Creamy Bananas Foster Bread (Print)
Luscious bread pudding featuring caramelized bananas and rich custard with a warm rum-butter sauce.
# 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 Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Spread bread cubes evenly in the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 sliced bananas over the bread.
03 - Whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until completely smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour custard mixture evenly over bread and bananas. Gently press bread down into liquid to ensure thorough absorption. Let stand for 15 minutes to allow bread to soak fully.
05 - Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden brown and set, with center still slightly wobbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
06 - While pudding bakes, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to bubble.
07 - Add sliced bananas to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes until just softened. Carefully add dark rum (remove from heat if using open flame), return to heat, and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in vanilla extract and salt.
08 - Serve warm bread pudding topped with generous spoonfuls of Bananas Foster sauce. Optionally, flambé the sauce after adding rum for dramatic effect.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It transforms simple leftover bread into something extraordinary with very little effort
- The Bananas Foster sauce adds a restaurant-worthy finish that makes everyone think you spent hours
02 -
- The bread needs that 15 minute soak time to fully absorb the custard. I once rushed this step and ended up with dry, eggy patches throughout the pudding.
- When adding rum to the sauce, remove the pan from the heat first. I learned this the hard way when a flame shot up toward my kitchen vent.
03 -
- If your bread is not quite stale enough, spread the cubes on a baking sheet and toast them in a 300°F oven for 15 minutes before using them in the recipe
- The pudding is done when a knife inserted near the center comes out mostly clean, with just a little custard clinging to it