Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding
A local restaurant served a version of this recipe. I went crazy over it and decided to create my own. It's great served warm or cold.
A local restaurant served a version of this recipe. I went crazy over it and decided to create my own. It's great served warm or cold.
- Carbohydrate 29.267252525338 g
- Cholesterol 8.4500000050721 mg
- Fat 5.63994500566406 g
- Fiber 0.619500010802942 g
- Protein 4.40132000219705 g
- Saturated Fat 3.31855750332104 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (150g)
- Sodium 89.6092500220477 mg
- Sugar 28.6477525145351 g
- Trans Fat 0.393319500369212 g
- Calories 180 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Stir in bread, bananas, and chocolate chips, and let rest 5 minutes for bread to soak. Pour into prepared pan.
- Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel. Place loaf pan on towel inside roasting pan, and place roasting pan on oven rack. Fill roasting pan with water to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Standard bread pudding relies on dry baking sheets and direct heat, which frequently results in rubbery edges and a watery center before the middle cooks through. By contrast, surrounding the loaf pan with a water bath creates a thermal buffer that guarantees gentle, uniform heat transfer. When you bake this dessert at 350 degrees F for one hour, steam and conductive water heat surround the custard uniformly, preventing the exterior from scorching before the internal starch network gels. Letting the cubed French bread rest in the liquid mixture for precisely five minutes ensures capillary action pulls the dairy into the crumb without completely dissolving the structural integrity of the loaf.
- Use French bread with a sturdy, low-moisture crust so the cubes maintain distinct textural contrast against the soft bananas and melted chocolate chips rather than turning into mush.
- Line your larger roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel underneath the loaf pan to prevent sliding and to insulate the bottom glass or metal from direct radiant heat coming off the lower oven element.
- Fill the surrounding roasting pan with hot tap water until it reaches exactly halfway up the exterior sides of the 9x5 inch loaf pan for optimal thermal conductivity.
- Test doneness by inserting a paring knife into the center of the pudding; it is ready to come out of the oven the moment the blade emerges completely clean without wet batter clinging to the steel.
Pairing this rich dessert with tart, freshly whipped crème fraîche cuts through the dense sweetness of the semi-sweet chocolate and ripe fruit. Chilling leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days firms up the crumb structure completely, offering a refreshing contrast to the warm oven-fresh experience.
