then set aside.
• Place bread cubes in a large bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and eggnog until combined then pour over bread cubes.
• Using your fingers, gently press bread cubes into eggnog mixture until all cubes are moistened. Set aside and allow bread cubes to soak for 15 minutes.
• Spoon bread pudding into prepared baking dish then top with turbinado sugar.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is set and the edges are golden brown and pulling away from the sides of the baking dish.
• Cool slightly then slice and serve warm. Garnish with powdered sugar and sugared cranberries, if desired.
• Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator up to 2 days.

Keyword bread, eggnog, pudding