Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

By mitzzy

For this bread pudding, you’ll need the bread pudding staples–cubes of a formerly awesome stale loaf of bread (or croissants), milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Then in this particular bread pudding, you’ll also need bananas and cinnamon.

Ingredients

• 6 c. stale bread or croissant cubes
• 4 medium bananas, divided
• 4 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1 c. brown sugar, divided
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp. rum flavoring (optional; I leave it out because I don’t like the flavor of rum, but true Bananas Foster has rum in it.)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon, divided
• 2 Tbsp. butter, divided

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400. Line a rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. In a small mixing bowl, combine 3 sliced bananas (about 2 c.) with 1 Tbsp. melted butter. Combine 1/4 c. brown sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon and then add them to the bananas and butter. Gently toss to combine and spread on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until the bananas are fragrant and tender and the sugar is starting to bubble and caramelize. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 350.

While the bananas are caramelizing, use an electric hand mixer to combine the milk, whipping cream, egg yolks, eggs, vanilla, salt, remaining brown sugar, rum flavoring (if using), and remaining cinnamon. Spray a 9×13″ dish with non-stick cooking spray and spread 1/2 of the bread cubes over the bottom of the pan. Evenly spread the caramelized bananas and brown sugar mixture and then slice one more banana over the caramelized bananas. Spread the remaining bread cubes over the bananas. Whisk the egg mixture one last time and pour evenly over the bread cubes. Allow to stand for 10-15 minutes (longer if possible), poking the bread down into the mixture so it can soak in the milk and eggs. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until puffed and golden (but not brown) and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve with Crème Anglaise (with 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon added), BuWith Cinnamon Crème Anglaise (just whisk in 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon to this recipe).

2) With Buttermilk Syrup.

3) With vanilla bean ice cream.

4) With any combination of the 3. Because this is already a diet-buster, so you might as well go all the way, right?!
ttermilk Syrup, or vanilla ice cream.