Recipe Background
Southern Banana Bread Pudding combines comforting spices with creamy textures and a rich sauce.
There's something deeply comforting about a warm dish of Southern Banana Bread Pudding. The aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg fills the kitchen, evoking a sense of nostalgia. As it bakes, the bread softens and absorbs the sweet banana-infused custard, creating a tender yet slightly crisp texture that begs to be savored slowly. Sharing this dish feels like offering a piece of home.
One of the keys to achieving the perfect pudding texture is using day-old bread. Slightly stale bread has the unique ability to soak up the creamy liquid without becoming a mushy mass. This gives each bite the perfect combination of soft and chewy, allowing the flavors to meld together harmoniously. When serving, it helps to wait a few minutes after baking to let everything set up nicely, making it easier to cut clean, neat slices.
The accompanying sauce, rich and buttery, pairs perfectly with the warm pudding. Its sweetness complements the subtle spice and banana notes, providing a delightful contrast. Drizzling this luxurious mixture over each serving transforms a humble dessert into a memorable experience. Whether after a weeknight dinner or at a gathering, it's a dish that encourages people to linger at the table, enjoying both the food and the conversation.
Ingredients
For the bread pudding:
- 4 cups French or sourdough bread day-old and cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup firm bananas sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
- Place the bread cubes in the prepared casserole dish.
- Pour the melted butter over the bread cubes, tossing to coat.
- In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
- Add 2 cups of the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, 2 teaspoons of the vanilla, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, and the salt to the beaten eggs.
- Stir the bananas into the milk mixture.
- Pour the milk mixture over the bread cubes, stirring to coat.
- Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
- Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan.
- Combine the remaining sugar and the cornstarch together and add the mixture to the melted butter.
- Stir the remaining milk and the corn syrup into the butter mixture and cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a full boil.
- Boil the sauce for 1 minute, then remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Stir in the remaining vanilla.
- Serve the warm sauce over the warm pudding.
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