Make Ahead

Banana Rum Challah Bread Pudding

by:
February 15, 2010
4
2 Ratings
  • Serves 15 portions
Author Notes

An over zealous desire to make raisin challah left me with more challah than I could eat or share. Having never made bread pudding before, a friend's enthusiasm and love for it urged me to try making it. Bread pudding is the perfect leftover turned luscious dessert, rum, raisins, and bananas make pretty good pals in this one, too. —NakedBeet

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • bread and custard
  • 10 cups raisin challah (about 2 medium loaves)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup light cream
  • 3 tablespoons rum
  • 2 cups less heavy cream (less with 3 tbsp of rum for a full 2 cups)
  • fried bananas
  • 2 large bananas, cut into 1/2" thick pieces
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons rum for deglazing
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 300º. Oil a 9x 13" pan and set aside. Cut the raisin challah into bite sized pieces and place into the 9x13 pan. Boil a pot of water in preparation for the bain marie. (The bread pudding will bake in a water bath.)
  2. In a large bowl beat the eggs together with the 3/4 cups of brown sugar. Add milk, both creams, vanilla, cinnamon, and rum.
  3. Sprinkle some of the brown sugar (1/4 cup) over each side of the banana. Saute the bananas in oil till they caramelize and turn golden brown on each side. Once they're done, mix them into the bread mixture. Pour in the custard. Press down so the cubes are submerged in the custard.
  4. Set your pudding pan into a larger pan so that it sits completely flat inside the large pan. If you think the pudding pan might wobble, place a kitchen towel on the bottom before you place the bread pudding pan in. Pour in enough hot water so that it comes halfway up the side of the pudding pan. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  5. You can reheat the entire pan in the oven on low for 30 minutes. Sprinkle bread pudding with confectioners sugar and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • campagnes
    campagnes
  • WinnieAb
    WinnieAb
  • NakedBeet
    NakedBeet
  • jennvill
    jennvill

4 Reviews

campagnes January 3, 2011
Dear lord, this sounds amazing!
 
jennvill September 10, 2010
Love this Naked Beet! I want to mention that I made this for a bake-off through my hubby's work and won 2nd place! The only thing I did different was drizzle a little creme anglaise. Just delicious! Thanks for sharing!
 
NakedBeet September 13, 2010
Oh wow, that's great, congrats! That's funny that you added creme anglaise, because I forgot to mention that when I reheated it, I too added rum and some light cream on top before pressing some crushed hazelnuts into the warm pudding.
 
WinnieAb February 15, 2010
This sounds great- challah is so perfect for bread pudding!