Elegant and easy are a wonderful combination. With Bananas Foster Bread Pudding, your guests will be in awe! Bread cubes are soaked in a creamy, cinnamon custard that’s tapped with dark rum, then baked and drizzled with a rich, cinnamon, rum-infused syrup for an impeccable treat! Topped with vanilla ice cream, Bananas Foster Bread Pudding is a dessert masterpiece for all of your special (or just regular) gatherings! There is never a split decision… it’s always delicious!
Ingredients
For the bread and the syrup:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more, to taste, for greasing the baking dish
- 8 cups challah or brioche bread, cut into 1-inch-thick cubes
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup dark rum
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the custard:
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs plus 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup raw pecans, chopped
- 5 bananas, ripe, peeled and sliced, divided
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Step 2 –Line an 18×26-inch baking sheet with parchment paper and use the extra butter to lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 3 –Add the bread cubes to the prepared baking sheet and toast until they begin to dry and harden, about 20 minutes.
Step 4 –Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the bread cubes cool.
Step 5 –Increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Step 6 –In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of the butter, 1/2 cup of the dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, 1/4 cup of the dark rum, 1 tablespoon of the vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon and cook, stirring frequently, until the butter has melted, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 7 –Bring the syrup mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until it has thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 8 –Transfer the saucepan to a wire rack and let the syrup cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
Step 9 –In a large bowl, add the remaining heavy cream, the whole milk, the remaining dark brown sugar, the granulated sugar, the remaining dark rum, the remaining vanilla extract, the salt, the remaining cinnamon, the whole eggs, and the egg yolks and whisk to combine.
Step 10 –Add the toasted bread cubes, the pecans, and 1/2 of the syrup to the custard mixture and stir until the bread cubes are completely coated.
Step 11 –Cover the bowl and let the bread mixture soak, pushing the bread cubes down occasionally to submerse them, about 30 minutes.
Step 12 –Add 4 of the sliced bananas to the soaked bread mixture and fold to combine.
Step 13 –Pour the bread pudding into the prepared baking dish and bake until the custard is set and the top is golden-brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Step 14 –Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let the bread pudding cool in the pan, about 10 minutes.
Step 15 –On the same cutting board and with the same sharp knife, thinly slice the remaining banana and evenly scatter on top of the baked bread mixture.
Step 16 –Sprinkle the remaining banana slices over the bread pudding and drizzle with the remaining syrup.
Step 17 –Serve.
