Bananas Foster Bread Pudding elevates a simple bread pudding with a luscious, rich topping of sliced bananas in a buttery rum sauce. Serve for dessert or a special brunch!
Decadent and Delicious Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
This Bananas Foster Bread Pudding is an incredibly decadent mashup of two favorite desserts…bread pudding and Bananas Foster. This is an ideal dessert for a special brunch or dinner party – especially when your guests love bananas!
It all starts with a bread pudding made with brioche bread – a French pastry bread with a soft and airy texture that’s ideal for recipes like this. Cubes of the brioche are mixed with an egg custard infused with bananas simmered with brown sugar, vanilla and banana extracts, spiced rum, and other spices.
After the bread pudding bakes, you’ll pour a warm Bananas Foster sauce on top. Then cut into squares and serve with vanilla ice cream. This dessert is heavenly!
What is Bananas Foster?
As you can read here, Bananas Foster is made with fresh bananas simmered in a warm, sweet butter and rum sauce.
Bananas Foster was invented back in 1951 at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans by Ella Brennan, who managed the restaurant with her brother Owen. Ella was charged with coming up with a special new dessert for a dinner being held at the restaurant for the New Orleans Crime Commission chairman, Richard Foster.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Bananas – Ripe bananas are included in both the bread pudding and the topping.
- Brown Sugar – We used light brown sugar, but if you only have dark brown sugar on hand, that is fine to use.
- Unsalted Butter
- Granulated Sugar
- Banana Extract – This brand of banana extract is excellent with natural banana flavor. While you can technically make this recipe without the banana extract (swap in more vanilla), the extract really allows the banana flavor to shine through.
- Vanilla Extract
- Spiced Rum
- Brioche – This type of bread is ideal for bread pudding. Its soft and airy texture stays firm even when soaked in custard so it doesn’t get overly mushy when soaked in the egg
- Eggs
- Half and Half – This is sold in some markets in the dairy aisle and is half whole milk, half light cream.
- Spices – Ground cinnamon, salt, ground nutmeg and ground cloves.
- Molasses – Use unsulphured molasses in this recipe such as Grandma’s brand.
Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
Bananas Foster Bread Pudding elevates a simple bread pudding with a luscious, rich topping of sliced bananas in a buttery rum sauce. Serve for dessert or a special brunch!
Ingredients
1 pound loaf Brioche, cut into one-inch cubes
5 whole eggs
1 quart of half & half (reserve two tablespoons for the sauce)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 medium bananas, sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon banana extract (could also use rum extract or additional vanilla extract)
2 tablespoons spiced rum
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Few grinds nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Syrup topping
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup spiced rum
1 teaspoon banana extract (could also use rum extract or additional vanilla extract)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons half & half
4 medium bananas, sliced
For Serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with oven rack in top third.
- Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish or pan.
- Place bread cubes into a large bowl.
- Beat the eggs with half & half and salt in another large bowl.
- Reserve a cup of the egg mixture, then pour the remaining over the bread. Press bread down to get absorbed. Set the single cup of custard aside, as well as the soaked bread.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter and add sliced bananas. Then add both sugars, molasses, both extracts, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and cook for two minutes. Remove from heat.
- Slowly stir in the reserved cup of custard into the banana mixture to temper the eggs. Then pour all the mixture into the bread and custard and stir to combine. Don’t over mix.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the center has puffed up and feels firm.
- Shut off the oven and leave the bread pudding in for five more minutes while you make the sauce.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter and add brown sugar, rum, both extracts and half & half.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes until somewhat thick (like maple syrup consistency).
- Add sliced bananas and stir. Remove from heat.
- Cut pudding into 12 squares (3X4).
- Pour bananas and syrup over the top.
- Serve portions with vanilla ice cream
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Bananas Foster Bread Pudding ahead of time? You can bake the bread pudding ahead of time, but we suggest waiting to make the sauce just before serving. Then, reheat the bread pudding in the oven and pour the warm sauce over the top.
- How do I store leftovers? Store covered in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- How do I reheat leftovers? Warm individual servings in the microwave.
- Can I freeze? You can but note that the bananas and overall texture will get a little mushy after freezing and thawing.
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