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.

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

How to Make Banana Bread Pudding

1. 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.
2. Make the custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add the mashed bananas.
3. 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.
4. Add the rest of the custard: Pour the rest of the custard over the top.

5. 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.
6. 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