Once you’ve tried that Banana Bread Pudding, you’ll never again wonder what to do with those overripe bananas sitting on the counter and that loaf of stale bread slowly drying away in the pantry… And did I mention it was entirely free of refined sugar?

Once you've tried that Banana Bread Pudding, you'll never again wonder what to do with those overripe bananas sitting on the counter and that loaf of stale bread slowly drying away in the pantry... And did I mention it was entirely free of refined sugar?

Last week, after I made my Smoked Salmon and Sharp Cheddar Croque-Madame, I sort of found myself stuck with half a loaf of very good multigrain bread, that I didn’t quite know what to do with. The thing is I’m not much of a bread eater, you know…

Still, I hated the idea of letting it go to waste, and I was seriously starting to consider making breadcrumbs out of it, when I suddenly remembered that I also happened to have 2 very ripe bananas sitting in the fruit basket, that I also didn’t quite know what to do with… I didn’t have enough to make a Coconut Banana Bread or to whip up a batch of Banana Muffins… I could’ve went for a Banana Zucchini Bread, but didn’t have any zukes on hand.

So I thought Hey! why not grab these two and make a Banana Bread Pudding out of them?

And that’s exactly what I did! This resulted in a seriously amazing treat: it’s got all the delicious flavor of banana bread, coupled with the unique texture of bread pudding. Frankly, I think I’m in love, and might find myself buying bread more often, just so I can make this.

It’s so crazy easy to make, too! 5 minutes and you’re done. Well, not accounting for resting and baking time, of course… but that doesn’t really count, does it?

Ripe bananas, eggs, date paste and cinnamon in a white bowl in the foreground, a blue bowl containing cubed bread, walnuts and raisins in the background, as well as a cup containing milk

To start, combine the cubed bread, raisins and almond in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Then, in a separate bowl, combine the ripe bananas, date paste, eggs, cinnamon and salt.

Milk is being poured into a white bowl containing a mixture of mashed bananas, eggs and date paste

Mash the whole thing with a whisk and then mix vigorously until well all the ingredients are well combined; Next, pour in 2 cups of almond milk (or any other milk you might prefer) and whisk until fully incorporated.

A mixture of milk, bananas, eggs and date paste is being poured out of a white bowl and into a blue bowl containing cubed bread, walnuts and raisins

Pour this mixture over the reserved bread, walnuts and raisins…

A blue bowl filled with uncooked bread pudding, which is getting stirred with a blue plastic spoon

…stir well, then transfer to an oven safe dish.

Uncooked bread pudding in a white oval baking dish

You’ll probably find that there’s a lot of liquid at this point, but don’t worry; what you want to do now is cover your dish with a piece of plastic wrap and place that it the fridge overnight; this will allow the bread to soak up practically all of that liquid, making your pudding super moist and deliciously tasty.

Banana Bread Pudding in a white oval baking dish, sitting on a wooden board

When you are ready to bake your bread pudding, preheat your oven to 350°F and bake for about 45 minutes, until completely set and the top is a nice golden brown. Remove from the oven and garnish the top with a handful of chopped walnuts and raisins, just to make it extra pretty.

Once you've tried that Banana Bread Pudding, you'll never again wonder what to do with those overripe bananas sitting on the counter and that loaf of stale bread slowly drying away in the pantry... And did I mention it was entirely free of refined sugar?

You can serve your bread pudding warm or cold (of course, I MUCH prefer mine cold, are you surprised?) topped with a little bit of plain yogurt and a drizzle of honey, if desired.

Honestly, though, I find that the pudding is plenty sweet enough as it is and doesn’t need the honey at all. In fact, I personally thoroughly enjoyed the touch of yogurt, as I found it helped tone down the overall sweetness of the pudding.

Leftovers, if any, will keep in the refrigerator for up to about a week and can be reheated (if you insist on eating it warm, that is) in the microwave for just a few seconds.

Once you've tried that Banana Bread Pudding, you'll never again wonder what to do with those overripe bananas sitting on the counter and that loaf of stale bread slowly drying away in the pantry... And did I mention it was entirely free of refined sugar?

Once you've tried that Banana Bread Pudding, you'll never again wonder what to do with those overripe bananas sitting on the counter and that loaf of stale bread slowly drying away in the pantry... And did I mention it was entirely free of refined sugar?
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Banana Bread Pudding,

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Once you've tried that Banana Bread Pudding, you'll never again wonder what to do with those overripe bananas sitting on the counter and that loaf of stale bread slowly drying away in the pantry... And did I mention it was entirely free of refined sugar?
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb stale crusty multigrain bread, cut into 1" inch squares
  • 1/2 cup raisins, (plus more to garnish)
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, (plus more to garnish)
  • 2 cups almond milk, (or other milk of your choice)
  • 2 large overripe banana
  • 1/4 cup date paste
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Optional garnish

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the cubed bread, raisins and almond. Set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the bananas, date paste, eggs, cinnamon and salt. Mash with a whisk and mix until well combined, then pour in almond milk and mix until fully incorporated.
  • Pour this mixture over the reserved bread and stir well, then transfer to an oven safe dish, cover and refrigerate overnight; This will allow the bread to soak up the liquid.
  • When you are ready to bake your pudding, preheat your oven to 350°F and bake for about 45 minutes, until completely set and the top is a nice golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and garnish with a handful of chopped walnuts and raisins; serve warm or cold, topped with a little bit of plain yogurt and a drizzle of honey, if desired
  • The bread pudding will keep in the refrigerator for up to about a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 282mg, Potassium: 350mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 90IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 128mg, Iron: 1.5mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Sonia! The Healthy Foodie

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