Recipe from Blue Ribbon Bakery and Cafe
Adapted by Jonathan Reynolds
- Total Time
- 2 hours 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(192)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This unapologetically rich special-occasion dessert is adapted from one served at the Blue Ribbon Bakery and Cafe, a working bakery in Greenwich Village known for its eclectic American cuisine. It counts four cups of heavy cream and 11 egg yolks among its list of ingredients, but we promise you won't regret the indulgence. In his 2003 article accompanying the recipe, Jonathan Reynolds said, “The banana-walnut bread pudding with banana caramel sauce puts most bread puddings out of the game, and I've had roughly 10,000 bread puddings.” Did we mention that's it's a cinch to put together? It is, and it's perfect for a crowd. (Here are some ideas for what to make with all of those leftover egg whites.) —Jonathan Reynolds
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Ingredients
Yield:10 servings
- 4cups heavy cream
- 11large egg yolks
- ¾cup sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 1vanilla bean, split
- 10cups of 1-inch cubes white bread (preferably from 1 large baguette)
- 2cups ½-inch-thick banana slices
- ¾cup chopped walnuts
- Banana caramel sauce
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Bring the cream to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk yolks, sugar and salt until the sugar dissolves. Scrape the vanilla-bean seeds into the yolks and toss the husk into the cream.
Step
2
Whisking constantly, pour a small amount of hot cream into the yolk mixture, then whisk in the rest. Strain through a fine sieve and discard the vanilla-bean husk.
Step
3
Place the bread, bananas and walnuts in a deep 9-inch-by-13-inch baking pan. Pour in enough cream mixture to cover the bread well (you may have a bit left over). Let sit for 20 minutes.
Step
4
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the bread pudding gently, then cover the pan with foil. Place in a larger pan, add enough hot water to come partway up the sides of the pan and bake until the pudding is set and a knife inserted comes out almost clean, about 1½ hours. Serve with banana caramel sauce.
Ratings
4
out of 5
192
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Cooking Notes
Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor
We have not tested it without the water bath, but I imagine it would be O.K. though a bit less moist. It might help to let the bread soak a bit longer than the suggested 20 minutes (I'd go a full hour), and reduce the oven temp to 300. You'll likely need to cook it longer, so check frequently.
Jack M
If I don't have a larger pan for the water bath step will it make much of a difference if I just omit that step and bake as normal?
Rosita
I've modified the recipe by substituting 5 cups of the cubed bread with 5 cups of cubed home made banana bread which I toast/dry out in the oven (so it will absorb the liquid ingredients). I also mix in some raisins soaked in rum. Perhaps too much banana flavor for some, but my family loves it.
Rosemary
made this for super bowl sunday. must add that i am a pretty good cook and baker but ... this bread pudding was awful. it looked so unappetizing with or without the sauce. the bananas looked like they were rotten. no one even wanted to try it, no one. would up throwing it away this morning.
Ben
Made this for Christmas, it was a huge hit. Used sourdough bread and put over a quarter cup of rum in the cream and some more in the caramel sauce. We doubled the walnuts but there were requests for even more. Served with ice cream it was truly decadent but worth every bite.
Gina Ruben
Made this yesterday using half and half instead of cream. It was excellent. I used a brioche sweet bread from Trader Joe and served it with both vanilla ice cream and Trader Joe's caramel sauce. No water bath, I cooked it at 300 for 1 hour and it was perfect. Needs to be served warm.
MAS
Delicious! Modified for a ½ recipe:½ loaf stale Italian bread cut into cubes5 egg yolks⅜ c sugar1 cup ½ & ½ 1 cup whipping cream2 small over ripe bananas1 cup walnuts chopped lightly2 tablespoon vanilla3 teaspoons cinnamonLayered bread in pan, then bananas and walnuts and topped with bread. Used turbinado sugar to sprinkle on top before baking. Baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a double pan with water till firm & crusty.
Gina Ruben
Made this yesterday using half and half instead of cream. It was excellent. I used a brioche sweet bread from Trader Joe and served it with both vanilla ice cream and Trader Joe's caramel sauce. No water bath, I cooked it at 300 for 1 hour and it was perfect. Needs to be served warm.
Ben
Made this for Christmas, it was a huge hit. Used sourdough bread and put over a quarter cup of rum in the cream and some more in the caramel sauce. We doubled the walnuts but there were requests for even more. Served with ice cream it was truly decadent but worth every bite.
Carmen
I think that this was so good but I think that it should only soak for 20 mins
Frances
This was soooo delicious. Didn't have any vanilla beans so we used vanilla extract. We made the caramel sauce but actually I don't think it was required. Could have just had it with some cream or maybe ice cream. Will definitely make again.
peggy
This sounds divine, but is it necessary to use all that heavy cream? Could it be half-and-half?
ack
I baked mine without the water bath and I used leftover cinnamon rolls in place of the French bread, turned out amazing!
Apples'nOranges
Does anyone have a source for affordable vanilla beans? The cost makes this recipe prohibitively expensive for us.
Rosemary
made this for super bowl sunday. must add that i am a pretty good cook and baker but ... this bread pudding was awful. it looked so unappetizing with or without the sauce. the bananas looked like they were rotten. no one even wanted to try it, no one. would up throwing it away this morning.
Rosita
I've modified the recipe by substituting 5 cups of the cubed bread with 5 cups of cubed home made banana bread which I toast/dry out in the oven (so it will absorb the liquid ingredients). I also mix in some raisins soaked in rum. Perhaps too much banana flavor for some, but my family loves it.
Enrique
Banana Cream Sauce??
Anne
Butter the pan before adding the bread, bananas and walnuts...
delicious
Please add the recipe for the banana caramel syrup
Jack M
If I don't have a larger pan for the water bath step will it make much of a difference if I just omit that step and bake as normal?
Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor
We have not tested it without the water bath, but I imagine it would be O.K. though a bit less moist. It might help to let the bread soak a bit longer than the suggested 20 minutes (I'd go a full hour), and reduce the oven temp to 300. You'll likely need to cook it longer, so check frequently.
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