Salted Caramel Banana Bread Pudding

This Salted Caramel Banana Bread Pudding is as close to heaven on a fork as you can get! Bananas and bread drenched in salted caramel, all toasty warm straight out of the oven.

Ingredients

For the caramel:
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, cut into pieces and at room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
• 1 tablespoon bourbon (or Bailey's, Kahlua or Rum Chata)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the bread pudding:
• Salted butter, for the baking dish
• 1 1 -pound French Bread (about 13 cups)
• 5 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 bananas, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1/2 Teaspoon nutmeg (I grated fresh nutmeg, but you can use ground nutmeg)
• Sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

Make the caramel:
1. Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Cook, gently swirling the pan but not stirring, until amber, about 10 minutes. Brush any sugar crystals off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the butter, heavy cream, bourbon (or your choice), lemon juice and kosher salt (the mixture will bubble). Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Make the bread pudding:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. I sliced the french bread in half and left on the counter to dry out or you can spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
3. Whisk the eggs, sugar and kosher salt in a large bowl, then whisk in the milk, heavy cream and vanilla until smooth.
4. Butter up your baking dish, put all the bread in and pour mixture over the bread to let it soak for at least 45 minutes or cover and put in fridge overnight.
5. When your ready to bake put bananas on top and sprinkle cinnamon and spices pour half the caramel over and sprinkle the bread pudding with sea salt and bake until golden brown and set, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Let rest about 15 minutes then drizzle the remaining caramel over the top.

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