This caramel bread pudding sauce is sweet, smooth and makes bread pudding the best comfort food! It’s so easy to make with 5 ingredients in 10 minutes.
Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce
You haven’t tried bread pudding until you’ve drizzled it with this bread pudding sauce! It’s sweet, buttery, and has just the right amount of vanilla and caramel flavor. It reminds me of my favorite buttermilk syrup, but with a caramel twist.
This caramel sauce is the perfect finishing touch to bread pudding and is easily whipped up on the stove in just 10 minutes. You only need 5 ingredients to make it then use it to transform any dessert into something special!
Ingredient Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Butter: This adds a delicious richness to the sauce. I like to use salted butter to add a hint of salty flavor to balance out the sweet caramel.
- Sugar: You’ll need a mix of half-granulated sugar and half-light brown sugar. It helps to sweeten the sauce, as well as add a nutty, caramelized flavor. Using all brown sugar will result in a taste similar to homemade butterscotch sauce.
- Heavy cream: This helps thicken the consistency and gives it an extra boost of richness.
- Vanilla: A dash of high-quality vanilla extract helps pull all of the flavors together. You can also add cinnamon for warm flavor.
How to Make Bread Pudding Sauce
- Mix together. Combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Boil. Once it comes to a full boil, cook for 1 minute and then remove from heat.
- Stir. Then stir in the vanilla.
- Serve. Pour caramel sauce over bread pudding. Serve while warm.
Recipe Tips
- Butter. I like to cube the butter to help it melt faster and cook more evenly in the saucepan.
- Continue to stir. Make sure to stir constantly while the mixture cooks. You don’t want it to burn.
- Add vanilla last. Wait to add the vanilla until after you remove the pot from the heat. If you add it in the beginning with the rest of the ingredients, the flavor will cook off.
- Don’t overheat. As soon as the bread pudding sauce begins to bubble, cook for about another minute, then remove the pan from the heat.
- For an even more delicious bread pudding, try using a stale loaf of homemade French bread. It has the best flavor and a thick and sturdy texture.
Storage
- Store: Place the leftover bread pudding sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to warm up.
- Reheat: Warm up slowly on the stovetop, stirring until the sauce is heated through.
We love to use this bread pudding sauce on French bread French toast, caramel apple monkey bread and vanilla ice cream, too!
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Bread Pudding Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter , I used salted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar , packed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Once it comes to a full boil, cook for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Then stir in the vanilla.
- Drizzle over bread pudding. Serve while warm.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 5 Ingredients Or Less, American, Christmas, Condiments, Desserts, Gluten-Free, No-Bake, Nut-Free, One Pot, Sauces, Stovetop, Toppings, Vegetarian
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
OMG this is the best Carmel sauces ever. And it’s so easy to make. I did add a teaspoon of flour to thicken it up more. It’s to die for. My husband loves it as well. Thank you for sharing.
So glad you enjoy the bread pudding sauce Lynn!
Can u use something else other than heavy cream?
Hi Lisa! You could substitute with whole milk, half and half, evaporated milk..the consistency will just vary from the heavy cream. Enjoy!
Yummy
Easy easy to make. And the perfect addition to bread, pudding, and other desserts. Even good on ice cream delicious!
Loved it! Simple and easy 🙂
perfect! i have even used rum extract instead of vanilla for the grown ups!
This was so easy to make! And so good for more than just bread pudding, yum.
I want to drink this!! It’s so yummy & couldn’t be any easier to make!! I’ll be pouring this over many desserts!
So glad you enjoyed the bread pudding sauce!
WOW! This is the ultimate topping. We loved it!