Banana Bread Pudding

A magnolia bakery favorite at home.

There are 3 main steps to this recipe: baking the brioche, making the pudding & adding the whipped cream and bananas.

Notes on the brioche. By virtue of adding banana and brown sugar, this bread will be denser then your typical brioche. Do not fret. There’s no need to focus on the ascetics. Focus on creating a rich bread that will be later crumbled up. I baked mine in a circular Dutch oven, if you enjoy the crusty portions of bread, feel free to bake in 2 smaller pans.

Notes on the caramelized sugar vanilla pudding. The caramelization process of the sugar includes toasting and melting it down, when you add a shock of cold milk it will solidify. However it will dissolve further in the process.

Ingredients:

Banana Brioche

  • 1/2 cup of warm (but not hot) milk
  • 2 1/4 packet of active dry yeast (1 packet)
  • 5 TBSP of brown sugar, separated
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 6 large eggs & 2 egg yolks
  • 2 TBSP of vanilla extract
  • 4 1/2 cups of flour
  • 1 TSP of cinnamon
  • 1 TSP of salt
  • 1 cup of butter, softened

Caramelized Sugar Vanilla Pudding

  • 1 cup of granulated sugar
  • 2 cups of whole milk
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 TBSP of butter
  • 1/2 TBSP of vanilla extract or 1/2 of fresh vanilla bean
  • 2 TBSP of corn starch

Fresh Whipped Cream + Bananas

  • 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar
  • 1 TSP of vanilla
  • 4-5 ripe bananas
  1. Prepare & bake the banana brioche. Add warm milk, 1 TBSP of brown sugar and active dry yeast to bowl. Mix until fully combined & check to ensure your yeast is active by waiting for to see if the mixture becomes frothy.
  2. Add remaining brown sugar, 5 eggs and one yolk, banana, & vanilla extract. Combine until fully incorporated.
  3. In separate bowl combine flour, cinnamon and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients. Knead on medium high with dough hook until dough is glossy for approximately 6-7 minutes.
  4. Slowly add in softened butter chunk by chunk.
  5. Kneed dough further on a powder surface, add to a greased pan and allow dough to rise until at least doubled in size.
  6. Cover dough, and allow to chill overnight in the fridge.
  7. Scramble the last egg, coat dough with thin layer.
  8. Place proofed dough in Dutch oven and bake at 350 for approximately 35 minutes.
  9. Remove baked bread & allow dough to fully cool.
  10. Make carmelized sugar vanilla pudding. Heat sauce pan to medium heat. Add sugar & salt. Mix until sugar begins to brown and melt. Remove from heat.
  11. In separate bowl, whisk together corn starch and milk.
  12. Add milk mixture to sugar & return to heat at medium, do not allow to fully boil.
  13. Remove from heat & slowly add whisked egg yolks, stirring constantly while adding.
  14. Return to medium low heat. Continue to whisk and add vanilla.
  15. Remove from heat.
  16. Add pudding to bread. In separate bowl, crumble 1/2 of the loaf of bread. Add pudding to bread and fully combine while pudding is still hot. Let cool over night.
  17. Make whipped cream. Add heavy whipping cream to stand mixer.
  18. Add confectioners sugar. Combine on low speed until most of the sugar is dissolved.
  19. Add vanilla, and increase speed to medium high.
  20. Whip until desired texture is achieved. Remove to separate bowl.
  21. Add bananas. Add bread pudding mixture to stand mixer. Add in in ripened bananas until light and whipped texture is achieved.
  22. With spatula, slowly fold in fresh whipped cream.