Desserts Custards, Puddings & Mousse Pudding Bread Pudding Bread Pudding with Irish Whiskey 5.0 (1) 1 Review This boozy bread pudding with vanilla, cinnamon, and raisins is like an adult French toast. By Andrew Zimmern Andrew Zimmern Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer, and social justice advocate. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on March 14, 2026 Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Stephanie Meyer Active Time: 1 hr Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Yield: 8 to 10 servings Jump to recipe Brioche or challah soaks up a rich mix of milk, cream, eggs, and warm spices, baking up with a custardy interior and a crisp, golden top.Soaking the raisins in Irish whiskey and stirring a splash of the spirit into the vanilla sauce gives the dessert a subtle boozy kick.Lightly toasting both the bread and sliced almonds helps the cubes absorb the custard without turning soggy and adds nutty notes to the finished dish. This Irish whiskey–spiked bread pudding recipe comes to us from Andrew Zimmern, who serves the luscious dessert with a flavorful sauce made with fragrant vanilla and a punch of Jameson. Custardy on the inside and crisp on top, the pudding is reminiscent of a cinnamon-raisin French toast with a boozy kick. It's a delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and also great as the centerpiece of any celebratory brunch. What defines bread pudding? In Ireland and the U.K., pudding can mean "dessert" writ large, but it's also used for a category of grain-based porridges, cakes, casseroles, and even sausages that can be either sweet (such as plum pudding) or savory (such as black pudding). Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Feel free to omit the whiskey from this recipe if you'd like. No need to find a substitute — this bread pudding remains delicious without it.When making the custardy sauce, it's important to pour the egg mixture into the hot milk in a slow, thin stream, stirring constantly. (Otherwise, you might end up with something closer to scrambled eggs.) Keep Screen Awake Ingredients 1/2x 1x 2x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Irish whiskey sauce 1 1/4 cups whole milk 1/2 split vanilla bean, seeds scraped 4 large egg yolks 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Bread pudding 3/4 cup raisins 1/3 cup Irish whiskey, such as Jameson 1 pound Pullman-style brioche, challah, or white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 3/4 cup sliced almonds 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 4 large eggs 1 large egg yolk 2 1/2 cups whole milk 2 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing the pan Directions Make the sauce: Fill a medium bowl with ice water. In a small saucepan, heat the milk with the vanilla bean and seeds until it just comes to a simmer. Discard the vanilla bean. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and salt until the mixture is pale yellow and thickened. Whisking constantly, drizzle in the hot milk. Pour the mixture into a clean saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 7 to 8 minutes. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a medium bowl and set the bowl in the ice bath until cold. Cover and refrigerate the sauce. Make the bread pudding: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine the raisins and whiskey and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the whiskey. Meanwhile, on a large rimmed baking sheet, spread the bread cubes in an even layer. Toast the bread for about 5 minutes, until lightly golden. On another baking sheet, spread the almonds in an even layer and toast for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly golden. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Grease a 13- x 9-inch glass baking dish. In a small bowl, stir 2 tablespoons of the sugar with the cinnamon. In a large bowl, whisk the whole eggs with the egg yolk and the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar until well blended. Whisk in the milk, cream, almonds, raisins, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt. Add three-fourths of the bread cubes, stirring to moisten. Let stand for 5 minutes, then pour the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the remaining bread cubes on top, pressing down gently. Brush the bread cubes with the melted butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the custard is set. Transfer the bread pudding to a rack to cool for 30 minutes. Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved soaking whiskey into the sauce and serve with the warm bread pudding. Make ahead The sauce (without the whiskey) can be refrigerated overnight. After you've assembled and baked the bread pudding the next day, finish the sauce by stirring in a tablespoon or two of the liquor you've soaked the raisins in. Originally appeared: January 2013 Cook this recipe and more in the MyRecipes app. Get the App Save Rate Print Loading shell for RecipesUgcThreaded1 Vue component in Globe.