Banana & Caramel Bread Pudding
Warm, gooey caramel with Bruleed bananas and decadent spices! What could be more comforting? Oh, add a light dusting of powdered sugar and vanilla bean ice cream…oh yeah! I’m ready to commit to a bite or two!
This Banana & Caramel Bread Pudding is so inviting. It is easy to adapt this recipe with your favorite flavors. The key here is simplicity. Pairing together fruit and spices that make sense is the goal. We all know apple and cinnamon work. Chocolate and orange would be another stellar combination. Why not try a pear and ginger bread pudding? This is a classic dessert that can be refined to fit your foodie flare!
For this recipe the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves warm the palate, playing well with the caramel. I have even done a pumpkin version of this bread pudding. Again, this is about you! This is another canvas to play and create. It is so exciting to create and develop and then taste! I have linked two of my favorite resources, Culinary Artistry and The Flavor Bible. Both of these resources are crazy ridiculous to help extend your culinary prowess. I constantly use them…and I mean constantly. It has helped open my eyes to new foods and flavors that I may not have paired together before. Do yourself a favor and get one tool a month to help expand your epicurean empire. These would be a great start!
So now that you are fired up, try a this Banana & Caramel Bread Pudding. Then make it again with foods and flavors that tickle your sweet spot. There is no wrong here! Just a cozy corner with a terrific piece of warm comfort!
Banana & Caramel Bread Pudding
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Cutting Board
- Chef knife
- Whisk
- Casserole Dish
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 loaves Texas toast or Brioche, day old, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 6 each bananas sliced
- 10 each large eggs room temperature
- 1 lb. brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 16 fl. oz. heavy cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted (optional)
- 1/2 gallon vanilla bean ice cream (optional)
- 1 pint fresh berries (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut bread into 1" cubes and set aside.
- Prepare casserole dish by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Add bread cubes to the very top of casserole dish. Set aside. Cut bananas into slices about 1/2" thick. Place on top of cubed bread and gently toss together to distribute bananas throughout the bread. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, brown sugar, spices, salt and vanilla bean paste together. Whisk thoroughly to combine. While whisking, add heavy cream to incorporate together.
- Once wet ingredients are fully incorporated, pour over bread and bananas in your casserole dish.
- Gently push bread down to absorb all of the wet mix. Allow bread to sit and "soak" for about 20 minutes.
- Cover casserole dish with plastic wrap and then aluminium foil. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until top of bread pudding is golden brown.
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes then drizzle caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade) over the top of the warm pudding. Cut into large 4×4" or 3×3" squares.
- Prepare for plating: drizzle more caramel on the bottom of serving plate. Place warm bread pudding square on top of caramel drizzle. Gently sift powdered sugar over the top. Finish by topping with a 2 ounce scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Garnish with mint, fresh berries or leave as is. For best result, enjoy warm, straight out of the oven with melting ice cream or your favorite non dairy cold treat!
