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This is the perfect way to make a homey, comforting dessert from a loaf of challah and some overripe bananas! Serve with sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for a warm ending to dinner, and keep this recipe on hand for those moments when you have brown bananas waiting to be used.
Table of Contents
The Best Banana Bread Pudding: Sweet and happy-making, like the perfect marriage between bread pudding and banana bread.
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Ingredients
- Challah loaf – Slightly stale bread works best for bread pudding, so it can soak up the egg custard without becoming too soggy. Cut the bread into cubes; see the Tip below for speeding up the drying-out process.
- Eggs – These form the structure of the custard.
- Milk – This is best made with whole milk for richness.
- Heavy cream – Adds even more richness to this bread pudding.
- Brown sugar – For sweetness.
- Vanilla extract – A generous amount adds wonderful vanilla flavor to the custard – use pure vanilla, not vanilla-flavored extract.
- Ground cinnamon – Adds that warm flavor.
- Bananas – Make sure your bananas are really ripe for this recipe.
- Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to serve – Optional, but highly recommended!
Dry Bread Cubes for Banana Bread Pudding
It may seem counterintuitive, but the best bread for bread pudding (and stratas and stuffing) is bread that is slightly stale. Dry bread absorbs the custard and any liquid the recipes call for more easily, while soft moist bread will simply get leaden and soggy.
If your bread is fresh, and you don’t have time to wait for it to dry out, you can simply toast the cubes in the oven. Cut the bread into cubes, and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast the bread cubes in a 300-degree oven for about 10 minutes until they get a bit crusty and dry.
FAQs
Some banana bread puddings are made from actual banana bread, plus a custard. Here, the pudding consists of challah bread, plus mashed bananas and a sweetened custard made from eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and mashed ripe bananas.
It’s called bread pudding because when the bread is baked in the custard, it softened and takes on a pudding-like consistency. Bread pudding can be eaten with a spoon.
How to Make Banana Bread Pudding
- Toast the bread if it’s fresh: If your bread is fresh and moist, spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them in a preheated 300-degree oven for 10 minutes, just until the outsides firm up a bit. Transfer to a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Make the custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add the mashed bananas.
- Pour part of the custard over the bread: Pour about ¾ of the custard over the bread cubes in the pan and let sit for about 5 minutes so that the bread absorbs some of the liquid.
- Add the rest of the custard: Pour the rest of the custard over the top.
- Bake the bread pudding: Transfer the bread pudding to the pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until the pudding sets and the top is golden brown. Let sit on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes until it firms up a bit but is still warm.
- Serve: Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.
More Banana Recipes
Here are 4 more treats you can make with bananas.
- Mini Banana Bread Loaves
- Best Banana Cream Pie
- Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger
- Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
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Banana Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 slightly stale egg challah (about 1 pound, cubed)
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 very ripe bananas (mashed)
- Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (to serve; optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Unless your bread is already fairly dry, you'll want to toast the bread before making the casserole. Spread the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them for 4 minutes, just until the outsides firm up a bit. Remove the bread, but leave the oven on.
- Place the bread cubes in the pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add the mashed bananas. Pour about ¾ of the custard over the bread cubes in the pan and let sit for about 5 minutes so that the bread absorbs some of the liquid. Pour the rest of the custard over the top.
- Transfer the bread pudding to the pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until the pudding sets and the top is golden brown. Let sit on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes until it firms up a bit but is still warm. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.
Notes
Dry Bread Cubes for Banana Bread Pudding
It may seem counterintuitive, but the best bread for bread pudding (and stratas and stuffing) is bread that is slightly stale. Dry bread absorbs the custard and any liquid the recipes call for more easily, while soft, moist bread will simply get leaden and soggy. If your bread is fresh, and you don’t have time to wait for it to dry out, you can simply toast the cubes in the oven. Cut the bread into cubes, and spread them out on a baking sheet. Toast the bread cubes in a 300-degree oven for about 10 minutes until they get a bit crusty and dry.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The ONLY bread pudding I’ll eat. Truly scrumptious
It’s an awesome recipe, I have to say. Just a little creaminess added to the best end of summer ingredients in the world.