Creamy Bananas Foster Bread Pudding (Print Version)

Rich bread pudding with caramelized bananas and rum butter sauce for a decadent dessert experience.

# What You 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 Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Spread bread cubes evenly in prepared baking dish. Distribute 3 sliced bananas over the bread.
03 - Whisk eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl until fully combined and sugar dissolves.
04 - Pour custard evenly over bread and bananas. Press bread down gently to ensure absorption. Let stand 15 minutes.
05 - Bake 45-50 minutes until golden brown and set but slightly wobbly in center. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
06 - Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture bubbles.
07 - Add sliced bananas to sauce. Cook 1-2 minutes until softened but not mushy.
08 - Remove skillet from heat, add rum carefully. Return to heat and cook 1 minute. Stir in vanilla and salt.
09 - Serve warm bread pudding topped with generous spoonfuls of Bananas Foster sauce.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The custard soaks into every cube of bread, creating pockets of creamy vanilla scented heaven that make you forget you are eating leftover bread.
  • That Bananas Foster sauce transforms everything it touches, with rum scented caramel coating soft bananas and seeping into warm pudding like a magic trick.
02 -
  • If your bread is fresh, cube it and spread it on a baking sheet at 300°F for 15 minutes to dry it out slightly so it absorbs the custard properly.
  • The pudding will continue to set as it cools slightly, so pulling it out when the center still wobbles a bit is actually the right move.
03 -
  • Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon and sugar on top before baking for a crunchy caramelized crust.
  • Flambé the rum in the sauce if you want the table side drama, just stand back and turn off the exhaust fan first.

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