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Southern Bread Pudding Recipe With Sauce

This southern bread pudding recipe with sauce is an easy recipe that has been a family favorite for generations.

The bread pudding is a creamy, sweet, and decadent dessert that only requires a few everyday ingredients.

The Perfect Dessert

Bread pudding in a bowl with blue and red.

Southern bread pudding is the perfect dessert and a classic recipe. It’s so easy to make, and it’s so rich that a little bit will go a long way with this sweet treat.

The classic dessert is made up of a handful of simple ingredients, including Hawaiian rolls that we all love, butter, pecans, and a few more pantry items.

The sweet sauce is buttery and flavorful for a taste we all crave, and this delicious dessert delivers.

Bread pudding in a blue bowl with white and red dots around the edge.

Ingredients For Southern Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding Sauce

  • White granulated sugar
  • Butter
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract

Bread Pudding

  • Hawaiian rolls
  • White granulated sugar
  • Eggs, beaten
  • Milk
  • Vanilla extract
  • Brown sugar
  • Butter softened
  • Pecans

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Watch How To Make Southern Bread Pudding With Sauce

How To Make The Easy Bread Pudding Recipe

  1. Start by cutting up the rolls into smaller pieces and leave them out overnight to get stale. (I usually put a paper towel loosely over the pieces).
  2. The next day, grease a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish and add the bread to the dish.
  3. In a medium bowl, add the sugar, eggs, milk, and three teaspoons of vanilla extract and mix.
  4. Pour the mixture over the stale bread and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
  5. In another bowl, add the brown sugar, softened butter, and pecans and mix.
  6. Sprinkle the brown sugar mix over the bread and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
  7. Once the bread is finished baking, start the sauce by adding the white sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract to a medium saucepan.
  8. Cook on medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
  9. Pour the sauce over the warm bread pudding and serve.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Bread Pudding

A package of Hawaiian rolls on the counter. The rolls are out of the package.

Take the Hawaiian rolls out of the plastic container.

Hawaiian rolls sliced and place in a metal baking dish.

Slice the Hawaiian rolls into smaller pieces and place into a container to sit overnight. The rolls will get stale as they sit. Place a paper towel over the rolls.

Five eggs in a glass mixing bowl.

After 24 hours and when you are ready to make the bread pudding, add the eggs to a bowl and beat.

Beaten eggs and white sugar in a clear glass mixing bowl. There is a whisk in the bowl.

Next, add the white sugar to the bowl and mix.

Pouring milk into a clear glass mixing bowl with eggs. There is a whisk in the bowl.

Pour the milk into the bowl and mix.

For this recipe, I used two-percent milk, but if you want it to taste a little richer, you can use whole milk or heavy cream instead.

Eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and sugar in a mixing bowl. The mixing bowl is clear glass and there's a whisk sitting in the bowl.

Add the vanilla extract to the bowl and mix well.

Hawaiian rolls soaking in an egg and milk mixture.

Pour the milk and egg mixture over the bread and let it sit for at least 10 minutes to soak it up.

Brown Sugar Topping

Brown sugar and softened butter in a measuring cup. The measuring cup is clear glass.

In another bowl, add the softened butter and brown sugar.

Brown sugar, butter, and pecans in a measuring cup. The measuring cup is clear glass.

Next, add the chopped pecans and mix the three ingredients.

The brown sugar mixture is sprinkle don top of the soaking bread.

Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the top of the bread.

Baked bread pudding in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish.

Bake the bread pudding for 35 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown around the edges.

Baked bread pudding in a casserole dish.

Butter Sauce

One egg in a measuring cup.

Start the sauce by adding an egg to a measuring cup and beat.

Pouring sugar into a mixing bowl

Add the white sugar to the bowl.

Pouring melted butter into a measuring cup with sugar and an egg.

Pour the melted butter into the mixing bowl.

I always make sure the butter is not hot before pouring it in or that I have mixed the egg with the sugar because the hot butter will cook the egg. Then you will have pieces of cooked egg, which is not fun.

So make sure your butter cools off a little before adding it.

Bread pudding sauce in a saucepan. There's a red spatula in the saucepan.

Add your sauce to a small saucepan and cook on medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring often.

Pouring butter sauce over bread pudding in a casserole dish.

Pour the sauce over the bread pudding.

I just go to town and pour the sauce all over. Once you get the sauce on, it’s ready to serve.

Bread pudding in a bowl. There's a casserole dish next to it with more bread pudding in it.

This is a simple bread pudding recipe and one I know you will love.

You can add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side for an additional sweet flavor.

How To Store Leftover Bread Pudding

Store the bread pudding in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated.

