Bunny Banana Caramel Bread Pudding For Easter!

 I know exactly what I like, and I LOVE dessert. It’s not a fair-weather coupling or a casual like, I am hot blooded passionately in love with dessert. I obsess over cakes, and cookies, and donuts, and pan dulce, and pie, and bionicos, and gelatinas, and cream puffs, and the list goes on and on…. But the dessert that makes me weak in the knees is banana caramel bread pudding. I’d go so far as to say I dream about it. 

The other day I found the cutest Easter baking supplies. I couldn’t resist the cupcake holders, bunny ears, and spring colored sprinkles. At the time I had no idea what
I would do with them other than make some type of loaded with yum cupcake that my family would devour. I came home and that night I started planning my Easter menu. Things have shifted in the savory menu category, but one thing that would not be changed from my traditional Easter menu was the banana caramel bread pudding. I decided to put my cute Easter baking supplies to good use and make little individual bunny bread pudding servings for our Easter celebration. Hopefully if I’m lucky more than one will hop into my mouth. Happy Easter!

Ingredients For Banana Caramel Bread Pudding:

• 12 – cups croissant (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 1 – cup candied pecans (coarsely chopped)
• 1 – cup almonds (coarsely chopped)
• 2.5 – ounces caramels squares, about 10 pieces (unwrap and cut in 1/2)
• 3 – large ripe bananas (thinly sliced)
• 1 1/4 – cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
• 4 – eggs
• 4 – cups half and half
• 5 – tablespoons butter (melted and brought back to room temperature), plus a tablespoon to butter baking dish
• 1 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 – teaspoon almond extract
• 2 – teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Line the croissant pieces on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 20 minutes to toast.
3. Remove from the oven and set to the side.
4. Generously grease a 9×13 pyrex dish with 1 tablespoon of butter.
5. Layer half of your toasted croissant cubes on the bottom of the pyrex.
6. Pour in the pecans, almonds, and caramel pieces.
7. Layer the bananas on top of the bread, pecan, almond, caramel layer. 
8. Top with the remaining bread crumbs.
9. In a mixer, add 1 1/4 cup sugar and eggs, and beat for 5 minutes on high.
10. Add in half and half, butter, cinnamon, almond and vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
11. Pour the liquid mix over the croissant layers. 
12. Then push down on the top of the bread to make sure all the liquid is soaked into the cubes.
13. Sprinkle the top with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar .
14. Place the 9×13 pyrex into a larger pan and fill halfway with boiling hot water to create a water bath (Bain-Marie)
15. Bake for 1 hour.
16. Remove from oven and remove 9×13 casserole dish out of water bath.
17. Let cool to room temperature, then cover top with aluminum foil and place in the fridge over night.
18. The next day cut circles of bread pudding with a cookie cutter. 
19. Place in a cupcake holder and decorate with bunny ears and sprinkles. For added fun add a small dollop of whipped cream for a little bunny cotton tail.
20. Enjoy! 

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