This Bread Pudding Sauce is so rich and delicious. A mixture of butter, cream, rum, and vanilla, it is the perfect sauce to make your dessert absolutely amazing.
This sauce tastes so good on our Bread Pudding, or you can drizzle it on these Bakewell Tarts.
Table Of Contents
Bread Pudding Sauce Recipe Details
Bread pudding is already a yummy dessert, but when you add this Bread Pudding Sauce, it just gets better.
- TASTE: Rich and sweet, this sauce is finished off with vanilla and rum to make it so flavorful. It’s the perfect complement to your bread pudding.
- TEXTURE: This Bread Pudding Sauce is deliciously smooth and creamy. You can drizzle it on any dessert for an elegant finish.
- TIME: This recipe only takes 15 minutes!
- EASE: This is a super simple sauce that has lots of versatility. It’s also easy to make ahead and store.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Cornstarch– Don’t skip this since it will be the thicking agent of the sauce.
- Heavy cream– make sure to use the full fat kind. This will result in a thicker vanilla sauce.
- Rum– I used Bacardi Gold rum but you can used Jim Beam Bourbon whisky as well.
How to Make Bread Pudding Sauce
- Combine sugar and cornstarch. Using a fork, mix the cornstarch and sugar together in a small bowl and then set aside.
- Melt butter. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and then add the heavy cream.
- Add dry ingredients. Now add the sugar/cornstarch mix to the saucepan. Whisk.
- Boil and thicken. While continuously whisking, allow the sauce to come to a quick boil. Then drop the heat to medium-low and continue to whisk as it thickens (10-15 minutes).
- Add vanilla and rum. Remove the sauce from the heat and then whisk in the vanilla and rum. Serve over bread pudding.
Pro Tip: Whisk continuously to give your sauce a smooth, thick finish. It can easily clump or burn at the bottom if left sitting while it cooks.
Recipe Tips
- Use light rum- This gives the sauce a more appealing color than dark rum, and with just the right amount of flavor.
- Use heavy cream for the best texture- This is really important for a creamy and thick consistency.
- Whisk, whisk, whisk- Smooth, thick Bread Pudding Sauce hinges on this whisking and simmering method. Keep up the whisking and you will be rewarded.
- Add the rum and vanilla last- This keeps them from burning off too much, which gives this sauce its strong flavors.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute Half & Half- For a lighter version, you can get away with using Half & Half instead of the heavy cream. But I would avoid milk as it makes the sauce too thin.
- Add brown sugar- For a richer flavor, you can also make this recipe with brown sugar. The sauce will come out a little darker, but still sweet and flavorful.
- Substitute another extract- If you want this Bread Pudding Sauce to have a different flavor, you can use other extracts, like orange, butter, almond, or caramel.
- Burn off the alcohol in the rum- To get rid of the alcohol in this sauce, you can set the rum on fire before adding it to the sauce (carefully!).
FAQs
This sauce takes about 10-15 minutes to thicken. Cornstarch helps this process along, but it still takes a little while and you don’t want to rush it because then you land up with an unpleasant texture. So, whisk continuously until your bread pudding sauce has the right thick and smooth consistency.
This Bread Pudding Sauce will keep for about a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container. You may need to warm and whisk it a little before serving it.
Serving Suggestions
This Bread Pudding Sauce has really versatile flavors and can be added to lots of other desserts. Here are some delicious ways you can serve it.
- Muffins: Drizzle this sauce on Blueberry Muffins (VIDEO), Cinnamon Apple Muffins (VIDEO), and Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.
- Tarts: Enjoy this Bread Pudding Sauce on a Pear Tart, Bakewell Tart, or Apple Strudel.
- Pies: Add it to a slice of your favorite pie, such as Homemade Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, or Easy Peach Cobbler (VIDEO).
- Ice cream: This warm sauce is amazing on ice cream. Try it with vanilla, chocolate, or this delicious Ube Ice Cream.
Make This Bread Pudding Sauce in Advance
Make ahead: Prepare the sauce as directed and then pour it into an airtight container, such as a mason jar, when it is cool. Close the jar and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to warm it up for your bread pudding.
Storing: Store this Bread Pudding Sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up 7 days. Reheat on the stovetop, whisking as it heats.