What Kind Of Bread Can I Use For Bread Pudding?

There are several choices when it comes to choosing bread for bread pudding. For this recipe, I used Hawaiian bread.

You simply need to cut the bread into bread cubes and let it sit on the counter for about 24 hours to let it get stale.

Here are some more options:

  • French bread
  • Challah bread
  • White bread
  • Raisin bread
  • Donuts (Donut bread pudding recipe is amazing)

Optional Ingredients

  • Pecans
  • Raisins
  • Bananas
  • Caramel
  • Baked apples

Can I Use Fresh Bread?

Yes, you can use fresh bread for bread pudding. But you will need to slice it and toast it first. The bread will soak up the milk mixture if toasted and dried out.

How Do You Make Bourbon Sauce?

You can add bourbon to the sauce recipe. Just add two to three tablespoons of bourbon to the recipe before cooking.

More Delicious Desserts:

Southern Bread Pudding Recipe With Sauce

Be sure to get the recipe below for bread pudding. It’s comfort food at its finest and a great way to serve something elegant after dinner.

Bread pudding in a bowl with blue and red.

Southern Bread Pudding Recipe With Sauce

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 1 day
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 day 55 minutes

Southern bread pudding is a delicious dessert made with Hawaiian rolls and a sweet buttery sauce. It is an easy dessert recipe and one that everyone will love.

Ingredients

Bread Pudding

  • 3 cups Hawaiian rolls cubed and stale (this is equal to one package of 12 rolls).
  • 5 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped

Butter Sauce

  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Cut the bread and leave it out for 24 hours to let it get stale.

Bread Pudding

  1. When ready to cook, add the bread to a greased 9x13-inch casserole dish.
  2. In a large bowl, add the eggs and beat them.
  3. Next, add the sugar, milk, and vanilla extract and mix well.
  4. Pour the mixture over the bread and let it sit for at least 10 minutes to soak up the liquid.

Topping

  1. In another bowl, add the brown sugar and softened butter and mix well.
  2. Next, add the pecans and mix. Sprinkle over the bread and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until the bread is golden on the edges.
  3. When you take the bread out of the oven, start the sauce.

Sauce

  1. Add the egg to a small bowl and beat.
  2. Next, add the sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract and mix well.
  3. Pour into a saucepan and cook on medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
  4. Pour over the bread pudding and serve.

Notes

  • For this recipe, I used King's Hawaiian Bread Rolls.
  • When making the sauce, make sure you don't pour the melted butter over the egg or it could cook the egg. I always add the sugar first and then the egg.
  • If you don't have time to leave the bread out to get stale, day-old bread, you can toast the bread before adding it to the casserole dish. The dry texture will help soak up the milk mixture.
  • Optional additions: You can add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the milk mixture for a different flavor or a tablespoon of maple syrup.
  • If you want bourbon sauce, add two to three tablespoons to the sauce before cooking.
  • If you want a richer flavor, you can use whole milk or heavy cream instead of milk for the recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 655Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 294mgCarbohydrates: 99gFiber: 3gSugar: 76gProtein: 11g

Nutrition is approximate.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Louise

Sunday 25th of June 2023

I can’t get Hawaiian Rolls here in UK. Could you suggest an alternative please as I’d love to try this recipe. Thank you.

Julie Pollitt

Sunday 25th of June 2023

Hi Louise,

It's more of a sweet roll. I am not sure of an alternative. I googled it and found you could try a sweet brioche roll. Here's a recipe to make it at home if you'd like to. https://www.bakedbyanintrovert.com/the-best-hawaiian-sweet-rolls/ Hope that helps!

Theresa

Saturday 24th of June 2023

What size baking dish do you bake it in?

Julie Pollitt

Sunday 25th of June 2023

Hi Theresa, I added that into the recipe card. Thank you for pointing it out. It bakes in a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Lisa

Saturday 25th of March 2023

I don’t see what temperature to cook at?

Julie Pollitt

Sunday 26th of March 2023

Yikes! Sorry about that. It's 350 degrees. I went in and corrected it in the recipe card. Thanks for pointing that out.

Sherry

Wednesday 22nd of March 2023

Oh my goodness! Made this tonight for my small group at church, home now with 5 requests for recipe ! Followed exactly as stated no changes, best bread pudding ever !

Julie Pollitt

Thursday 23rd of March 2023

You just made my day! Thank you! I am so glad you all loved it! I was a total piggy with it. ;)

Miz Helen

Wednesday 15th of March 2023

We sure have enjoyed featuring your awesome post. Thanks so much for sharing it with us on Full Plate Thursday, 631. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us soon! Miz Helen

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