Banana Bread Pudding: A Decadent Twist on a Classic! – If you’re looking for a dessert that’s warm, comforting, and bursting with flavor, then you’re going to love this Banana Bread Pudding. Think of it as the ultimate mash-up of two classic favorites: banana bread and bread pudding. This dessert takes everything you love about banana bread and transforms it into a rich, custardy delight that’s perfect for any occasion.
Banana bread pudding is a decadent and flavorful banana bread-flavored homemade bread pudding. Loaded with cubes of bread, mashed bananas, heavy cream, eggs to make a rich custard filling, and more! So Let’s dive into what makes this Banana Bread Pudding so special. It starts with cubes of soft, buttery bread — perfect for soaking up the decadent custard made with heavy cream, eggs, and sugar. But the real star of the show here is the ripe, mashed bananas. They lend a natural sweetness and intense banana flavor that infuses the entire dish, making every bite a little bit of banana bread heaven.
Once the banana bread pudding is done, drizzle it with vanilla sauce and sliced bananas. This easy breakfast casserole is great for serving a crowd or meal prepping. It is also a great make-ahead breakfast casserole for a brunch, holiday gathering, or dishing up for guests staying with you.
If you are looking for new ways to use up ripe bananas, I have more recipes you might want to check out. This banana split cheesecake is out-of-this-world delicious. For more sweet treats, try out my other banana cake recipe or even banana cream cheesecake bars.
Reasons To Make This Banana Bread Pudding
- Real Banana Flavor: This bread pudding is made with ripe bananas that are mashed and mixed into the bread pudding batter.
- Warm and Cozy: This banana bread pudding is great for a cold morning or when you want a cozy and comforting dessert to serve.
- Make Ahead: This recipe offers both options: Prep it beforehand or reheat it to serve it again.
- Crowd Approved: This is a recipe that is going to serve a lot of people at once. Great for a brunch, dishing up for a crowd.
Ingredients
- Baguette: You will want to tear or cube the bread into smaller bite-sized pieces.
- Banana Bread: The next item is a loaf of banana bread. This can be store-bought or homemade banana bread.
- Heavy Cream: This will add a rich flavor to your bread pudding base.
- Milk: When you are using milk, I recommend using whole milk for the best flavor.
- Vanilla: You will use vanilla for the filling and the glaze.
- Salt: A sprinkle of salt will help balance and bring out the flavors of each ingredient.
- Sugar: Sweeten up the base of this pudding with some granulated sugar.
- Eggs: This pudding uses many eggs, creating a custard-like filling for the bread pudding.
- Bananas: For that rich flavor, reach for ripe bananas. Then, use another banana to garnish the top.
Variations and Swaps
- You can use French bread or other firm bread. Day-old bread is best, as it is dry and will soak up the filling better.
- Half granulated sugar and half brown sugar can help create a caramel-like flavor.
- Instead of a vanilla glaze, use caramel sauce or add rum to the glaze to alter the flavor.
- Add some nuts to the filling or topping for some crunch factor.
- Mix in some warm spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc. You can try any spices you like.
- You could exchange the milk for a plant-based milk if you would like.
- Mix in items like butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, etc.
Storing Leftovers
Storing: Any bread pudding can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. Then, you can eat it cold or heat it in the microwave or oven.
Freezing: You can also freeze any leftovers for 2-3 months. Then, you can thaw them in the fridge overnight, defrost them, and then heat them up or eat them cold if you prefer.
Make Ahead: You can make this by whipping it up and storing it in the fridge until you are ready to bake it. You can pre-mix and have it ready to bake 12-24 hours ahead. Then add a bit longer to the baking time to ensure it is fully cooked.
Tips For Success
- Start with dry bread, which can soak in the custard mixture. Moist bread can become too soggy.
- The riper the banana, the richer the banana flavor will become in the bread pudding.
- Make sure the center of this casserole is done. Use a toothpick and ensure the custard is cooked and the toothpick comes out clean with no mixture.
- If you make this beforehand, do not garnish with the bananas until right before serving.
FAQs
How do I keep sliced bananas from turning brown?
To decorate the top of the bread pudding, mix water and fresh lemon juice in a 1:1 ratio. Then dip the sliced bananas into the mixture, which will slow the browning process.
