Good mornin’, good mornin’! It’s your favorite flavorphile coming at you live with a message for all my culinary crusaders, spice seekers, and flavor nerds out there. Now listen up—if you’re looking to take your taste buds on a soulful journey, I got just the thing: a Southern bread pudding so rich, so creamy, and so downright righteous, it’ll make your mouth shout hallelujah!
And as if that wasn’t enough, we’re drizzling it with a warm spiced brown sugar-sweet potato syrup that’s got layers on layers of flavor. The dessert transforms humble bread into a sophisticated comfort that feels both nostalgic and novel, familiar yet adventurous.
Related Dessert Posts:
This ain't yo grandma's old fashioned bread pudding recipe. We’re talkin’ Southern bread pudding that’s bringing da flava with a creamy custard infused with cinnamon, vanilla, and pure comfort. But wait—there’s more! We’re topping it with a homemade syrup so bold, so rich, it’ll make your taste buds do a two-step.
Piloncillo, sweet potato, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, a splash of OJ, and a shot of bourbon come together for a sauce that’s smooth like butter and spiced just right. This ain’t just dessert—it’s a full-on flavor experience! So, let’s get down and do this sweet thing right!
What Is Piloncillo
Piloncillo is a traditional unrefined Mexican sugar made from cane juice, known for its deep, complex flavor. It’s often compared to brown sugar or molasses but has a more intense, caramel-like taste with hints of smoky, earthy richness. Piloncillo is typically sold in solid, cone-shaped blocks, which need to be grated or melted down for use in recipes. It can be found in the spice aisle in most grocery stores.
The name "piloncillo" comes from the Spanish word pilón, meaning "cone," referring to its shape. It’s a staple in many Latin American dishes, adding depth and sweetness to desserts, sauces, beverages, and savory dishes alike. Think of it as the secret ingredient that brings a rich, authentic touch to recipes like café de olla, mole, or syrupy toppings for bread pudding!
Beats and Eats (music to pair with bread pudding)
Curtis Mayfield's "Right On for Darkness" pairs beautifully with this bread pudding recipe because both embody a soulful, layered richness that resonates on a deep, sensory level. The song’s slow, deliberate groove and introspective lyrics echo the comforting, warm decadence of the dessert.
The bread pudding’s creamy interior and crispy top vibe right on with the song’s def balance of smooth melodies and real depth, while the sweet potato brown sugar syrup, with its earthy, spiced sweetness, mirrors the song’s subtle complexities and emotional warmth.
What Are Key Flavor Ingredients Needed To Make This Dish
- Piloncillo cone - adds a deep, rich, and complex sweetness to bread pudding that elevates the dessert beyond traditional sugar
- Sweet Potato - bring a mellow, natural sweetness that’s less sugary than traditional sweeteners. This subtle, earthy sweetness balances the richness of the custard and complements spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Cinnamon - think of cinnamon as both the backup singer and lead guitarist in bread pudding's flavor band - it supports other flavors while occasionally taking spectacular solos that make the whole dish sing.
- Cloves - Think of cloves as the powerful solo vocalist in your bread pudding's flavor choir - they can easily overpower if given too much spotlight, but when used judiciously, they add an unforgettable dramatic flair to the performance.
- Star Anise - provides depth and intrigue without overwhelming, making people wonder, "What's that fascinating flavor I can't quite place?"
- Bourbon Whiskey - brings forward flavors of caramel, vanilla, and butterscotch, complementing the sweetness of the custard and any syrups or sauces used in the dish. Also adds subtle smoky, woody undertones that give the bread pudding a rich, layered complexity.
- Smoked Sea Salt - imparts a subtle yet distinctive depth to the bread pudding. This smokiness adds a savory note that balances the richness and sweetness, making the dessert more complex and intriguing.
- Vanilla Extract - brings a subtle, sweet undertone to the dish, making the bread pudding taste more indulgent and well-rounded without overpowering the other ingredients.
How To Make This Bread Pudding
Tear the stale bread into smaller piece and place in a large bowl or pan. Set aside.
Prepare Bread Pudding
In a small saucepan add the sugar, milk, melted butter, heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt. Heat on a low simmer mixing constantly until the sugar dissolves completely.
Pour the cream mixture over the cubed bread and allow to soak refrigerated 1 hour.
Remove bread mixture from the refrigerator and top with beaten eggs. Stir gently so bread soaks up as much of the egg mixture as possible.
Grease a baking dish with butter. Add soaked bread pudding mixture to the pan. Add pan to oven preheated to 375 degrees F. Cook for 45 minutes.
While bread cooks, make the sauce.
Prepare Sauce
Toast the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise in a medium saucepan for 10-15 seconds.
