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    Home > Bread

    Published: Feb 24, 2025 by Helen S Fletcher · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

    Banana Bread Bread Pudding

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This Banana Bread Pudding with its sweet taste of bananas is my tribute to New Orleans and Mardi Gras. It starts with a really easy two step banana bread soaked in a spiced custard and baked. The Bourbon Pecan Sauce that accompanies the bread pudding is a marvel in itself. What could be more NOLA than bananas and bourbon?

    The Banana Bread Bread Pudding sits in a white bowl covered with the bourbon pecan sauce on a yellow and white background.

    This is homey comfort food at its best and is great for brunch, dessert, or anytime really. Serve warm (pop it in the microwave) with the rich sauce studded with toasted pecans for a delicious treat.

    Other wonderful bread puddings include: Easy Lemon Cheesecake Bread Pudding, Orange Bread Pudding, Orange Date Bread Pudding,

    Jump to:
    • What Makes This Bread Pudding Special
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • Key Ingredients
    • Step by Step Instructions
    • Recipe FAQS
    • Storage and Serving
    • Expert Tips
    • Looking For a Few More Ideas?
    • Banana Bread Bread Pudding
    how to bake better custard
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    Baking gets better when you subscribe to receive this PDF on getting the most out of baking including information on equipment, ingredients and baking equipment.

    What Makes This Bread Pudding Special

    • The homemade banana bread is super easy. It doesn't even require a mixer - just a bowl, a whisk, a few measuring utensils and it's ready to go in a matter of minutes.
    • Because the bread is wonderfully moist when freshly made, it need to by dried out either by cubing it and leaving it out all night or putting it in the oven for a few minutes.
    • Here again, no mixer. The custard gets whisked together, poured over the cubed bread and after a brief soak into the oven it goes.
    • The sauce is equally as easy with everything but the pecans combined in a saucepan and after a quick 1 minute boil it's done.
    • That's it! Warm, luscious, homey bread pudding with a wonderful difference.

    Recipe Ingredients

    Banana Bread

    Ingredients for the banana bread include banana puree, buttermilk, eggs,  baking powder, vanilla, sugar, cake flour vegetable oil, baking soda, and, salt. (The nuts in the photo are omitted for this recipe).

    FRONT ROW: Baking soda, salt, vanilla, baking powder

    MIDDLE ROW: The nuts are omitted for this recipe. Granulated sugar, eggs, bananas

    BACK ROW: Buttermilk, cake flour, vegetable oil

    Banana Bread Bread Pudding

    The ingredients for the bread pudding include cubed banana bread, half and half, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg.

    FRONT ROW: Cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg

    MIDDLE ROW: Eggs, brown sugar

    BACK ROW: Cubed banana bread, half and half

    Bourbon Pecan Sauce

    The Bourbon Pecan Sauce ingredients are brown sugar, bourbon, toasted pecans, unsalted butter, cream, and corn syrup.

    FRONT ROW: Half and Half, corn syrup

    MIDDLE ROW: Unsalted Butter

    BACK ROW: Dark Brown sugar, bourbon, toasted pecans

    Key Ingredients

    • Cake flour makes the best banana flavor yielding a firm but tender loaf. All purpose flour can be used if necessary but will change the texture somewhat. For more information on the different flours, see my post Flour as used in Baking.
    • Dark brown sugar is preferred for it's stronger flavor. Light may be substituted if necessary.
    • Half and half or half heavy cream and half milk can be used in both the bread pudding and the Bourbon Pecan Sauce.
    • Make sure to toast the pecans for the sauce. It makes a difference.
    • A small bottle of bourbon is all that is needed for this recipe. It holds 4 tablespoons which is the most that will be needed.
    • If you are adverse to corn syrup the brown sugar can be increased. The corn syrup is an inverse sugar that will keep the sauce from granulating. Using it ensures a smooth sauce that stays that way.
    • The bananas for the bread should be heavily spotted and really ripe for the most flavor in the bread.

    Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients & instructions.

    Step by Step Instructions

    Banana Bread

    This collage shows the bananas for the bread pureed in the food processor, the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla added and processed and the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt whisked together.

    Step 1. Puree the bananas in a food processor. Step 2. Add the buttermmilk, eggs, oil, and vanilla. Step 3. Process to mix everything. Step 4. Whisk together the cake flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

    This collage shows the flour being whisked into the liquid ingredients, poured into a 9x5 loaf pan, the banana bread baked and then cubed for the pudding.

    Step 5. Pour the liquid ingredients into a large bowl and whisk in the dry ingredients. Step 6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Step 7. Bake as directed and cool. Step 8. Slice the bread and then cube it in about 1" pieces.

