Creamy Bananas Foster Bread Pudding (Print View)

Rich custard bread pudding with caramelized bananas and rum-butter sauce, inspired by classic Bananas Foster.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread Pudding Base

01 - 6 cups day-old brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 3 large eggs
03 - 2 cups whole milk
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
09 - 3 ripe bananas, sliced

→ Bananas Foster Sauce

10 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
11 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup dark rum
14 - 2 ripe bananas, sliced
15 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
16 - Pinch of salt

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish thoroughly with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Spread bread cubes evenly in prepared dish. Arrange 3 sliced bananas over the bread.
03 - Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl until fully combined and smooth.
04 - Pour custard mixture evenly over bread and bananas. Gently press bread down to ensure even absorption. Let stand 15 minutes.
05 - Bake 45-50 minutes until golden brown and set with slight wobble in center. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
06 - While pudding bakes, melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring until sugar dissolves completely.
07 - Add sliced bananas to skillet. Cook 1-2 minutes until softened but not mushy.
08 - Carefully add rum to skillet (remove from heat if using open flame). Return to heat and cook 1 minute. Stir in vanilla and pinch of salt.
09 - Serve warm bread pudding topped with generous spoonfuls of Bananas Foster sauce.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The contrast between creamy custard and warm caramelized bananas creates the kind of dessert that makes people go quiet after the first bite
  • It transforms ordinary stale bread into something that tastes like it came from a fancy restaurant
02 -
  • Letting the bread soak for the full 15 minutes is the difference between dry spots and perfectly creamy pudding throughout
  • The sauce continues to thicken in the pan, so pull it when it still looks slightly thinner than you want
03 -
  • Brioche from the bakery clearance section works perfectly since you want it slightly stale anyway
  • If the bananas in your sauce start breaking apart, youre cooking them too long

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