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Delicious warm Ruth's Chris-style bread pudding dessert served in a bowl

Warm Ruth’s Chris–style Bread Pudding

A comforting and easy-to-make bread pudding that uses day-old bread, rich custard, and is perfect with vanilla ice cream.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 7 servings
Course: Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 400
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 4 cups day-old bread, French or brioche, cubed
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter Use unsalted butter to control salt.
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • Pinch salt
Bourbon Vanilla Sauce
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a baking dish.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, milk, eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
  3. Add the bread cubes and gently fold until each piece is coated. Let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes.
Baking
  1. Transfer the soaked bread into the prepared dish, spreading it evenly. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top is golden and the center feels set.
Making the Sauce
  1. In a small saucepan, combine cream, brown sugar, butter, and bourbon. Simmer over medium heat, stirring until it thickens slightly.
  2. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Serving
  1. Serve warm with generous amounts of bourbon vanilla sauce poured over the top.
  2. Optionally serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Notes

You can cube the bread the night before and stash it in a zip bag. If the top browns too quickly, tent with foil for the last 10–15 minutes. Variations include adding orange zest or swapping a pinch of cardamom for nutmeg.