Freeze: You can freeze this sauce in an airtight container for up to 6 months. First, freeze it in ice cube trays, then store the cubes in a freezer ziplock bag so you can defrost and reheat only what you need.
More Sweet Treats!
Full Recipe Instructions
Bread Pudding Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp rum
Instructions
- Start off by combing the cornstarch and sugar in a small bowl using a fork, then set aside.
- Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan, then add 2 cups of heavy cream, along with the sugar and cornstarch mixture.
- Let it come to a quick boil (while stirring constantly). Then drop the heat to medium-low and keep stirring until the sauce thickens. This can take anywhere from 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tbsp rum. Then serve it over bread pudding.
Nutrition
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Amber says
I ended up with vanilla pudding instead of a sauce. Started it over medium heat since the recipe said lower to med-low heat. It tastes okay but I may add more rum for flavor and to thin it out.
Dina says
Hi Amber, thanks for giving this recipe a try. It sounds like you may have over cooked the sauce a bit. When it continues cooking it thickens up the sauce. Regarding the rum flavor, you can always adjust the ingredients per personal preference. I make this recipe for my family and don’t want to go to heavy on the rum since I have small kids. I hope that helps clarify. If you give this recipe another try please let me know how it turns out. Thanks.
Vivky says
My vanilla sauce was perfect. I put it in the fridge after it cooled. Next morning it was watery. What happened?
Dina says
Hi Vivky, it sounds like the sauce wasn’t cooked long enough to deactivate an enzyme in the eggs that breaks down the starch in the cream while it’s cooling. Usually if a sauce thins back out after refrigeration, that usually means it wasn’t quite cooked enough. I hope that helps!
Susan V says
Served it at a Ladies tea and they put it on ALL the desserts. Many have asked for the recipe. I added just a bit more rum for personal preference but this one is a keeper.
Dina says
Hi Susan, I am so glad that everyone loved this bread pudding recipe! Thank you for your awesome feedback!
George says
I can’t wait to make this. I love bread pudding and this is what I have been looking for.
Dina says
Hi George 🙂 I hope you love this bread pudding sauce! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Tina says
This recipe is really good! I didn’t have any heavy cream on hand so I used creamer. Still tastes great. It does set up more as it sits so the desired thickness of the sauce is determined by how long you cook it.
Dina says
Hi Tina, Thank you for the kind feedback, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Genny says
Used whole milk with extra butter added apricot brandy,it is delicious
Dina says
Hi Genny 🙂 Happy to hear you loved this bread pudding sauce! Thank you for your feedback! 🙂
Cathryn says
My sauce never thickened eve after adding another tsp of cornstarch
Dina says
Hi Cathryn, it sounds like the heat might have been too low. If you slightly pick up the heat, it should really help thicken it up.
Jacqueline S Daniel says
Loved this recipe, however I used coconut heavy cream and Madagascar vanilla oil from doTERRA and I used Jack Daniels bourbon and Anejo Aged Rum. It came out delicious ate it on top of a Sourdough Cinnamon Raisin Muffin, and still have left over. This will be my favorite topping yet.
Dina says
Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Jacqueline. I am so happy that you found this recipe 🙂
Tiffany says
I made this sauce yesterday to go on my banana nut bread pudding and it was AMAZING!! I added a lot more rum though 😜 but it was still awesome. I wonder how it will work with half & half instead of the heavy cream?
simplyhomecooked says
So happy to hear that you loved this rum sauce recipe! You can always adjust recipes per your own liking 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂 Yes, you can use half & half. However, the consistency just won’t be as thick. I can’t say for sure how runny it will turn out since I haven’t tried it with half & half before. Let me know how it goes! I hope you find many more delicious recipes on my blog! If you ever make anything I really love hearing feedback along with a star rating. It really helps me 🙂
krystal says
I can’t wait to make this! 😋
simplyhomecooked says
I hope you love this rum sauce recipe! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Victoria says
Will rum extract work?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Victoria 🙂 I have not tried using rum extract for this rum sauce so I am not too sure. However, it should work. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Tina says
Oh wow, this looks amazing!! Curious to where you bought such a small bottle of Bacardi rum? I only use it in desserts here and there and need a tiny one in my house
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Tina! This rum sauce really is a perfect addition to bread pudding. I got that bottle from Bartels. I know some drug stores carry them behind the register. Hope that helps 🙂