Banana Bread Pudding combines ripe bananas with chunks of baguette and banana bread soaked in a banana custard and baked to golden perfection. A CLASSIC DESSERT WITH A TWIST If you love the rich, creamy decadence of traditional Bread Pudding and the sweet flavor of Banana Bread, then this dessert match up was made for you! Not only do I love the combination of flavors, but I love the combination of textures. I love any banana dessert honestly and this just takes it up to the next level! So satisfying and delicious enough to be served as a dessert or a sweet treat at brunch. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  Help! Why did my vanilla sauce curdle and what do I do? The key here is to keep a constant eye on the sauce as you’re making it and be sure to not let it get too hot and do not walk away from the pot and get distracted. You don’t want it to start boiling. If you notice it is getting close, it’s time to back off the heat. You also need to continuously stir the sauce as it thickens, otherwise it will start to develop thick clumps as time goes on. Don’t worry though, if this starts to happen, you can attempt to salvage it by using an immersion blender or regular blender to blend it smooth again before pouring it through a sieve to try to get it as smooth as possible. How long do leftovers last? Leftover Banana Bread Pudding will last about 5 days in the fridge if stored properly in an airtight container. But, keep in mind that it won’t be as visually appealing since the bananas will start to brown by then. It will still taste good though. Because of this, if possible, I like to toss out the banana topping before storing and then adding new slices when I enjoy it again later. Can you freeze Banana Bread Pudding? Yes! Plus, it’s a really good dessert to try to freeze since it freezes so nicely. Store it properly in the freezer for up to 3 months. Also for this, I like to remove the bananas on the topping area and freeze this dessert without that so they don’t turn and then garnish with fresh banana slices when I go to enjoy this dessert in the future. INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE) banana bread loaf– grab a pre-made loaf from the store or make your own Homemade Banana Bread. Depending on how moist your banana bread is, you may need to dry it out for a longer time than you do your baguette. The key is to get the same bread types the texture for the perfect dessert. large baguette – torn into 1-inch pieces. If you use a day old baguette, you can skip the drying out process. heavy cream – this is a pretty rich dessert. You could use half and half as well. whole milk– Try to stick to whole milk for the creaminess factor. That added milk fat makes a difference. vanilla extract kosher salt granulated sugar egg yolks bananas – you want to look for really ripe bananas with brown spots. large eggs HOW TO MAKE BANANA BREAD PUDDING Preheat the oven to 250°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cut the banana bread into 1-inch cubes (should total about 6 cups.) Place cubed banana bread and torn baguette on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes to dry out. Depending on how moist the banana bread is, you may need to keep the banana bread cubes in the oven longer than the baguette. Set aside the dried-out banana bread and baguette pieces until needed. To make the vanilla sauce, combine ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup whole milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes. In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup of the granulated sugar with the egg yolks. Add ¼ cup of the hot cream mixture, stirring until incorporated. Slowly add the remaining hot cream (½ cup at a time), stirring after each addition until the mixture is smooth. (Don’t worry if any clumps have formed; they will be removed through the sieve). Return the egg/cream mixture to the saucepan. Place the saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Heat the mixture until it thickens slightly and takes on a velvet-like texture. It is ready when it registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (if you don’t have one, it is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and has thickened slightly).  Wipe clean the small bowl and place a sieve over the top. Gently pour the hot mixture through the sieve. Discard any clumps it catches. Cover the surface of the vanilla sauce with plastic wrap and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. To make the banana custard, combine the remaining 1 ¼ cups heavy cream, 1 ¼ cups whole milk, mashed banana, 6 whole eggs, ½ cup of sugar, 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Blend on high speed for 1 minute.  Place the dried-out banana bread and baguette pieces in a large mixing bowl and pour the banana cream over the top, stirring to ensure all pieces absorb the liquid. