White Chocolate Cranberry Bread Pudding with Rum Crème Anglaise

Pouring rum creme anglaise over the top of a slice of white chocolate cranberry bread pudding.

4.91 from 10 votes

White Chocolate Cranberry Bread Pudding with Rum Crème Anglaise

There are desserts that comfort you, and there are desserts that make you stop mid-bite to savor every single flavor. This White Chocolate Cranberry Bread Pudding with Rum Crème Anglaise is a holiday favorite that manages to do both.

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Prep Time 12

Cook Time 1

Total Time 13

Servings people

Calories 480kcal

Author Lisa Bynum

Ingredients

For the bread pudding:

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
4 eggs slightly beaten
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
1 12 oz. bag white chocolate chips
¾ cup whole cranberry sauce not the jellied kind
10 cups torn crusty bread French bread works well

For the rum crème anglaise:

2 cups heavy cream
¾ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks slightly beaten
1-2 tablespoons Rum or rum extract to taste

Instructions

For the bread pudding:

Whisk together the heavy cream, milk, eggs, ¾ cup of the sugar, white chocolate chips, and cranberry sauce in a large mixing bowl.
Add the cubed bread and mix until the bread is moist. Allow the bread to soak in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or up to 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat an 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Spread the bread mixture into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top.
Bake for 1 -1 ½ hours until the bread is golden on top and the bread pudding is not watery in the center.

For the rum crème anglaise:

Combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the mixture reaches 145 degrees when measured with a candy thermometer. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Whisk the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. SLOWLY add half of the hot crème mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Once eggs have been tempered, add the egg mixture back into the saucepan
Cook the sauce over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170–175°F). Remove the pan from the heat.
Add the rum or rum extract to taste.
Strain the creme anglaise through a fine mesh sieve to remove any solids.
Set the crème anglaise aside to cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Notes

Rum Crème Anglaise (¼ cup) adds an additional: 270 calories, 22g fat, 13g saturated fat, 140mg cholesterol, 25mg sodium, 17g carbs, 16g sugars, 2g protein, 45mg calcium, 60mg potassium

Make Ahead: You can prepare the bread pudding mixture up to 12 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Warm individual portions in the microwave for 30–45 seconds, or reheat the whole dish in a 300°F oven for about 15–20 minutes.
Crème Anglaise Storage: Keep the sauce in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before serving.
Freezing: Bread pudding can be frozen (without the sauce) for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm before serving.
Serving Tip: For the ultimate presentation, drizzle the warm bread pudding with rum crème anglaise and garnish with a few fresh cranberries or white chocolate shavings.

Nutrition