Banana Bread Pudding Recipe

Prepare

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of melted butter.

Assemble Bread and Bananas

Place 6 cups of 1-inch banana bread cubes evenly in the prepared baking dish. Scatter the 2 cups sliced ripe bananas over the bread cubes so they are distributed through the layers.

Make Custard

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 4 large eggs, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp fine sea salt until smooth and sugar is mostly dissolved.

Soak Bread

Pour the custard evenly over the banana bread and bananas, pressing down gently with a spatula to help the bread absorb the liquid. Let the dish sit at room temperature for 20 minutes (or refrigerate up to 2 hours) to allow full absorption.

Bake

Dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter. Place the baking dish on a rimmed sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35–45 minutes, or until the custard is set (a knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean) and the top is golden brown. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the final 10–15 minutes.

Rest

Remove from oven and let rest for 10–15 minutes to finish setting before serving.

Make Caramel

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add 1 cup granulated sugar in an even layer. Without stirring, swirl the pan occasionally with a heatproof spatula as the sugar begins to melt around the edges. Once the edges begin to liquefy, gently stir to encourage even melting until the sugar becomes an amber-golden liquid (watch closely to avoid burning).

Add Butter and Cream

Remove the pan briefly from the heat and carefully whisk in 6 tablespoons unsalted butter until melted and combined (mixture will bubble vigorously). Slowly pour in 1/2 cup warm heavy cream while whisking until smooth. Return to low heat for 30 seconds if needed to fully combine.

Finish

Stir in 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt. Let the caramel cool 10 minutes; it will thicken as it cools. Transfer to a jar and keep warm or reheat slightly before serving.

Infuse Milk and Cream

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup whole milk, 2 cups heavy cream, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the seeds and pod of 1 split vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla paste) and 1/4 tsp salt. Warm over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot but not boiling; remove from heat and let steep 15–20 minutes to infuse.

Temper Egg Yolks

In a separate bowl, whisk 4 large egg yolks until smooth. Slowly pour about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper. Gradually whisk the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.

Cook Custard

Return the saucepan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard coats the back of the spoon and reaches 170–175°F (77–80°C) (do not boil). Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to remove the vanilla pod and any cooked bits.

Chill

Cool the custard to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Churn

Churn in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until soft-set. Transfer to a container and freeze at least 2 hours to firm before serving alongside the warm bread pudding.

Plate

Slice warm banana bread pudding and place on dessert plates. Spoon or drizzle 2–3 tablespoons salted caramel sauce over each portion.

Add Ice Cream

Top each serving with a scoop of house-made vanilla bean ice cream.

Garnish

Sprinkle a light pinch (about 1/8–1/4 tsp) flaky sea salt over the caramel, and dust with optional powdered sugar. Serve immediately while pudding is warm and ice cream is cold.