This vanilla sauce for bread pudding is the rich, creamy drizzle your homemade desserts have been missing! With the warm, floral notes of pure vanilla, this indulgent sauce is easy to whisk together in minutes and elevates any dessert to the next level. Made with real vanilla straight from the pod, this versatile sauce pairs beautifully with sourdough bread pudding, chocolate desserts, or even fresh fruit. This recipe is the perfect way to add sweet, velvety goodness to every bite!
This vanilla sauce is the perfect blend of sweetness and creamy texture, making it a must-have topping for all your favorite desserts. Unlike a caramel sauce, which has a deep, rich sweetness, this vanilla sauce recipe offers a lighter, more delicate flavor that enhances rather than overpowers your dish.
It’s especially delicious drizzled over brioche bread pudding, flaky pastries, pancakes, or even fresh fruit. The smooth, velvety consistency makes it an excellent pairing for warm or chilled desserts. Whether you’re making a classic bread pudding or looking for a new way to elevate your sweets, this recipe will add just the right touch of luxurious sweetness to every bite!
Content Covered Here
Why We Love This Vanilla Sauce Recipe
- It only takes about 10 minutes to make!
A little whisking, a little simmering, and a little more whisking are the only steps required to create a luscious, luxurious vanilla sauce for bread pudding (like our delicious sourdough bread pudding) or any other dessert that needs a little sweet moisture. - It pairs well with almost everything.
From dense sourdough chocolate bread to fruity blueberry pound cake, vanilla is a versatile flavor that can be drizzled deliciously on any dessert you can imagine — and almost any breakfast, too (like our sourdough French toast recipe)! - You can freeze it for months to use whenever needed.
This dessert sauce can be jarred and frozen for later use, even with the cream and butter fat. Just transfer it to the fridge the night before you need to use it.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Sugar: Plain white granulated sugar melts well to make sauces. However, powdered sugar or even a liquid substitute will work! Light brown sugar is another option but will alter the color.
- Vanilla bean: To substitute vanilla bean, use 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or 2 teaspoons of extract.
- Cornstarch: A very effective thickener that has little to no effect on flavor. Arrowroot powder will work in its place, but any other substitutes will alter the taste of this recipe.
- Butter: Whether you use salted or unsalted is up to you. Salted butter adds a bit more dimension, but you could always salt to taste after preparing if you feel something is missing!
Recipe Variations
- Extra creamy: Swap whole milk for heavy whipping cream to create an ultra-rich and decadent vanilla custard sauce with a velvety texture.
- Bourbon or rum-infused sauce: Add a splash of bourbon or rum for a warm, boozy twist that enhances the flavors of bread pudding, cakes, and pastries.
- Vanilla bean paste upgrade: Use more vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract for a more intense vanilla flavor and those signature vanilla bean specks.
- Egg yolk custard sauce: For a thicker, more traditional creamy custard, whisk in egg yolks and cook the sauce gently over low heat until it thickens.
- Baked: If you prefer a thicker sauce, transfer it to an oven-safe dish and bake at a low temperature until it sets slightly, creating a rich, pudding-like consistency.
- Spiced: Stir in a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon for a warm, aromatic flavor that pairs beautifully with bread pudding and baked desserts.
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- 1.5-quart saucepan
- Small mixing bowl
- Balloon whisk
How to Make Vanilla Sauce
- Easily extracting vanilla from the bean.
To extract the sweet “caviar” from the pods, use a paring knife to slit the bean right down the center.
Then, carefully and slowly, run the tip of the knife down the inside of the pod. Do this on both sides of the pod to scrape as much out as possible!
Drop it directly in the sugar so that none of the contents are lost in transportation!
- Let the sugar totally dissolve before adding the cream.
The cream is, of course, cooler than the water and will bring the temperature down once it’s added. That’s why you want to be sure all of the sugar granules have dissolved before adding the cream.
This sweetener dissolves easiest in heat and will have a harder time breaking down in the cooler liquid.
- Pouring the cream into the hot pot.
Adding cream to hot water is a test of speed — you want to get everything in at once, moving continuously, so that the milk isn’t altered!
Try to do so in one fluid motion. Slowly pour it into the pot while whisking constantly, making sure the cream is constantly moving. Then go ahead and drop the butter in, continuing to stir.
- What should the final consistency be?
The sauce finishes and thickens up rather quickly as it’s already thick from adding the sugar and cornstarch!
