After 67 days of living in temporary housing, we have moved back home, albeit to an ongoing construction zone. What’s a girl to do in all this chaos? Bake a decadent banana-chocolate bread pudding of course, because amidst the chaos, there was a left over bread, some cream for coffee for the crew, eggs and overripe bananas. Oh, and chocolate, always chocolate! This is a bread pudding incorporating good-for-you ingredients: fiber and nutrient rich bananas, nuts, molasses and dark chocolate. The bananas are puréed as if you were making banana bread. Then when it’s ready, you add another layer of fresh bananas. Bliss!
Because it can be prepped overnight and then popped into the oven for less than half an hour, it will make a fantastic day-after-Thanksgiving breakfast. Your overnight guests will wake up smelling it baking, then drool when they see it and then just simply devour it, while still warm. With fresh bananas sliced on top and served with a dollop of yogurt, ice cream or whipped cream, it is comfort food at its easiest and best. I would have made the bread pudding into individual portions in a muffin pan, if only I could have found it among the hundreds of boxes still unpacked!
Decadent Banana-Chocolate Bread Pudding
- 3 ripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 c whole milk or light cream
- 2 T molasses
- 1 T vanilla
- 2 t cinnamon
- 1/2 t nutmeg
- 2/3 c brown sugar
- 1/2 c finely chopped nuts
- 1/2 c finely chopped dark chocolate( you could use chocolate chips)
- 1 16 oz loaf of day old bread such as French, Italian or Challah
- a few dots of unsalted butter, optional
- fresh banana slices for serving
- Greek yogurt, ice cream or whipped cream for serving
- Spray or butter a rectangular baking dish.
- Break up the loaf of bread in big chunks in the dish.
- In a mixing bowl, place all the remaining ingredients except the chocolate, and mix with a beater until the banana is broken down into a creamy consistency. Pour over the bread and toss gently with a wooden spoon until the bread is evenly moistened.
- If you like a more crisp bread pudding, then dot the top with a bit of butter. This is a personal preference. I did not use butter in mine.
- Sprinkle the chocolate over the top and using the wooden spoon gently distribute it around the bread.
- Cover with foil and refrigerate at least an hour or up to overnight. I actually assembled mine 3 days ahead of baking and it was fine.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Bake, covered, in the middle of the oven 30 minutes. For a more crispy bread pudding, remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking. Served with fresh banana slices and a dollop of Greek yogurt, ice cream or whipped cream on top.





Looking for other make-ahead breakfast puddings/casseroles? Check out these cheesy-savoury recipes!
Mediterranean Breakfast Bread Pudding:
Overnight Kale and Prosciutto Bread Pudding:
“In moments of considerable strain, I tend to take to bread and butter pudding. There is something about the blandness of soggy bread, the crispness of the golden outer crust and the unadulterated pleasure of a lightly set custard that makes the world seem a better place to live.” Clement Freud
Grateful to be home sweet home!
Ohh this looks and sounds fabulous! 🙂
Yummy!
Thanks Zeba! It is!! If ever there was a week for comfort food, this is it. And I’m not only talking about the chaos of a major move!!!
Johanne Lamarche
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I bet cooking this took the stress out of the move 😉
It did! Made me feel somewhat in control. LOL!
Johanne Lamarche
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Beautiful Johanne, amidst all the boxes and chaos, you still manage to display those beautiful white roses on your counter top. The bread pudding sounds decadent for sure, the aromas enticing too I’ll bet.
Those roses kept me sane all week! A friend delivered them on move in day and they kept me calm in the constant storm of the chaos all around me this week. How nice you noticed them Loretta! I actually MOVED those 2 frozen bananas from temporary housing(crazy right?) back home and was so happy I did!
Johanne Lamarche
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I was eyeing a bread pudding on a dessert menu when we were dining out the other day, but I resisted temptation…BUT, I’m still thinking about it and your delicious recipe isn’t helping 🙂 I’m so glad you’re back in your house, hopefully the finishing will be done in time for you to enjoy the holidays-
Jenna
Thank you Jenna. Progress everyday. Hope your deck project is moving along too!
Johanne Lamarche
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Pingback: Decadent Banana-Chocolate Bread Pudding — French Gardener Dishes | Chef Ceaser
Thank you for the reblog! 😀
Johanne Lamarche
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I love love love bread puddings but have never made it! I’m afraid if I do I’ll eat the whole darned one myself! Your recipe sounds delicious!
THAT is the real danger of bread pudding!🐷🐷🐷
Johanne Lamarche
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What wouldn’t I give for a big scoop of this right about now?! Bananas drizzled with chocolate are often my go-to when I’m craving dessert but don’t have anything prepared, but this looks so easy that perhaps I’ll have to give this a try instead!
Oh does this ever sound good & look at those lovely roses! Sounds just like you to feed the crew, lol, but I’m glad you’re back home…I’m home this week, too, and it’s soooo nice! 🙂 Oh, and can you believe after all our conversations awhile back, I forgot the Burrata! This trip I will get it, lol!
So glad you got to come home for a week! It must be so hard to be away so much. I am impressed by how creative your cooking is while you are with your folks. They are so lucky!
Johanne Lamarche
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Well thanks, and it’s a bit of a compromise for all of us! Dad eats everything but about every four or five days, he says, “I think a good steak is in order!” lol! And Pat eats no vegetables. I try to be sneaky, lol!!
Can you come take care of me someday? I won’t be fussy at all!!!
Johanne Lamarche
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lol! But wouldn’t we have fun between the cooking and the gardens!! L)
We sure would!!!!!
Johanne Lamarche
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