Increase the heat to medium. Add the diced sweet potatoes, the piloncillo, water, and orange juice. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
Strain out the sweet potatoes about halfway through cooking (about 15 minutes) then add add syrup mixture back to the pan to finish reducing. If the Piloncillo is not fully dissolved continue cooking until it is before removing the sweet potatoes.
Allow to cool 3-4 minutes which gives a bit more time for the syrup to thicken up.
Serve the bread pudding topped with the sauce.
What To Serve With Bread Pudding
In my house bread pudding is a holiday dessert served during Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Thanksgiving. It can also be a Sunday dinner dessert flex as well. Typical dishes that are likely to be on our holiday menu making for good pairings include:
- Maple Glazed Ham
- Smoked Turkey
- Crispy Cornish Hen
- Dutch Oven Pot Roast
- Southern Collard Greens
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Southern Black-eyed Peas
- Creamed Cabbage
- Haitian Soup Joumou
- Jollof Rice
- Southern Green Beans
- Southern Sweet Tea
Tips and Considerations When Making This Recipe
- I prefer to use challah bread that I've also allowed to get stale. Challah is firm enough to hold up to the cooking and soaking. Plus its that smooth bun like top is great for crisping up giving you that creamy soft pudding that also has a contrasting crispy top and edge.
- Tear the bread into as similar sizes as possible. Don't have to be perfect, but close enough. Challah is also easy to break apart into almost symmetric bread cubes.
- Reserve some of the syrup for other finished dishes like pancakes, sweet potato pie, vanilla ice cream, or even oatmeal. It's addictive and versatile!
- If your sauce gets to thick you can always thin it out by adding more liquid after the fact. I'll add a bit more Orange juice then stir swiftly until I reach the consistency I'm looking for. Not cooling will allow the sauce to thicken so factor that into your cooking time. You'll want to remove it off heat a few minutes before that thicker consistency is achieved.
- Any bread will do. Buns are great in this recipe, and you'll definitely want thicker pieces.
- A lot of bread pudding recipes call for golden raisins, but i'm just not that guy. I like raisins on their own, but don't really understand people's infatuation with adding them to everything. Oatmeal is about as far as I'm going to go lol.
Other Variations on Old Fashioned Southern Bread Pudding Recipes
Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Ingredients: Brioche or challah, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and a rich chocolate custard.
Bread Pudding French Toast
- Ingredients: French bread, with cinnamon and nutmeg spiced custard
Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding
- Ingredients: Leftover cinnamon rolls or any sweet rolls, with a cinnamon-spiced custard.
Make This Recipe
"And there it is, my flavor-loving fam—Southern bread pudding done just right! Mister Flavor got one last word for you: taste buds don’t lie! You’ve got creamy custard, crispy edges, and that spiced brown sugar-sweet potato syrup dripping with love and layers.
This ain’t just dessert—it’s a flavor sermon for your soul. So go ahead, take a bite, close your eyes, and let that symphony of sweetness, spice, and southern comfort play on. And remember, love is the flavor that brings it all together. Until next time, keep it soulful, keep it flavorful, and as always—Do. The. Right. Thing. in your kitchen!"
If you make this bread pudding recipe or any other from the site, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.
You can also keep up with my food exploits as well as original recipes! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you like any of the music you find on the site, visit me at Spotify to find curated monthly playlists.
Lastly, go to my YouTube channel and subscribe to be notified when new weekly videos are uploaded.
Ingredients
For the Syrup Topping
- 2 cups water
- 1 cone piloncillo sugar or 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 whole cinnamon sticks
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 whole star anise
- ¼ cup Orange Juice
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 small sweet potato peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the Pudding Mix
- 4-5 cups broken bread pieces or cubes Challah is an option
- 3 eggs beaten
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 cups Milk
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Sea Salt
- 2 tablespoon Butter
Instructions
Prepare Bread Pudding
- In a small saucepan add the sugar, milk, melted butter, heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt. Heat on a low simmer mixing constantly until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Pour the cream mixture over the cubed bread and allow to soak refrigerated 1 hour.
- Remove bread mixture from the refrigerator and top with beaten eggs. Stir gently so bread soaks up as much of the egg mixture as possible.
- Grease a baking dish with butter. Add soaked bread pudding mixture to the pan. Add pan to oven preheated to 375 degrees F. Cook for 45 minutes.
- While bread cooks, make the sauce.
Prepare Sauce
- Toast the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise in a medium saucepan for 10-15 seconds.
- Increase the heat to medium. Add the diced sweet potatoes, the piloncillo, water, and orange juice. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
- Strain out the sweet potatoes about halfway through cooking (about 15 minutes) then add add syrup mixture back to the pan to finish reducing. If the Piloncillo is not fully dissolved continue cooking until it is before removing the sweet potatoes.
- Allow to cool 3-4 minutes which gives a bit more time for the syrup to thicken up.
- Serve the bread pudding topped with the sauce.
Video
