Coquito Bread Pudding (Budín de Coquito) with Coquito Toffee Sauce

Coquito Toffee Sauce is poured from a white pitcher onto a serving of Coquito Bread Pudding on a white plate.

Coquito Bread Pudding (Budín de Coquito) with Coquito Toffee Sauce

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Puerto Rican/Hispanic

Keyword: bread, bread pudding, coquito, pan sobao

Prep Time: 50

Cook Time: 1 20

Total Time: 2 10

Servings:

Calories: 343kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

This Puerto Rican dessert combines the coconut and rum flavors of coquito in a classic bread pudding. Top with a buttery coquito toffee sauce for an epic sweet course.

Print Recipe

Equipment

9x13-inch casserole dish

Ingredients

For the Coquito Bread Pudding (Budín de Coquito)

4 tablespoons (1/2 a stick or 57 grams) unsalted butter melted, separated
3/4 cup (125 grams) dark raisins
3/4 cup (188 milliliters) hot water
1 pound (454 grams) pan sobao day old, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 large eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) vanilla extract or rum extract
1 teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 1/2 cups (1 1/8 liters) prepared virgin coquito
1/2 cup (20 grams) sweetened coconut flakes

For the Coquito Toffee Sauce

4 tablespoons (1/2 a stick or 57 grams) unsalted butter sliced
1/4 cup, packed (55 grams) brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch kosher salt optional
1/2 cup (125 milliliters) prepared coquito

Instructions

Rehydrate the Raisins (begin 30 minutes ahead)

Use a pastry brush to brush 1 tablespoon of the melted butter onto the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Set this aside. The remaining butter will go into the coquito custard.
Add the dark raisins to a small bowl and pour the hot water over the fruit. Allow the fruit to rehydrate for 30 minutes.
Add the pan sobao bread cubes to a separate, larger mixing bowl. Set this aside.

Finish the Coquito Custard

During the last 10 minutes of soaking the raisins, preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
Bring 4-5 cups of water to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Prepare to fill a roasting pan (one that is larger than your greased baking dish) with this water later.
Use a whisk to combine the eggs, sugar, the remaining melted butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
After 30 minutes of soaking the raisins, strain the soaking liquid from the raisins into the bowl and whisk everything together again until combined.
Add the coquito to the egg mixture in the bowl and stir with your whisk to incorporate it.
Pour this coquito custard mixture over the cubes of bread in a large mixing bowl. Allow the bread to soak in custard for 15 minutes.

Assemble the Coquito Bread Pudding and Bake

After 15 minutes, use your hands to squeeze the bread into a mushy paste.
Next, fold the plump raisins into the bread mixture using a large rubber spatula or spoon.
Scrape the contents of the mixing bowl into the greased baking dish. Sprinkle the sweetened coconut flakes over the top of the mixture in an even layer.
Tightly cover the baking dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Set the foil-wrapped dish inside the larger roasting pan you set out earlier.
Pour the boiling water into the outer pan, then carefully place the two pans into your preheated oven.
Bake the coquito bread pudding for 1 hour.
After an hour, carefully remove the foil covering from the smaller pan and return the uncovered budín (still in the water bath) to the oven to cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.
The top of the bread pudding will be a deep golden brown, and the pudding will have puffed slightly.

Prepare the Coquito Toffee Sauce (after uncovering the budín)

You should begin making the Coquito Toffee Sauce after returning the uncovered bread pudding to the oven for the last part of its baking.
In a 4-quart (or larger) pot with sloping sides, melt the butter over medium-low heat.
Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt to the butter in the pot in small concentric circles.
The puddles of butter will come together to combine with the dissolving sugar, then the sugar and butter will look like they have separated again. Continue stirring until the mixture comes together again.
This should take about 4-5 minutes.
After 4-5 minutes, the mixture will look like thick, glossy mud.
Carefully, pour the coquito into the pot, whisking constantly. Keep your hands and face away from the top of the pot. The steam created by the coquito can scald you.
Whisk in the coquito until the sauce is smooth and no clumps remain. Continue cooking the sauce while whisking for another 1-2 minutes.
Remove the pot from the stove and keep the toffee sauce in it or transfer the sauce to a storage container if you plan to serve it later.

Serve and Top the Coquito Bread Pudding

Once the budín is done baking, remove both pans from the oven, then remove the bread pudding pan from the larger pan.
Allow the bread pudding to cool at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Top the warm or room temperature budín with the coquito toffee sauce or serve the toffee sauce on the side. You can also serve this coquito bread pudding chilled.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

Omit or replace the dark raisins with sultanas (golden raisins), dried cherries, dried cranberries, or milk, semi-sweet, dark, or white chocolate chips. Dried fruits will need to be rehydrated using the same method above.
Instead of soaking the raisins in hot water you can rehydrate them in warmed gold or dark rum. This is not recommended if you're planning to serve the bread pudding to children or those with sensitivities to alcohol.
Replace the virgin coquito with alcoholic coquito. Choose either the alcoholic coquito or soaking the raisins in rum. Not both.
Replace the coquito and cinnamon in this recipe with virgin eggnog and nutmeg for an Eggnog Bread Pudding.

For the Coquito Toffee Sauce:

You can prepare the coquito toffee sauce a week ahead and store it in and air-tight container the fridge.
To freeze coquito toffee sauce:
1. Transfer the cooled sauce to a freezer storage container.
2. Freeze the coquito toffee sauce for 1 month.
3. Thaw the sauce completely in the refrigerator before using.
To reheat the coquito toffee sauce, microwave it on high for 20 seconds. Stir it until smooth before serving.

Storage Instructions:

To store leftovers in the fridge:
1. Wrap leftover budín in plastic film or transfer the leftovers to a food storage container.
2. Keep leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days.
3. Reheat the portion you plan to eat in the microwave for 20-25 seconds on high heat or until warm, or serve it cold.
Freezer Instructions:
1. Wrap the cooled budín well to prevent freezer burn.
2. Freeze it for 2 months.
3. Thaw the frozen budín in the fridge overnight or until defrosted and reheat to your desired temperature.

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