Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding Recipe
Hewitt's chocolate ice cream, salted caramel sauce
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Ingredients
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Bread Pudding Base
Chocolate Chunks & Texture Add-ins
To Finish & Serve
Method
Bread Pudding Base
- 1
Prepare bread and bananas
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x9-inch (or similar 8x8) baking dish with a little butter or nonstick spray. Tear or cut the stale brioche/challah into roughly 1-inch pieces and spread them in an even layer in the prepared dish. In a bowl, mash the ripe bananas until mostly smooth with small lumps remaining; set aside.
- 2
Make custard
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt until the sugar and cocoa are fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Taste briefly and adjust sweetness if desired (add up to 1 additional tablespoon granulated sugar if you prefer sweeter).
- 3
Combine bread and custard
Sprinkle the mashed banana evenly over the bread pieces. Pour the chocolate custard mixture slowly and evenly over the bread and bananas, pressing gently with a spatula or the back of a spoon so the bread soaks up the custard. Let the dish sit for 15 minutes at room temperature so the bread fully absorbs the custard; if the bread still looks very dry after 15 minutes, pour any remaining custard over the top.
Chocolate Chunks & Texture Add-ins
- 4
Add chocolate pieces
After the bread has absorbed the custard, sprinkle the chopped semisweet/bittersweet chocolate and the optional dark chocolate chunks evenly across the top and lightly fold them into the top layer so they become partially embedded. Dot the surface with the tablespoon of melted unsalted butter to help create a slightly glossy, richer top when baked.
- 5
Bake
Place the baking dish on a middle rack and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the custard is set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center (it will continue to set as it cools). If the top begins to brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
- 6
Rest
Remove from the oven and let the bread pudding rest for 10–15 minutes. This resting time allows the custard to finish setting and makes it easier to portion. If you want a warmer, slightly gooey interior, serve after 10 minutes; for a more fully set texture wait 15 minutes.
To Finish & Serve
- 7
Portion and plate
Scoop or cut the warm chocolate banana bread pudding into generous servings (the recipe yields about 6 moderate portions). Place each portion on a dessert plate or shallow bowl.
- 8
Add ice cream and caramel
Top each warm portion with a scoop of Hewitt's chocolate ice cream. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of salted caramel sauce over the ice cream and pudding (adjust to taste). Garnish with a few fresh banana slices if using and finish with a light pinch (about 1/16–1/8 tsp) of flaky sea salt to enhance flavors.
- 9
Serve
Serve immediately while the bread pudding is warm and the ice cream is still slightly melting into the pudding for an indulgent contrast of temperatures and textures.