This Bananas Foster Bread Pudding is everything! French bread is dunked in a sweet custard and baked up to perfection. It’s finished off with a spoonful of finger-lickin’-good caramel and banana sauce with hints of rum and vanilla for a dessert that will have you dancin’ in the kitchen. Seriously, this New Orleans-inspired dessert is one for the books, and I am sure y’all are going to love it.
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This Bananas Fosters Bread Pudding is perfect for taming my wildest of cravings. It’s so rich and delicious that after indulging, it stays on my mind for weeks to come. It’s a dessert that’s worthy of a celebration but perfect for those occasions when you’re just looking for a sweet treat to enjoy.
The Heart and Soul of this Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
Cuisine Inspiration: New Orleans, Baby!
Primary Cooking Method: Baking & Sizzling
Dietary Info: Decadence Unleashed
Key Flavor: Bananas & Caramel
Skill Level: Easy-Peasy
Sweet Highlights:
- Lush, Custardy Texture: Dive into a bread pudding that’s all about that soft, custardy middle and a gently crisped top, just like in rice pudding.
- Caramelized Banana Goodness: Each bite is a love letter to bananas, with their natural sweetness amped up by a little caramelization.
- Bread Choice Flexibility: Whether it’s brioche, challah, or French bread, each brings its own twist to this banana foster bread pudding. Try them all and pick your fav!
- Make-Ahead Magic: Perfect for prep-ahead, this dessert lets you soak up all the compliments while keeping kitchen stress at bay.
- Mashup of Two Dessert Favorites: Classic bread pudding yumminess collides with banana fosters for a winning combination!
Ingredients to Make Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
- Eggs and Half and Half: The key to the rich, eggy, custard that cooks with the bread.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds more depth of flavor to our bread pudding, and it also combines with granulated sugar and corn syrup to make the syrupy Foster sauce.
- French bread: Since bread is the base of this recipe, it’s important to use great bread! French Bread has a flavorful, crisp crust and a light, airy interior. Brioche bread is another great option for making this banana bread pudding.
- Unsalted butter: The base for our foster sauce. It adds buttery and rich flavors and I highly recommend not swapping it for another type of fat. It simply will not have the same flavor.
- Corn syrup: I don’t often use corn syrup in my recipes but in this one, it’s essential. Corn Syrup provides sweetness and moisture and it also prevents the crystallization of sugar in the sauce. Just a small amount helps to create a smooth texture in sauces, candies, and even ice cream!
- Spices: The light spice and warm essence of nutmeg and cinnamon work so amazing with the brown sugar, butter, and bananas.
- Banana: Use a fresh, ripe banana, but make sure it’s not too ripe.
- Flavoring: Vanilla extract and rum extract add hints of warmth and added flavor to the sauce. I love the flavor of rum but I also love to develop recipes the entire family can enjoy. Rum extract imitates the molasses-like flavor of rum while avoiding the alcohol content.
How to Make Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
Step 1: Prep the Bread
- Fill the ramekins with a heaping cup of bread pieces.
Step 2: Finish the Bread Pudding
- Whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and half and half in a medium until well combined.
- Pour the liquid over the bread in each ramekin. Each ramekin will need about three-quarters of a cup.
- Cover the ramekins with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking until the bread pudding is set in the center. This likely will take about another 20-25 minutes.
Step 3: Make the Bananas Foster
- Add the butter, both sugars, corn syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt to a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat, gently stirring the mixture to melt the butter.
- Cook until it begins to bubble and then whisk in heavy cream. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Add the banana slices and continue cooking until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in both extracts.
- Pour the Bananas Foster sauce over each bread pudding and serve warm.
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Tips for Making the Best Bread Pudding
- Use Stale Bread: I prefer to let my bread sit out for a couple of days to develop a stale texture. It helps to create a sturdier base that won’t succumb to the liquid mixture and get mushy. No one likes mushy.
- Choosing Your Bananas: The ripeness of the bananas is crucial. Use bananas that are ripe but not overly mushy for the best flavor and texture. Overripe bananas can make the pudding too sweet and soggy.
- Let the Bread Soak: While it’s not necessary, I like to allow the bread to soak in the custard mixture for at least 30 minutes before baking. This ensures every piece of bread is fully saturated, contributing to a consistent texture throughout.
- Bake Covered: It’s crucial to bake covered during the first half of the cooking time. This holds the moisture inside ensuring that your bread doesn’t dry out as the bread pudding cooks.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Leave Out the Banana: If you simply want a delicious sugary vanilla rum sauce for topping your bread pudding you can simply skip the bananas!
- Use a Different Fruit: Pineapple or apples would work well with the foster sauce.
- Gluten-Free: If you want to make a gluten-free bread pudding all you need to do is swap the regular bread for your favorite gluten-free option.
- Add Nuts: Add your favorite nuts to the bread pudding mixture or sprinkle them on top of the bread pudding and banana sauce.
- Use Real Rum: If you prefer making the sauce with real rum instead simply use 1 1/2 tablespoons of your favorite rum.
What to Serve with Banana Bread Pudding
- Drizzle it with caramel sauce for more yum factor! And don’t forget a generous scoop of fresh whipped cream.
