Create the ultimate New Orleans-style bread pudding recipe!

My grandmother had the best bread pudding recipe hands down. She is still one of my favorite desserts. Imagine my surprise on my first trip to New Orleans to find out that all bread puddings are NOT created equal!

Actually, there are several variations of this dessert. My grandmother’s version is a variation on a traditional dessert popular in British cuisine. It’s called bread and butter pudding and is often confused with bread pudding. The cubed bread is placed in a pan and then covered with an egg mixture to make a custard. After it is baked, the bread rises to the top to form a “crust” as a topping. It tastes similar to French toast. The egg mixture forms a rich custard on the bottom. Of course, my grandmother added her secret spices to give it a sweet nutmeg flavor. It is absolutely wonderful!

Louisiana bread pudding is made completely differently and is just as good. The common ingredient is stale bread, but that’s where the similarities end. The consistency of the bread pudding is similar to a moist cake and is served hot with a wonderful vanilla, whiskey or rum sauce. The smell is heavenly and if you get a chance to visit New Orleans this is a MUST have dessert served in most restaurants.

The following recipe, a specialty of my sister-in-law from New Orleans, is a much-requested dessert for holidays, parties, or any special occasion. The secret of this recipe is the bread. Stale French bread is the best. Use the long and narrow loaves, if available. No matter what size pan you use, it’s always empty at the end of our family gatherings!

The best bread pudding recipe

Ingredients

6 – 8 cups stale bread, broken into cubes

1 can of evaporated milk

2 cups of sugar

8 tablespoons butter, melted

3 eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla

1 large can fruit cocktail, drained

3/4 of a can of condensed milk

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup of grapes

Addresses

Combine milks, butter, eggs, vanilla, sugar, nutmeg. Fold the bread and stir. The mixture should be very wet.

Add the fruit cocktail and the grapes. Mix well. Pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour or until top is golden brown. Serve hot with whiskey sauce.

variations

You can omit the grapes. Try adding blueberries, peaches, or apples.

Although my grandmother’s recipe is still one of my favorite desserts, I can honestly say that this is the best bread pudding recipe ever – New Orleans style!