How to Make a Bread Pudding

To make bread pudding, whisk together milk or cream, melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture over day-old stale challah or brioche bread and bake it in the oven for about 45 minutes. Now, that’s an easy and basic bread pudding. However, I think we can kick things up a notch with this Bananas Foster Bread Pudding recipe.

What is bread pudding?

Bread pudding is a mixture of stale bread, milk, eggs, and sugar baked to a custard-like consistency. That said, while this hot and cozy dessert is called pudding, it isn’t what most of us think of when we hear that word.

Where did bread pudding originate?

Once known as “Poor Man’s Pudding,” this ultimate comfort food originated in England sometime between the 11th and 12th centuries. It was the perfect way to use leftover stale bread. Instead of wasting anything, they would break up the bread, cover it in a sweet mixture and bake the dessert.

As I’m sure you know, it has since lost the stigma of being a frugal dessert and can be found on some of the most refined menus worldwide.

The best bread for bread pudding

Brioche, Challah, and French bread are the most commonly used to produce the best results. The pieces of bread will soak up the sauce and become that custardy consistency you’re looking for. I prefer to use Brioache above all.

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

If you’ve been following my recipes for a while, then you know Bananas Foster is my favorite dessert. Therefore, I tend to lean toward Bananas Foster, anything regarding other desserts.

Bananas Foster Bread Pudding is one of them. It takes the warmth and consistency of a regular bread pudding and adds so much more flavor and a level of elegance.

I suggest just starting with this recipe, and then you can simplify it to the regular version if you’re looking for a quick dessert.

Ingredients

The ingredients for this recipe are very straightforward, and you likely already have them on hand. I will break this down between the bread pudding and the Bananas Foster Topping.

For the Pudding

• Stale Brioche Bread
• Eggs
• Salted Butter
• Heavy Cream
• Vanilla Extract
• Dark Brown Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Bananas

For the Bananas Foster Topping

• Bananas
• Salted Butter
• Dark Brown Sugar
• Banana Liquor
• Kosher Salt

Directions

Make the bread stale.

Break the bread up into large chunks, about 1/2 inch pieces. Lay them out on a large cookie sheet and allow them to dry out overnight. For best results, dry the bread out for a total of 24 hours before you start making the bread pudding.

Bananas Foster Topping

In a 12″ Cast Iron Skillet set over medium heat, begin by melting the butter and then stir in the dark brown sugar.

Next, add the sliced bananas and sauté them for about 2-3 minutes, ensuring they are entirely covered in the butter and sugar mixture.

Now pour in the banana liquor, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside.

Bread Pudding

Start by preheating your oven to 375°f and butter the entire inside of a 9″x13″ baking dish.

Next, evenly spread the stale brioche bread pieces inside the casserole dish and three sliced bananas. Be sure that the sliced bananas are also evenly spaced throughout so nobody ends up with one big serving of bananas.

Now, whisk eggs, heavy cream, melted salted butter, pure vanilla extract, dark brown sugar, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.

Pour this mixture over the bread, followed by the Bananas Foster topping. Ensure everything is evenly spaced and spread for consistency throughout the dessert.

Lastly, bake the bananas foster bread pudding for about 45 minutes. Check the dessert by sticking a toothpick or skewer into the center. If it comes out clean, then the cooking process is complete. If not, allow it to bake for another 5 minutes and recheck.

In Conclusion

Bread pudding is simple yet amazingly warm and cozy comfort food for which every home cook should have a recipe, and the possibilities are endless. Plain, Bananas Foster, Peach, Apple Spice, and Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Pudding are some of my favorites.

If you love Bananas Foster or just dessert as much as I do, then I know you’ll also love these!

• Bananas Foster Ice Cream
• Bananas Foster Banana Pudding
• Hatch Chile Raspberry Cheesecake
• Ice Cream Sandwich Oreo Cake

I have an excellent feeling you are going to love this recipe. My Daughter requested that I start making this every day, or at least every time we run out, which is saying a lot as she is picky!

Thank you so much for stopping by Chicken Fried Kitchen, and as usual…

Happy Cooking!

-Jeremy