- For more decadence enjoy it with a scoop of ice cream! Choose this banana pudding ice cream for more intense banana flavors or keep it classic with homemade vanilla ice cream.
- The New Orleans vibe of this dessert is the perfect way to end a meal after enjoying other Cajun or Creole favorites such as seafood gumbo, shrimp etouffee, and red beans and rice.
How to Store & Reheat Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
To store Bananas Foster Bread Pudding, let it cool to room temperature, then place it in an airtight container and refrigerate.
For reheating, warm it in the oven at 350°F, covered with foil, for about 10-15 minutes, or microwave individual portions in 30-second intervals until heated through. This ensures your pudding stays moist and delicious!
How long will bread pudding last in the fridge?
When stored properly, your bread pudding dessert will last for up to five days, but I suggest enjoying it sooner rather than later as it may dry out the longer it sits.
Can I freeze banana bread pudding?
You can freeze the bread pudding portion without the bananas foster sauce. Simply wrap them up in plastic and foil and then freeze for up to two months. Thaw them out in the fridge and then reheat it as directed. The foster sauce may not hold up well after freezing due to the dairy ingredients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! Use a 9 x 9 square pan instead. Since the dish is larger It may take a little longer to cook the bread pudding in the center. Check it at 25 minutes, but you will likely need to cook it for 10-15 minutes more.
If you recently bought your bread and want to make bread pudding right away, no worries as there’s an easy peasy fix. Go ahead and cube up the bread and spread it out on a baking sheet. Bake it in the oven at 350° F until it’s dried out but not browned.
When making bread pudding bananas foster you want bananas that are ripe but not too ripe. You want them to be on the spectrum of bright yellow to bright yellow with a few brown spots. Do not use green bananas as they will not be as flavorful or overly brown bananas will be too mushy and soft. Keep in mind that bananas with a few brown spots will be naturally sweeter than less ripe bananas.
Bananas Foster Bread Pudding is the perfect combination of two popular desserts! You’re going to love the soft, custardy bread filling topped with sweet caramelized bananas with hints of rum. So if you’re torn between the two desserts, don’t worry you can enjoy the flavors of both together in one amazing dessert with this recipe.
More Favorite Banana Recipes
If you’re a banana fan like I am (wow, what a rhyme), you’ll love more of Grandbaby Cakes BEST banana-inspired recipes! Check ‘em out:
- Homemade Banana Pudding
- Banana Pudding Cheesecake Bars
- No-Bake Banana Cheesecake
- Banana Milkshakes
- Banana Fritters
- Banana Pudding Pie
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
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Equipment
- 4 Ramekins
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 5 cups stale French bread cubed
- 3 large eggs
- ½ light brown sugar packed
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 ¼ cups half and half
Bananas Foster
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 large banana sliced
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon rum extract
Instructions
For Bread Pudding
- Preheat oven to 350F. Place rack in bottom third position. Spray bottom and sides of 4 (8 ounce) ramekins with nonstick baking spray. Place on baking sheet.
- Fill ramekins with heaping cup of bread pieces.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and half and half until well combined.
- Pour liquid over bread into each ramekin (about ¾ cup).
- Cover ramekins with foil. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue baking until bread pudding is set in center, about 20-25 minutes.
For Bananas Foster
- Add butter, both sugars, corn syrup, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt to medium skillet. Set on medium heat and gently stir together as butter melts.
- Cook until it begins to bubble, then whisk in heavy cream and cook until it begins to thicken, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in banana slices and continue cooking until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Turn off heat and stir in both extracts, then pour sauce over each bread pudding and serve warm.
Notes
- Use Stale Bread: I prefer to let my bread sit out for a couple of days to develop a stale texture. It helps to create a sturdier base that won’t succumb to the liquid mixture and get mushy. No one likes mushy.
- Choosing Your Bananas: The ripeness of the bananas is crucial. Use bananas that are ripe but not overly mushy for the best flavor and texture. Overripe bananas can make the pudding too sweet and soggy.
- Let the Bread Soak: While it’s not necessary I like to allow the bread to soak in the custard mixture for at least 30 minutes before baking. This ensures every piece of bread is fully saturated, contributing to a consistent texture throughout.
- Bake Covered: It’s crucial to bake covered during the first half of the cooking time. This holds the moisture inside ensuring that your bread doesn’t dry out as the bread pudding cooks.
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This looks incredible! I can’t wait to make this for Thanksgiving with my family. Could this be made in a large baking dish (9 x 13) ? Would I have to double the ingredients and adjust the cooking time?
Yes exactly. You will need to do both!
So to make it in a 9 x 13 double the recipe? What about the cook time? I’m hoping to make this today!
Yes definitely double the recipe but you will need to check on the cooking time along the way to see when it is done. Sorry I don’t have more information but maybe try checking it after 30 additional minutes and see how far along it is.
I’m about to make this right now…super excited Jocelyn!!! I will tell you how it comes out?.
They’re the perfect size and the bananas look healthy (meaning they havent oxidized or gotten all mushy like some fosters ive seen) so thats really impressive!
I can’t wait to make this Jocelyn!!! This sounds and looks delish
Looooove these! I’ve been addicted to anything bananas lately. Another recipe I must try. Love your blog!
Hooray and thank you so much April!!