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–+ servings
Corner slice of baked bread pudding scooped out of the pan.

Jamaican Bread Pudding Recipe

This Bread Pudding recipe takes soft brioche and flaky croissants and bakes them into a custard-filled dessert with rum-soaked raisins. Inspired by Jamaican flavours, it’s finished with a warm rum sauce that makes every bite rich and comforting.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Breakfast & Brunch, Desserts & Treats
Cuisine: Jamaican
Keyword: bread pudding, bread pudding recipe, how to make bread pudding, Jamaican bread pudding
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Taneisha Morris

Equipment

  • 9x9-inch baking dish or 9×13 for shorter slices
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Small Saucepan
  • Whisk

Ingredients

Bread and Raisins

  • 6 Day-Old Butter Croissants torn into pieces, see notes
  • 1 loaf Day-Old Brioche Bread cubed, see notes
  • 3/4 cup Raisins
  • 1/3 cup Dark Jamaican Rum Appleton or similar

Custard

  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 cup Whole Milk
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
  • 3/4 Brown Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • pinch Salt
  • 2 - 4 tbsp Dark Jamaican Rum optional, in custard

Rum Sauce

  • 6 tbsp Heavy Cream
  • 6 tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 6 tbsp Butter
  • 3 tbsp Dark Jamaican Rum Appleton or similar

Instructions

  • Place raisins in a small bowl and pour over 1/3 cup dark rum. Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, (or overnight for best results) until plump and rehydrated.
  • Add croissant and brioche pieces to the baking dish and scatter soaked raisins and any leftover rum evenly over the bread.
  • In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and 2–4 tbsp rum (if using). Pour custard evenly over the bread mixture, pressing down lightly to help the bread absorb the liquid. Let sit 15-20 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 45-55 minutes until golden brown and custard is just set (knife inserted in the center should come out mostly clean). If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
  • Cool pudding slightly before slicing. Drizzle generously with warm rum sauce and enjoy!

Rum Sauce

  • In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, cream and gently cook 2-3 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Set aside.

Notes

Use day-old bread — Slightly stale croissants and brioche soak up custard best. If using fresh bread, place it in a 250°F (120°C) oven for 10–15 minutes to dry it out before using.
Cut bread evenly – Aim for 1–2 inch chunks so the custard soaks through consistently.
Let it rest before serving — Cooling for at least 10–15 minutes helps the custard finish setting and makes slicing easier.