Healthy Recipe Banana Bread Pudding

This Banana Bread Pudding is out-of-this-world-good my friends. It is made with bread soaked in a rich and tangy custard made with fresh eggs, bananas, maple syrup, vanilla Greek yogurt and crunchy walnuts. It’s an easy, fuss-free homestyle dessert to make with overripe bananas!

I originally shared this Banana Bread Pudding recipe on February 10th, 2017. I have updated the text and photos to share it with you again today.

Bread pudding holds a special place in my heart. It is one of my favorite desserts ever. In fact we had bread pudding instead of wedding cake at my husband and my wedding!

Banana Oat Bread Pudding

So when I recently discovered that you can lighten bread pudding up quite a bit, cut the calories and fat by using Greek yogurt in the custard, I was all on board with it! It is light enough that you can enjoy it as an afternoon snack or for breakfast with a cup of coffee. It is the perfect sweet to share at a spring brunch or as a rustic dessert for any occasion.

Mash one banana in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, Greek yogurt, ¾ cup maple syrup, half and half and vanilla and whisk to combine.

Re-stir the bread mixture. Spread half of the bread mixture into the bottom of the dish or skillet. Slice two bananas and spread over the bread layer. Top with the remaining bread mixture and any remaining batter from the bowl can be drizzled over the top.

Banana Bread Pudding {with Greek Yogurt}

Spritz a square of parchment (roughly 10 by 10 inches) with cooking spray. Lay the parchment, spray side down over the bread pudding. Cover tightly over the edges with foil and transfer to the oven.

Bake until steaming hot, and puffed in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove parchment and foil and sprinkle with walnuts and turbinado sugar. Return to the oven and bake until the top is browned, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 to 30 minutes. Slice the remaining banana and serve on top of the warm bread pudding with, whipped cream and maple syrup if desired.

Oh, and don’t forget: Make sure to let it cool a bit before serving. You don’t want to burn your mouth like I did on my wedding day!

The Best Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

If prepping the recipe ahead for a dinner party (or brunch) prepare through step 4 up to 1 day ahead. Cover and bake as directed. Leftovers can be stored for 3 days. Keep servings in individual storage containers or resealable containers in the refrigerator. Alternatively, cover the casserole dish (or skillet) with foil and refrigerate.

To reheat place serving in microwave safe dish and microwave on 50% power for 1 minute per serving. Alternatively reheat entire casserole at 300 degrees (covered with foil) until steaming hot. It will not be as crispy on top.

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Healthy Banana Bread With Dates And Walnuts

Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.Whipping up a batch of bread pudding doesn’t get easier than this! The slow cooker creates a smooth and custardy texture. This version is rich with bananas, warm spices, and caramel sauce for a bread pudding twist on the famous New Orleans dessert: Bananas Foster!

Jessica is a Certified Culinary Scientist, Certified Food Scientist, and cookbook author. She has been a recipe contributor to Simply Recipes since 2018.

In the mood for some sweet and gooey bread pudding? It’s the ultimate comfort food, often enjoyed when dining out as a way to end a meal.

No Bread Bread Pudding + More Healthy Single Serving Breakfast Recipes

I have good news! Bread pudding, usually baked in the oven, is a cinch to make at home using a slow cooker. This version uses the decadent dessert, Bananas Foster, as inspiration. Banana puree, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar flavor the bread pudding, and then I finish it with a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce.

Making caramel sauce from scratch is so simple. You’ll want to generously drizzle it on top of the pudding (and everything else).

Serve this Banana Bread Pudding with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream that slowly melts on top of this warm dessert, and each indulgent spoonful is pure bliss.

Banana Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Leftover or stale bread is used as the base of bread pudding to soak up the creamy custard. It transforms bland loaves into a rich, sweet, and spiced dessert.

This warm dessert has a velvety texture and is typically baked to create a souffle-like result in a large casserole pan or individual ramekins. I simplified it for this version by using my slow cooker.

When making banana bread pudding in the slow cooker, I start by toasting the bread cubes in the oven before adding them to the slow cooker insert.

Banana Walnut Bread Pudding Recipe

The process only takes about 30 minutes. Toasting the cubed bread in the oven removes some of the excess moisture, which allows more of the sweet custard to be absorbed. This results in a creamy, rather than mushy, texture for the finished product.

The custard is a combination of eggs, half-and-half, granulated and brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. I add in a cup of ripe, mashed bananas; it adds a wonderful fruity flavor to the pudding.

The bread and custard are then soaked for at least an hour before cooking. The bread pudding can be cooked at either low or high setting, until the center puffs up and reaches about 175oF.

Bread Pudding Recipe

I recommend using brioche for bread pudding. The mixture of flour with eggs, butter, and sugar, provides a rich taste and dense crumb structure. When it absorbs the custard and is then cooked, the texture is smooth with a nice chew that doesn’t fall apart.

A brioche loaf or burger buns work great. Challah is a fabulous substitute; both are easy to find at most grocery stores. I usually purchase my bread from Trader Joe's for this recipe.

When you’re ready to cook the pudding, take the insert out of the refrigerator, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before heating.

Banana Bread Pudding

Once cooked, cool any leftovers to room temperature, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

One of my favorite easy-to-whip-up sauces is caramel. It only takes about 15 minutes to make! The rich toffee flavor elevates the sweetness of the bananas and spices in this bread pudding. I even add a little more cinnamon and salt toward the end to make this caramel sauce next-level delicious!

I recently had my first table-side Bananas Foster flambé at the famous Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans, and this bread pudding helps to satisfy that craving!

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Start cooking this about 90 minutes before you begin to prepare for dinner. The bread pudding will cook while you’re enjoying a long leisurely dinner with friends. When you’re about to wrap up your meal, dessert will be hot and ready!

Make the caramel sauce up to one week in advance. Cool it to room temperature before storing it in an airtight jar or container in your refrigerator. Reheat it in a microwave safe bowl in 15-second intervals, stirring in between.

The bread can be soaked up to 24 hours before cooking, so you can do all of the prep work the day before, and then slow cook it when you’re ready.

Gemma's Banana Bread Pudding

Leftovers are also delicious; just reheat the slices or scoops of bread pudding in the microwave for one to two minutes until warmed through.

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2, 000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Healthy Banana Bread Pudding — Chef Denise

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