Guyanese-Style Rum & Sweet Potato Bread Pudding

Guyanese-bread-pudding-recipe
This Guyanese bread pudding recipe is exclusively designed by Keif’s Catering, not adapted from any other source or cookbook.

A warm, comforting Caribbean bread pudding filled with roasted sweet potato, rum-soaked fruit, and traditional spices, then finished with a creamy coconut-rum custard. It’s the perfect dessert for fall, Christmas, and Thanksgiving gatherings and a favorite on Keif’s Thanksgiving catering menu in Houston. Our holiday bread pudding recipe offers a perfect balance of sweetness, warmth, and subtle rum notes. Want to have some? Explore Keif’s holiday catering menu for your upcoming event.

Ingredients

For The Sweet Potato Bread Pudding:

  • 3 loaves French bread or leftover bread, cut into cubes
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup roasted and mashed sweet potato
  • 1 cup rum-soaked fruit, blended
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
  • 2 shots dark rum
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For The Coconut Rum Custard Sauce:

  • ¼ cup custard powder
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 can evaporated milk
  • 1 shot dark rum
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Oven Preparation

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
  2. Generously grease a large baking dish, cast-iron pan, or Bundt pan.
Oven Preparation

Pudding Preparation

  1. Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes and place them in a large mixing bowl
  2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until fully combined.
  3. Add the mashed sweet potato, blended rum-soaked fruit, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, rum, and vanilla extract.
  4. Mix until the batter is smooth and well combined. Pour the sweet potato mixture over the cubed bread.
  5. Using clean hands or a large spoon, gently mix everything together until every piece of bread is thoroughly coated.
  6. Allow the mixture to rest for 15–20 minutes so the bread can absorb all those rich flavors.
  7. Transfer the mixture to your prepared pan and spread it evenly.
  8. Bake for approximately 50–65 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is beautifully golden brown.
  9. Baking time may vary depending on the size and depth of your pan.
Pudding Preparation

Coconut Rum Custard

  1. Reserve about ½ cup of the evaporated milk and mix it with the custard powder until completely smooth.
  2. Pour the remaining evaporated milk and coconut milk into a saucepan.
  3. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
  4. Slowly whisk in the custard mixture.
  5. Continue stirring until the sauce becomes smooth, glossy, and thick but still pourable.
  6. Remove the saucepan from the heat, then stir in the vanilla extract and rum.
Coconut Rum Custard

Finish

Here is our famous rum bread pudding recipe. Serve the bread pudding warm with a generous pour of coconut-rum custard over the top. If you’re feeling a little wicked, add a scoop of butter pecan ice cream for an extra festive touch!

Scaling for Events:

Our Guyanese Christmas dessert one batch makes approximately 24 dessert-sized servings. For larger events, the recipe can be doubled to serve approximately 48 guests. When catering, I prepare the coconut-rum custard separately and add it shortly before serving so the bread pudding remains moist without becoming soggy.

Chef’s Tip:

Roasting the sweet potato instead of boiling it creates a deeper, sweeter flavor without adding excess moisture. Allowing the bread to soak for at least 20 minutes also helps every bite absorb the rum, spices, fruit, and creamy custard. Looking to make some delicious desserts? You may also like our Traditional Guyanese Salara and Guyanese-Style Carrot Cake recipes.

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