Banana Bread Pudding
A delicious dessert that combines the comfort of banana bread with the warm goodness of bread pudding, perfect for using up stale bread and ripe bananas.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 16 oz day-old, stale buttery bread Cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 ripe, mashed bananas For the pudding mix
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1.5 cups heavy cream For pudding mix
- 1.5 cups milk For pudding mix
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon nutmeg
- 0.5 teaspoon salt For pudding mix
- 1.5 cups chopped pecans or walnuts, optional For pudding mix and topping
- 0.5 cup light brown sugar, for topping
- 0.5 cup heavy cream, for caramel sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, for caramel sauce
- 0.25 teaspoon salt, for caramel sauce
- 1-2 firm bananas sliced for topping, optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Pour a tablespoon (15 ml) of melted butter into the bottom of a 9×13 oven-safe casserole dish.
- Slice day-old and stale bread into 1-inch cubes. If the bread isn’t stale enough, toast the slices in a toaster oven or bake in the oven for about 10 – 15 minutes until dried out.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth with just a few lumps. Then whisk the eggs together with the mashed bananas until combined.
- Whisk in the light brown sugar, milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, salt, and the ground spices until well mixed.
- Add the cubed bread and half of the chopped nuts into the bowl. Gently mix until the bread soaks up the custard. Let the mixture sit while the oven preheats.
Baking
- Transfer the bread pudding mixture into the prepared dish. Top with the remaining chopped nuts.
- Bake for 50 – 60 minutes. The center should be puffed and a toothpick inserted should come out with a few moist crumbs. Let it cool for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.
Making Caramel Sauce
- Combine light brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Once boiling, cook and stir for 2 minutes and then remove from heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Serving
- Serve the bread pudding topped with caramel sauce, toasted pecans, and optional whipped cream or sliced bananas.
Notes
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven or the microwave. If you have extra caramel sauce, store it separately in the fridge. Use day-old bread for the best texture. You can use any type of bread, like brioche or challah. For added flavor, mix in chocolate chips or other nuts. Ensure bananas are ripe for the best flavor.