Norwegian Cruise Line Garden Café Bread Pudding
The Garden Café's legendary bread pudding — warm, custardy, and deeply satisfying. Passengers return to this comfort food station day after day. This home version nails that rich, golden texture, served with a decadent vanilla bourbon sauce.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 485kcal
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 1 loaf brioche or challah bread (about 12 oz), cut into 1-inch cubes, slightly stale
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries optional
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Vanilla Bourbon Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons bourbon or vanilla extract for non-alcoholic version
Instructions
Bread Pudding
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread bread cubes in the dish (and raisins if using).
- Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg until smooth. Pour evenly over the bread. Gently press bread down to absorb custard. Let soak 15–30 minutes.
- Dot the top with butter pieces. Bake 45–50 minutes until golden and puffed, with the center set but still slightly wobbly.
Vanilla Bourbon Sauce
- Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar.
- Whisk in egg yolk and then bourbon. Return to very low heat and whisk 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Serve warm drizzled over the bread pudding.
Notes
Slightly stale bread absorbs custard better than fresh — leave cubed bread out overnight or toast briefly at 300°F for 10 minutes. The sauce can be made ahead and gently rewarmed. For a non-alcoholic version, substitute the bourbon with 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.