Bread pudding is a Louisiana dessert made by baking bread with a sweet custard, often served with whiskey sauce.
Louisiana versions developed from older European traditions that used stale bread rather than wasting it. The bread is soaked in a mixture commonly made with milk, eggs, sugar, and spices, then baked until the custard sets.
New Orleans bread pudding is frequently served warm with a whiskey-based sauce, bourbon sauce, or another sweet topping. Recipes may also include raisins, pecans, or bananas, but these additions are not required for the dessert to qualify as bread pudding.
Bread pudding is different from pain perdu, the Louisiana version of French toast. Pain perdu usually consists of individual slices soaked and fried, whereas bread pudding is generally baked as a larger custard-like dish.