This easy banana bread pudding recipe is made with pretzel bread for a fun twist. I love it for breakfast, brunch, or dessert, especially during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
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So how many other ingredients could I cram into that title? Could it be too many, you ask? No, I answer, definitively. I found myself with a freezer full of these pretzel buns and some bananas, they spoke to me as bread pudding and there you have it.
This easy bread pudding recipe has to be part of your holiday celebration, brunch plans, or just a regular Tuesday. Because oh my gosh it's so freakin' easy.
You just dump everything in the pan and throw it in the oven and out comes gooey, pretzel-y love.
Jump to:
Pretzel + caramel + easy to make = a bread pudding recipe you'll love!
- The slight sweetness and chewy texture of pretzel bread gives this bread pudding a unique flavor.
- A much easier salted caramel sauce recipe that's less prone to crystalizing, or just use store bought.
- It's got RUM in it!!!!
- Perfect for a holiday dessert, breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients you'll need
For the pretzel bread pudding:
- Pretzel bread: I like to use pretzel buns, either the round ones or the sort of hot dog sized ones because you get more of the super pretzel crust flavor. But you can use a whole pretzel loaf, too.
- Heavy cream, whole milk and eggs: This will form our custard. The combo of heavy cream and whole milk keeps the custard rich, but not overwhelming.
- Ripe bananas: VERY ripe. Like banana bread ready bananas.
- Brown sugar and vanilla: For sweetness and aroma.
- Dark rum: Something like Meyers Rum or The Kraken. This is the fun part! Additional sweetness, and a bit of festive fun. The alcohol will cook out, so don't worry about the kids. Or you can leave it out.
- A pinch of salt: For that true pretzel vibe.
For the salted caramel sauce:
- Sugar, heavy cream, sea salt: This is a revolutionary and easy recipe for caramel that does not involve boiling water and scorching things!
PRO TIP: We are making what's called a "dry caramel" for the sauce recipe. This means that we heat the sugar by itself in a pan, with no water. I find this method easier and more reliable than the "wet caramel" method of making the sauce.
How to make caramel pretzel bread pudding
Step 1: Break up the pretzel bread to dry out
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Break up the pretzel bread into 1-inch pieces and let them sit out for at least 30 minutes, and up to overnight. This will allow it to go a bit stale and really soak up the liquid.
Step 2: Mash the bananas
Mash your bananas until they are pretty gooey and liquid-y. I don't really know the culinary term for this, you just don't want big chunks.
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Step 3: Mix the bananas and liquid ingredients
Beat the eggs, and combine with brown sugar and salt. Whisk together with milk, half and half, rum, vanilla, and bananas.
Step 4: Let the pretzel bread soak
Add pretzel bread to liquid mixture and let soak for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
This is another reason it's such an easy bread pudding recipe. You can do all of this the night before and leave it in the fridge, then pop this in the oven while you're eating dinner and - voila! No effort!
Step 5: Bake the bread pudding
Put the mixture in a buttered 9" x 13" pan and place in a 350 degree oven for about an hour, until the top is golden brown and liquid is absorbed.
Step 6: Make the salted caramel sauce
Adapted slightly from James Peterson's Baking.
Make sure your cream is at room temp. If not, warm the heavy cream in the microwave and set aside. It should be warm, but it doesn't need to be hot. (If the cream is cold, the sugar will seize up.)
Put the sugar into a heavy-bottomed and fairly high-sided sauce pan over medium-high to high heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the sugar begins to melt and turn reddish-brown.
Once the sugar is smooth and caramelized, add heavy cream - be very careful as the super-hot caramel will cause spattering. (Thus the room temperature cream and deep pan.)
Continue to stir until cream and caramel are blended.
Add ยผ teaspoon of sea salt such as Maldon, or other mild artisan salt, and serve.
Store in the refrigerator.
Top the pretzel bread pudding with warm salted caramel sauce and enjoy!
Tips for pretzel bread pudding and salted caramel sauce
- When making the caramel, try to let the cream come closer to room temperature before you start. If it's really cold it will just cause the caramelized sugar to harden and you'll spend 10 minutes stirring to try to get it to melt back down and combine. (This sauce will also harden if you put it on ice cream. Be warned.)
- Use a sea salt such as Maldon for the sauce, or other milder, artisan salt if you can. Kosher salt has a sharper, more acidic flavor that doesn't blend as well with the caramel.
- If you don't want to use the rum in the bread pudding, you may leave it out.
FAQ
YES! In two ways. You can let the bread soak in the custard overnight, then bake it off the next day. OR you can go ahead and bake it, then let it cool and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days until you are ready to serve it. Cover with foil and reheat in a 350 degree oven until heated through.
Yes! Allow the bread pudding to cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. You can then store it in the freezer for 2 - 3 months. To reheat, let it thaw in the fridge, then cover with foil and place in a 350 degree oven until heated through.
More recipes for holiday treats
- Everyone loves pecan pie, but when it has a cheesecake layer, too? You're unstoppable when you make Pecan Cream Cheese Pie!
- I always make Spritz Cookies for Christmas. They're a family favorite.
Recipe
Caramel Pretzel Banana Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 16 oz pretzel bread
- 4 eggs
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoon dark rum
- 3 bananas very ripe
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream Must be at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Break up the pretzel bread into 1-inch pieces and let them sit out for at least 30 minutes, and up to overnight. This will allow it to go a bit stale and really soak up the liquid.
- Mash your bananas in a bowl until they are pretty gooey.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, and combine with brown sugar and salt. Whisk together with milk, half and half, rum, vanilla, and bananas.
- Add pretzel bread to liquid mixture and let soak for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Put the mixture in a buttered 9" x 13" pan and cook for about an hour, until the top is golden brown and liquid is absorbed.
- Allow to cool slightly, then slice and serve topped with salted caramel sauce. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and re-heat before serving.
Salted Caramel Sauce
- Before you start, make sure your cream is at room temp. If not, warm the heavy cream in the microwave and set aside. It should be warm, but it doesn't need to be hot. (If the cream is cold, the sugar will seize up.) This is a "dry caramel" sauce recipe. See tips below.
- Put the sugar into a heavy-bottomed and fairly high-sided sauce pan over medium-high to high heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the sugar begins to melt and turn reddish-brown.
- Once the sugar is smooth and caramelized, add heavy cream - be very careful as the super-hot caramel will cause spattering. (Thus the room temperature cream and deep pan.) Continue to stir until cream and caramel are blended.
- Add the ยผ teaspoon of salt and serve.
- Store in refrigerator.
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Notes
- This caramel sauce is a "dry caramel" meaning you are heating the sugar in the sauce pan without any water. I find this method of making caramel easier and more reliable than "wet caramel" when you start with sugar and water in the pan. If you're more comfortable with a wet caramel recipe, then by all means do that!
- Use a mild sea salt such as Maldon for the salted caramel sauce. Kosher salt is more acidic and can be a bit jarring when added to the sauce.
- If you're making this for a holiday meal, presentation is key. For those occasions I like to use my Juliska Berry and Thread baking dish. Classy, but not conservative.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated as an estimate. Calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
Nancy Croteau says
Hi Debra
I am definitely going to make this as it sounds so amazing and I love anything with pretles in it. Question, I think you left out when to add in the vanilla and rum. I'm guessing it goes in with the rest of the wet ingredients?
Thanks
Nancy
Debra says
Hi Nancy!
Yes! OMG thank you for finding that and I will correct it right away. So excited that you also love pretzel things! Be sure to let me know how this turns out for you and thanks for reading!
Debra