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, stirring with a soft silicone spatula every 10 minutes to rehydrate the bread. Using a silicone slotted spoon (so you don’t damage the bread), scoop the bread out of the liquid and place it into the prepared baking dish. Slowly spoon ¾ to 1 cup of the leftover banana cream over the bread (or as much as it can absorb). It is okay if there is liquid around the bread, as this will soak up during baking. You may have leftover banana cream in the bowl; don’t feel like you should use all of it, as you don’t want the bread to swim in liquid). Bake for 30 minutes, then place a sheet of aluminum foil over the dish and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the pudding is set (when a toothpick inserted into the deepest part comes out clean). Top with banana slices and vanilla sauce. Serve while still warm. CRAVING MORE RECIPES?  The Best Bread Pudding Crock Pot Bread Pudding Hot Chocolate Bread Pudding Air Fryer Bread Pudding Pineapple Bread Pudding Banana Bread Crumb Cake Banana Pumpkin Bread Banana Pudding Fluff Banana Pudding Poke Cake Banana Nut Muffins The Best Banana Pudding Print Banana Bread Pudding A dessert combining banana bread and bread pudding with all the flavors you know and love topped with banana slices and vanilla sauce. Prep Time 45 minutes minutesCook Time 1 hour hourTotal Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes Servings 12 Calories 316kcal Author Brandie @ The Country Cook Ingredientsbanana bread (store bought or homemade)1 large baguette, torn into 1-inch pieces1 ¾ cups heavy cream (divided use)1 ¾ cups whole milk (divided use)3 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (divided use)2 pinches of salt (divided use)¾ cup granulated sugar (divided use)3 egg yolks1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large ripe bananas)6 large eggs1 banana, sliced (optional) InstructionsPreheat the oven to 250°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside for later.For the bread and baguette:Cut the banana bread into 1-inch cubes (should total about 6 cups) Place cubed banana bread and 1 large baguette, torn into 1-inch pieces on a large baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes to dry out. Depending on how moist the banana bread is, you may need to keep the banana bread cubes in the oven longer than the baguette. Set aside the dried-out banana bread and baguette pieces until needed. For the vanilla sauce:Combine ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup whole milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat until it begins to simmer. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes. In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup of granulated sugar with 3 egg yolks. Add ¼ cup of the hot cream mixture from previous step, stirring until incorporated. Slowly add the remaining hot cream (½ cup at a time), stirring after each addition until the mixture is smooth. (Don’t worry if any clumps have formed; they will be removed through the sieve). Return the egg/cream mixture to the saucepan. Place the saucepan over low heat, whisking constantly. Heat the mixture until it thickens slightly and takes on a velvet-like texture. It is ready when it registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (if you don’t have one, it is ready when it coats the back of a spoon and has thickened slightly). Wipe clean the small bowl and place a sieve over the top. Gently pour the hot mixture through the sieve. Discard any clumps it catches. Cover the surface of the vanilla sauce with plastic wrap (this keeps it from forming a "skin") and set aside. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F.For the banana custard:To make the banana custard, combine the remaining 1 ¼ cups heavy cream, 1 ¼ cups whole milk, 1 cup mashed bananas, 6 large eggs, ½ cup of sugar, 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Blend on high speed for 1 minute. To assemble:Place the dried-out banana bread and baguette pieces in a large mixing bowl and pour the banana custard over the top, stirring to ensure all pieces absorb the liquid. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, stirring with a soft spatula every 10 minutes spoon the dried out bread will soak up the custard. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the bread out of the liquid and place it into the prepared baking dish. Slowly spoon ¾ to 1 cup of the leftover banana custard over the bread (or as much as it can absorb). It is okay if there is liquid around the bread, as this will soak up during baking. You may have leftover banana cream in the bowl (don’t feel like you should use all of it, as you don’t want the bread to swim in liquid). Bake for 30 minutes, then place a sheet of aluminum foil over the dish and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the pudding is set (when a toothpick inserted into the deepest part comes out clean). Top with 1 banana, sliced and vanilla sauce, and serve while still warm. Notes Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions. NutritionCalories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Sodium: 186mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g