Once the butter is melted and everything is combined, lift the spoon from the pot. If the vanilla sauce are thick and coat the spoon rather than a watery, drippy liquid dropping back into the pot, you’re good!
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Want a thicker sauce? Let it simmer longer or whisk in an extra egg yolk for a creamy custard-like consistency.
Serving Suggestions
When poured over a warm dessert, this vanilla sauce for bread pudding acts like a glaze, coating each bite with a smooth, glossy sheen as it cools. If you prefer a thicker, syrupy consistency, drizzle it over cooled desserts for a rich and luxurious finish.
This vanilla sauce recipe isn’t just for bread pudding—it’s the perfect topping for cinnamon rolls, custards, raisin bread, and even sweet casseroles. Try it over a warm baking dish of French bread pudding, with ground cinnamon and toasted pecans, for an irresistible combination of spiced, nutty flavors. Or, spoon it over bread cubes straight from the oven for a melt-in-your-mouth experience. For the ultimate indulgence, serve it alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream—the warm and cool contrast makes every bite unforgettable!
If you’re a fan of vanilla, you might also want to try our recipe for vanilla mousse parfaits!
Recipe FAQs
Any non-dairy milk is an easy substitute for heavy cream — with the understanding that it won’t be as creamy. Full-fat coconut milk is your best option.
You can either skip the butter or substitute it with a vegan alternative. Avoid oil as it does not combine as well.
This variation is thinner, so you may want to let it cool so that the mixture thickens a bit more.
The addition of butter and fatty cream is usually the differentiator between a dense, thick dessert sauce and a thinner “glaze”-like drizzle.
In fact, if you prefer a thinner, lighter vanilla sauce for bread pudding or any other dessert, you can omit those two ingredients from this recipe and make it as-is!
The paste contains thickeners. It has a strong flavor and can be a bit trickier to mix into dry ingredients.
Contrast this ingredient with extract, which is very delicate and liquidy. Ultimately, we find the caviar itself is best for incorporating into most desserts.
Refrigerate the bread pudding sauce when it’s at room temperature. Done so in an airtight container storage, it will keep the syrup for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze it for 2 or 3 months! Because it contains cream, let it thaw in the fridge rather than the countertop.
More Easy Sauces And Condiments To Try…
If you tried this vanilla sauce for bread pudding recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Vanilla Sauce for Bread Pudding
Equipment
- 1.5-quart saucepan
- small mixing bowl
- balloon whisk
Ingredients
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 vanilla bean *see notes for substitutes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat.
- Meanwhile, add the sugar to a small bowl. Using a paring knife, slit the vanilla bean down the center. Run the tip of the knife down the inside of each half of the vanilla bean pod to grab the "caviar", then add it to the sugar. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the sugar and vanilla, then whisk well to combine.
- When the water comes to a boil, stir in the sugar mixture and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring frequently, until the vanilla sauce thickens, 3-5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add heavy cream and butter, then stir with a silicone or wooden spoon until the butter melts.
- Drizzle vanilla sauce over bread pudding or any other dessert and serve.
Notes
- To substitute vanilla bean, use 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste or 2 teaspoons of extract.
- Light brown sugar is another option but will alter the color.
- Extra creamy: Swap whole milk for heavy whipping cream to create an ultra-rich and decadent vanilla custard sauce with a velvety texture.
- Bourbon or rum-infused sauce: Add a splash of bourbon or rum for a warm, boozy twist that enhances the flavors of bread pudding, cakes, and pastries.
- Vanilla bean paste upgrade – Use more vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract for a more intense vanilla flavor and those signature vanilla bean specks.
- Egg yolk custard sauce: For a thicker, more traditional creamy custard, whisk in egg yolks and cook the sauce gently over low heat until it thickens.
- Baked: If you prefer a thicker sauce, transfer it to an oven-safe dish and bake at a low temperature until it sets slightly, creating a rich, pudding-like consistency.
- Spiced: Stir in a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon for a warm, aromatic flavor that pairs beautifully with bread pudding and baked desserts.
- Bread pudding sauce must be refrigerated. When stored in an airtight container, it will keep for up to 5 days.
- You can also freeze it for 2 or 3 months! Because it contains cream, let it thaw in the fridge rather than the countertop.
Nutrition
Save This Recipe!
Enter your email below, and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox.
Previous
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
I was looking for a recipe like this, thank you for sharing! I can’t wait to try it soon!