Banana Bread Pudding — Bread pudding meets banana bread in this EASY breakfast or brunch recipe that everyone will LOVE!! Firmer exterior with a custardy interior and an amazing vanilla sauce that is to-die-for!!
Table of Contents
Homemade Bread Pudding … with Banana!
I cannot think of a more heavenly combination. Bread pudding meets banana bread. I am not the biggest fan of just plain bananas, but turn them into banana bread anything, and I am so down.
The top of this homemade bread pudding is lightly crusty and golden while the interior is custard-like with plenty of bananas in every bite.
There’s an amazing vanilla sauce that’s poured over the bread pudding after baking and before serving it. Do not skip the extra five minutes it takes to make the sauce. It takes the banana bread pudding from good to I cannot stop eating this stuff.
Banana Bread Pudding Ingredients
To make the best bread pudding recipe, you’ll need:
- French bread
- Unsalted butter
- Eggs
- Milk
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Bananas
- Raisins
- Cornstarch
- Brown sugar
- Light corn syrup
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Banana Bread Pudding
- Add the bread cubes to a casserole dish, then toss with melted butter.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Gently stir in the bananas and raisins.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and toss to coat.
- Bake until the top is lightly golden brown and there’s no liquid pooling in the center.
- During the last 10 minutes of baking, make the vanilla sauce. Pour the sauce over the warm bread pudding and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
I added raisins to this recipe for banana bread pudding, but if you’re not a raisin fan (people seem to have a love-hate relationship with raisins – of all things), simply omit them. I love biting into those chewy little nuggets for extra texture and flavor.
I used 2 full teaspoons of cinnamon to add some pep and lots of flavor to the bread pudding. I opted against nutmeg, but go for it if you’re feeling it.
Be careful not to over bake the banana bread pudding if you want that slighty gooey, custardy interior because the contrast of the firmer exterior with the soft and tender interior is wonderful.
Recipe FAQs
Use day-old or two-day-old French bread. Perfectly fresh bread will turn too mushy after it’s coated in eggs and milk. This is one of those rare times where you want dry bread. A tip to encourage the bread to dry out faster is to slice it into 1-inch cubes and place them on a baking sheet overnight, exposed to air, for 12 hours or so.
If you’re more of a pro in the kitchen and are comfortable drying it out in a low, 200F oven, flipping and turning the cubes every 15 minutes or so until it’s dry, but not toasted, go for it. My worry is that people will actually toast the bread rather than just drying it out so use this method with caution. Leaving it out, exposed to air for 12 hours is much simpler and much more foolproof.
This is not the time to use your super beat up, spotty bananas. Save them for banana bread because they will fall apart during baking. If that’s what you want to occur, fine. But if you want intact slices of bananas like I was going for, make sure your bananas are on the firmer side. Not green or anything but not too tired and brown.
I have not assembled this the night before and then baked it off the next morning as a make-ahead (brunch) recipe. I don’t know if the bread would become too soggy or not. If you try it, let me know.
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Banana Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 1/2- pound day-old French bread, cubed into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups milk, I used 2%
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup firm bananas, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds (from about 2 medium/large bananas)
- ½ cup raisins, optional
Sauce
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¾ cup milk, I used 2%
- ¼ cup light-colored corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Bread Pudding:
- Preheat oven to 375F, spray a 2 to 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray, and add the bread cubes; set aside.
- Pour the butter over the bread and toss to coat; set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the eggs and lightly beat them.
- Add the milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and stir to combine.
- Add the bananas and stir to combine (Note - use firm bananas so they hold their shape and don't fall apart while baking).
- Optionally stir in the raisins.
- Pour the wet mixture over the bread cubes and mix with your hands to toss and coat the bread evenly.
- Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown and there's no liquid pooling in the center. When the bread pudding is in the final 5 to 10 minutes of baking, make the sauce.
Sauce:
- To a medium sauce pan, add the butter and heat over medium heat to melt.
- Add the cornstarch to the butter and whisk to combine until disolved.
- Add the sugars, milk, corn syrup, salt, and whisk to combine. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until the mixture comes to a full boil. Boil for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
- Remove mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Add the warm sauce over the warm bread pudding and serve immediately; you may have leftover sauce, which will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Bread pudding is best warm and fresh but will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently before serving.
- Adapted from Taste of Home.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Easy Banana Bread Recipes:
ALL OF MY BANANA BREAD RECIPES!
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Six-Banana Banana Bread – Yes, 6 bananas in 1 loaf means it’s super soft, moist, and robust banana flavor! Now you know what to do with all your ripe bananas!
Flour’s Famous Banana Bread – Made with Flour Bakery’s famous recipe to see if it lives up to the hype. Verdict? Totally fabulous! Make it!
Banana Bread Donuts with Browned Butter Caramel Glaze – Banana bread in the form of soft, fluffy baked donuts and donut holes!! No-mixer recipe that’s as easy as making muffins! The glaze makes them IRRESISTIBLE!!
Slow Cooker Banana Bread Cake with Brown Sugar Sauce – Soft, tender banana bread with a caramely, brown sugar sauce that develops while the bread cooks! If you’ve never made dessert in your slow cooker, start with this easy recipe!
The Best Strawberry Banana Bread — Super soft, moist bread with tons of juicy strawberries! Easy, no-mixer recipe, and a great use for ripe bananas!
Do you think I could switch out the corn syrup with maple syrup? That’s all I have on hand!
I’m thinking no but I haven’t tried it so maybe you would be fine.
((Currently drooling)). I ALWAYS have leftovers bananas in my freezer and now I know just the recipe to use them with :). Thanks for sharing!!!
Perfect for your extra bananas!
This looks delicious. My mom used to serve bread pudding in her restaurant with a lemon sauce. Hers was made from left over biscuits or rolls. She put raisins and coconut in hers at times also. YUMMY!! It wasn’t in chunks though.
There are so many ways to make bread pudding and I’m sure your mom’s version was great!
That sauce looks absolutely delicious!! :)
It’s SO delish!
I love the sauce! It looks so delicious!
It’s SO delicious!
Well this looks incredible! I know what I’m making this weekend!
Paige
https://thehappyflammily.com
Thank you and I hope you enjoy it!
I’ve never made bread pudding before but your recipe looks wonderful and the sauce sounds heavenly! I am thinking I might like a little shredded coconut in this too (another love-hate food for many)!
Coconut could be lovely here and you’re right, a love-hate food too! lol! Have a great weekend!