Do you eat bread pudding cold or warm?
You can eat your bread pudding warm straight from the oven if you wish. If you have it left over, it tastes delicious chilled as well. It is a personal choice on what you prefer.
Why did my vanilla sauce curdle?
To avoid your sauce from curdling, you will need to keep an eye on the sauce and never let it get too hot, i.e., to a boiling stage. Also, if you don’t continuously stir the sauce as it thickens, it will develop thick clumps. If this starts to happen, you can salvage it by blending it smooth with an immersion blender or regular blender, then pouring the sauce through the sieve again, and it should be velvety smooth.
The custard filling is where the magic happens. The heavy cream and eggs create a rich, velvety base that holds all the banana flavor in perfect harmony with the bread. As the pudding bakes, the bread soaks up all that creamy goodness, transforming into a luscious, melt-in-your-mouth texture with just the right amount of golden crispiness on top.
What makes this Banana Bread Pudding truly decadent is how indulgent it feels, yet it’s surprisingly easy to make. There’s no need for any complicated techniques — just layer the bread cubes with mashed bananas, pour over the custard, and bake until golden and bubbly. The result? A dessert that feels luxurious, yet is simple enough to prepare for a weeknight treat or serve at a family gathering.
The great thing about this dessert is its versatility. You can serve it warm right out of the oven, letting the custard ooze and the bread stay soft and tender. Or, let it cool and chill it for a few hours to allow the flavors to fully meld. Either way, you’ve got a dessert that’s sure to please.
Want to make it extra special? A dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of caramel sauce will take this Banana Bread Pudding to new heights of decadence. If you’re a fan of banana bread or bread pudding, this is the ultimate dessert to try. It combines the best of both worlds and delivers a rich, comforting treat that’s perfect for any occasion. Give it a try, and I promise you won’t regret it!
More Banana Recipes
Banana Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 Banana bread loaf
- 1 large baguette torn into 1-inch pieces
- 1 ¾ cups heavy cream divided
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk divided
- 3 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract divided
- Kosher salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar divided
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup mashed bananas about 2 large ripe bananas
- 6 large eggs
- 1 banana sliced for optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F and liberally grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cut the banana bread into 1-inch cubes (should total about 6 cups)
- Place cubed banana bread and torn baguette on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes to dry out. Depending on how moist the banana bread is, you may need to keep the banana bread cubes in the oven longer than the baguette. Set aside the dried-out banana bread and baguette pieces until needed.
- To make the vanilla sauce, combine ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup whole milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup of the granulated sugar with the egg yolks. Add ¼ cup of the hot cream mixture, stirring until incorporated. Slowly add the remaining hot cream (½ cup at a time), stirring after each addition until the mixture is smooth. (Don’t worry if any clumps have formed; they will be removed through the sieve). Return the egg/cream mixture to the saucepan.
- Place the saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Heat the mixture until it thickens slightly and takes on a velvet-like texture. It is ready when it registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (if you don’t have one, it is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and has thickened slightly).
- Wipe clean the small bowl and place a sieve over the top. Gently pour the hot mixture through the sieve. Discard any clumps it catches. Cover the surface of the vanilla sauce with plastic wrap and set aside.
- Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
- To make the banana custard, combine the remaining 1 ¼ cups heavy cream, 1 ¼ cups whole milk, mashed banana, 6 whole eggs, ½ cup of sugar, 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Blend on high speed for 1 minute.
- Place the dried-out banana bread and baguette pieces in a large mixing bowl and pour the banana cream over the top, stirring to ensure all pieces absorb the liquid. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, stirring with a soft silicone spatula every 10 minutes to rehydrate the bread.
- Using a silicone slotted spoon (so you don’t damage the bread), scoop the bread out of the liquid and place it into the prepared baking dish. Slowly spoon ¾ to 1 cup of the leftover banana cream over the bread (or as much as it can absorb). It is okay if there is liquid around the bread, as this will soak up during baking. You may have leftover banana cream in the bowl; don’t feel like you should use all of it, as you don’t want the bread to swim in liquid).
- Bake for 30 minutes, then place a sheet of aluminum foil over the dish and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the pudding is set (when a toothpick inserted into the deepest part comes out clean).
- Top with banana slices and vanilla sauce, and serve while still warm.
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