Creamy Bananas Foster Bread Pudding (Printable)
Rich custard-soaked bread with caramelized bananas and rum butter sauce, creating a decadent dessert experience.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Bread Pudding
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
→ For the 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
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish 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.
04 - Pour custard mixture evenly over bread and bananas. Gently press bread down to absorb liquid. 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 - 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. Carefully add rum, return to heat, and cook 1 minute. Stir in vanilla and salt.
08 - Spoon warm bread pudding into bowls and top with generous amounts of Bananas Foster sauce.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast between the creamy, custardy interior and the crisp golden top is pure comfort food heaven
- You get all the flavors of the classic New Orleans dessert without needing tableside flair or special equipment
- It transforms humble day-old bread into something that feels like it belongs on a fancy dessert menu
02 -
- The bread needs to be truly stale or dried out, otherwise it will turn to mush instead of holding its texture
- Letting the custard soak for the full 15 minutes is nonnegotiable, it is what creates that uniform creamy consistency throughout
- Removing the sauce from the heat before adding rum prevents flareups, but if you want dramatic flambé, keep it on the flame and stand back
03 -
- Cut your bread into uniform cubes so everything soaks and bakes at the same rate
- Check the pudding at 40 minutes and tent with foil if the top is browning too quickly