    Banana Bread Bread Pudding

    This collages shows the cubed bread on a try to dry out, the eggs beaten for the custard, the brown sugar, vanilla and spices added tot he eggs,and the mixture whisked.

    Step 9. Place the cubed bread on a tray and either allow it to dry overnight, turning it once or twice or place it in a 200°F oven for 20 minutes or so turning it once. Cool if using the oven. The bread should be dry on the outside but still somewhat soft inside. Step 10. Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Step 11. Add the brown sugar, vanilla and spices. Step 12. Whisk everything to mix completely.

    The cream is added to the egg/sugar mixture, the poured over the bread cubes, the pudding is poured into and 8x8 dish, and baked.

    Step 13 Add the half and half, stirring well. Step 14. Pour over the bread cubes in a large bowl. Let it sit until the bread absorbs most of the custard mixrure. The time will depend upon how dry the bread was. Step 15. Pour into the prepared pan. Step 16. Bake as directed.

    Bourbon Pecan Sauce

    The last collages shows the bourbon pecan sauce with the butter, brown sugar, cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, boiling, the finished sauce and last the sauce with the pecans.

    Step 17. Place the brown sugar, butter, cream and bourbon in a medium saucepan. Step 18. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Step 19. Pour the hot sauce into a boil to cool. Step 20. Add the toasted pecans. Cool and store at room temperature for a couple of days or refrigerate for longer storage.

    Recipe FAQS

    Why are the bananas darkly spotted?

    When the skin is darkly spotted as in the photo above, they will be the sweetest, softest and the most banana flavored. When they are firm and all yellow or tinged with green they are not fully ripened yet.

    How can bananas be ripened quickly?

    Keep the bananas attached together in a bunch to ripen them quickly. Bananas produce ethylene gas and the more bananas the more gas which is what ripens them. Close the top of the bag securely and place it on a sunny window sill or somewhere warm.

    Why is bread dried out for bread puddings?

    Fresh bread of any kind is usually rather soft. Stale bread can still be soft. If the bread is too soft it will turn to mush when soaked in the custard. So the bread needs to be dried to some extent, not like croutons but dried on the outside and still a bit soft on the inside of the cubes. It will then absorb the custard and not fall apart.

    Storage and Serving

    The bread pudding can sit at room temperature for several hours but should be refrigerated after that. The bourbon pecan sauce can sit at room temperature for several days.

    Serve the bread pudding warm and warm the sauce also if it is too stiff. The easiest way is to warm the sauce first and then put each piece in the microwave briefly, add a bit of sauce and enjoy!

    Expert Tips

    • Make sure to cube the banana bread and dry it so it can soak up most of the custard.
    • However, don't let it turn to mush in the custard.
    • Use really ripe (not black) bananas for the most intense taste
    • When making the bourbon sauce, if not using the corn syrup, replace it with ¼ cup or 50 grams of brown sugar.
    • Either half heavy cream and half milk or all half and half work for the custard. Half and half can also be substituted for the cream in the bourbon pecan sauce.
    • If the alcohol in the bourbon is a problem, it will burn off when the sauce is boiled. The taste remains but not the alcohol.
    • Do not let the sauce boil more than a minute - two at the most or it will become very hard and reduce too much
    A portion of the Banana Bread Bread Pudding is in a white bowl with a spoon on a yellow and white background.

    Looking For a Few More Ideas?

    • Orange Date Bread Pudding with Hard Sauce drizzled on
      Orange Date Bread Pudding
    • Banana Pudding
      Banana Pudding with Maple Pecans
    • Orange Bread Pudding
      Orange Bread Pudding
    • Finished 2
      Crème Anglaise - A Classic Dessert Sauce

    Love this Banana Bread Bread Pudding It would be hugely helpful and so appreciated it if you would take a moment to leave a rating. Thank you.

    The Banana Bread Bread Pudding sits in a white bowl covered with the bourbon pecan sauce on a yellow and white background.

