Eggnog Bread Pudding

Eggnog bread pudding is a custard-soaked bread dessert that tastes like the holiday drink in spoon form. The eggnog-based custard sets the bread into a tender, creamy pudding while the top browns and crisps slightly. Baking it in a water bath keeps the custard silky instead of curdled.

Ingredients for Eggnog Bread Pudding

Bread soaks up the custard and gives the pudding its structure. Eggnog is the base of the custard and carries all the spice flavor. Eggs set the custard as it bakes and make it creamy. Butter adds richness and helps the top brown. Nutmeg and cinnamon echo the spices in eggnog. Vanilla extract deepens the flavor. Salt balances the sweetness. Brown sugar sweetens the custard. Rum extract adds depth without raw alcohol. A splash of water extends the custard mixture.

Why This Eggnog Bread Pudding Works

Eggnog is already a cooked custard, so it combines with eggs to make a custard that sets gently without curdling. The bread absorbs this mixture evenly as it sits before baking, so every piece soaks through. Baking in a water bath keeps the temperature of the custard steady and even, which prevents it from scrambling at the edges.

The top browns in the oven while the center stays creamy because you remove it while the middle still jiggles slightly. It keeps cooking after it leaves the oven, and the carryover heat sets it to the right texture. If you bake it until it looks completely set, it will be rubbery.

Mistakes To Avoid

Overbaking is the most common mistake. The custard continues to cook after it leaves the oven, so if it looks fully set in the pan, it will be dry and curdled when it cools. Pull it out while the center still jiggles like soft custard.

Skipping the water bath makes the edges of the custard cook too fast and turn grainy before the center sets. The gentle, moist heat of the water bath is what keeps the pudding creamy from edge to edge.

Using fresh bread instead of day-old bread turns the pudding mushy and wet. Fresh bread has too much moisture and breaks down into mush instead of holding its shape.

Not letting the bread soak long enough leaves dry spots in the finished pudding. Fifteen minutes gives the bread time to absorb the custard evenly so every bite is creamy.

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Ingredients

• 4 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cups eggnog
• 3 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons butter (57 grams), melted
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (67 grams)
• 1/4 teaspoon rum extract
• 1/2 cup water

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Arrange the bread cubes in a 9×13 baking pan in an even layer.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggnog, eggs, melted butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, brown sugar, and rum extract until smooth.
3. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes and let it sit for 15 minutes so the bread absorbs the liquid.
4. Place the 9×13 baking pan inside a larger roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking pan.
5. Carefully transfer the water bath to the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly when you gently shake the pan.
6. Remove from the water bath and let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. The pudding will continue to set as it cools.