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Bread pudding topped with caramel sauce on a white plate.

Caramel Pretzel Banana Bread Pudding

Course: bread pudding recipe, Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Cuisine: banana bread pudding recipe, brunch recipe, holiday dessert recipe
Keyword: Banana bread pudding recipe with pretzel bread
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 9 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 707kcal
This 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.
Print Recipe

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 ¼ teaspoon of salt and serve.
  • Store in refrigerator.

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. 
 
 
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Nutrition

Calories: 707kcal | Carbohydrates: 114g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 600mg | Potassium: 461mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 81g | Vitamin A: 848IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 3mg