If you love classic bread pudding, you’ve got to try banana bread pudding. Sweet banana flavor, a soft custardy center, and golden edges that taste like heaven. It’s easy to throw together and is perfect for brunch or even dessert!
What Makes This Recipe a Keeper
- Yummy Comfort: Each bite tastes like warm banana comfort. It’s a sweet, creamy, and flavorful new take on classic bread pudding!
- Simple Ingredients! Made with basic pantry staples and ripe bananas, it’s an easy, budget-friendly dessert.
- Versatile Treat: Delicious for brunch, dessert, or even an afternoon pick-me-up. Serve banana bread pudding warm, drizzled with caramel, or a scoop of ice cream!
Ingredients for Banana Bread Pudding
- Bananas: The riper, the better. Let them get good and spotty for maximum sweetness, or speed it up by sealing them in a paper bag for a day or two.
- Bread: French bread works best, but any white bread is fine. Great for using up rolls, loaves, or even stale buns. Sourdough adds extra flavor.
- Topping: Optional, but a drizzle of caramel, lightly sweetened whipped cream, or creme anglaise takes it over the top.
How to Make Banana Bread Pudding
Okay, it’s time to bake up something sweet and comforting! Prep it ahead, pop it in the oven, and it’s the perfect addition to your holiday breakfast. Make my slow cooker breakfast casserole, and delicious bacon to go with it!
- Toss Bread and Butter: Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Add the diced bread to a large bowl and toss with the melted butter.
- Mix Eggs and Sugar: Add the eggs and sugar to a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute until it lightens in color.
- Finish the Custard: Add the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and mashed bananas and mix until combined.
- Toss Banana Slices with Bread: Add the sliced bananas to the bowl with the bread and toss to combine.
- Cover the Bread with Custard: Pour the egg mixture over the bread, then use your hands to gently mix it until all the bread is soaked in the egg mixture.
- Bake: Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes before transferring it to the prepared baking dish. Rearrange the bread pieces as needed to evenly fill the dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and the edges of the pudding pull away slightly from the pan. Remove the banana bread pudding from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving with whipped cream, creme anglaise, or caramel sauce.
Alyssa’s Recipe Tip
Using Fresh Bread: If your bread is fresh, dry it out first. You can either leave it uncovered for a day or two, or bake the cubes at 300ºF for 15–20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Banana Bread Pudding
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Ingredients
- 1 loaf dried bread, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces about 1 loaf of French bread (11-12 cups)
- 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup mashed bananas about 1 large banana
- 1 ½ cups sliced bananas about 2 ½ large bananas
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
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Add 1 loaf dried bread, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces to a large bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter.
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Add 4 large eggs and 1 cup granulated sugar to a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute until it lightens in color.
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Add 1 ½ cups milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ cup mashed bananas and mix until combined.
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Add 1 ½ cups sliced bananas to the bowl with the bread and toss to combine.
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Pour the egg mixture over the bread and use your hands to gently mix it until all of the bread has been soaked in the eggs.
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Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes before transferring it to the prepared baking dish. Rearrange the pieces of bread as needed to evenly fill the dish.
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Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the bread is golden brown and the edges of the pudding pull away slightly from the pan.
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Remove the bread pudding from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving with whipped cream, creme anglaise, or caramel sauce.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 1 day before baking. Add 10–15 minutes to the bake time since it’ll be chilled.
- Store: Keep leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Wrap tightly in plastic and foil, then freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge for 1–2 days before baking.
- Reheat: Warm single servings in the microwave in 30-second bursts, or heat the whole dish at 350ºF for 10–15 minutes until hot in the center.
Nutrition
More Easy Sweet Casseroles
This story originally appeared on TheRecipeCritic