    Banana Bread Bread Pudding

    Helen S Fletcher
    This Banana Bread Bread Pudding with its sweet taste of bananas is a really easy two step banana bread soaked in a spiced custard and baked. It's served with a Bourbon Pecan Sauce.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hour hr
    Cook Time 2 hours hrs
    Soaking time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins
    Course Bread Pudding
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 591 kcal

    Equipment

    • 8"x8" square pan

    Ingredients

    Banana Bread

    • 1 cup banana puree
    • ½ cup buttermilk
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • ⅔ cup vegetable oil
    • 2 cups cake flour (250 grams)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Banana Bread Bread Pudding

    • 6 cups cubed banana bread
    • 4 large eggs
    • ⅓ cup brown sugar (65 grams)
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla
    • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¾ teaspoon nutmeg
    • 3 cups half and half

    Bourbon Pecan Sauce

    • ½ cup pecan pieces (60 grams)
    • ¾ cup brown sugar (150 grams)
    • ½ cup butter (114 grams or 1 stick)
    • ¼ cup corn syrup
    • 2 tablespoons cream or half and half
    • 3 to 4 tablespoons bourbon

    Instructions
     

    Banana Bread

    • Line the bottom of a 9x5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.  Spray the bottom and sides well with cooking spray.  Set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
    • Puree the bananas in a food processor or blender.  Measure 1 cup puree. If you are short add water to make 1 cup (this should be no more than a couple of tablespoons at most).  
    • Return to the processor or blender and add the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and oil.  Process to blend the liquids. In a medium size bowl, place the remaining ingredients. Add the liquid ingredients and whisk until combined.
    • Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes and turn the bread out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
    • At this point the bread can be cubed into 1" pieces and dried overnight on a baking pan or it can be frozen for use later. If you want to hurry the process, heat the oven to 200°F and dry the bread for 20 to 30 minutes turning it from time to time until it is very dry on the outside but still a bit soft on the inside. Cool the bread before continuing.

    Banana Bread Bread Pudding

    • Spray an 8x8" baking dish with a non-stick baking release and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    • Whisk the eggs until they are completely combined. Whisk in the brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the half and half.
    • Pour the liquid over the cooled banana bread cubes and let soak for 20 to 30 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. The time will depend upon how dry the bread was.
    • Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until the pudding is set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool to warm if serving immediately. If not cool, cover with foil and refrigerate.

    Bourbon Pecan Sauce

    • Toast the pecans in a 350°F oven until slightly browner and fragarant, about 7 minutes. Cool. Set aside.
    • Combine all of the ingredients except the pecans in a 1 quart saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute - 2 at the most. Do not boil any longer or the sauce will become too thick.
    • Stir in the pecans and If using immediately, cool until warm. If using within the next 3 or 4 days, store the sauce in a covered container. Add some sauce the last 20 or so seconds when heating to liquify it.
    • The sauce yields about 1 ½ cups.

    To Serve

    • Cut the bread pudding, place it in a bowl and warm it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, 45 to 55 seconds if the pudding is cold from the fridge. Times may vary according to how high the microwave goes. Store any leftover pudding in the refrigerator.

    Notes

    There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above.  If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article.  Many of them will be answered there. 
    As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency.  Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume.  For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted  all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.
    _______________________________________________
    Cake flour makes the best banana flavor yielding a firm but tender loaf. All purpose flour can be used if necessary but will change the texture somewhat. For more information on the different flours, see my post Flour as used in Baking. 
    Dark brown sugar is preferred for it's stronger flavor. Light may be substituted if necessary.
    Make sure to toast the pecans for the sauce. It makes a difference.
    A small bottle of bourbon is all that is needed for this recipe. It holds 4 tablespoons which is the most that will be needed. (see the photo above)
    If you are adverse to corn syrup the brown sugar can be increased. The corn syrup is an inverse sugar that will keep the sauce from granulating. Using it ensures a smooth sauce that stays that way.  If you don’t use it be sure to wash down the sides of the pan when it comes to a boil.
    The bananas for the bread should be heavily spotted and really ripe for the most flavor in the bread.
    Make sure to cube the banana bread and dry it so it can soak up most of the custard.
    However, don't let the cubes get mush in the custard.
    When making the bourbon sauce, if not using the corn syrup, replace it with ¼ cup or 50 grams of brown sugar.
    Either half heavy cream and half milk or all half and half work for the custard. Half and half can also be substituted for the cream in the bourbon pecan sauce.
    If the alcohol in the bourbon is a problem, it will burn off when the sauce is boiled. The taste remains but not the alcohol. 
    Do not let the sauce boil more than a minute - two at the most or it will become very hard and reduce too much.
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 12servingsCalories: 591kcalCarbohydrates: 64gProtein: 9gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 371mgPotassium: 248mgFiber: 1gSugar: 47gVitamin A: 623IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 137mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @helensfletcher or tag #pastrieslikeapro!

    Love this Banana Bread Bread Pudding It would be hugely helpful and so appreciated it if you would take a moment to leave a rating. Thank you.

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

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    Comments

    1. Teri says

      March 01, 2025 at 7:12 am

      5 stars
      Flavor and texture.

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote

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