Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare the Bread Pudding
- Prepare the bread and baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish. If using very soft fresh gluten-free bread, spread cubes on a baking sheet and dry them in a 300°F oven for 12–15 minutes before increasing the temperature to 350°F. The cubes should feel lightly dry, not deeply toasted. Day-old bread can usually skip this step.
- Make the creamy banana custard. In a large bowl, whisk the oat milk, coconut milk, and cornstarch until smooth. Add mashed bananas, flaxseed, maple syrup, melted vegan butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined and creamy.
- Soak the bread. Place bread cubes in the prepared dish. Pour custard evenly over them. Gently fold and press the cubes into the liquid without crushing them. Rest 20 minutes, pressing exposed pieces down occasionally, until the bread absorbs most of the custard but retains structure.
Bake and Rest
- Bake until golden and tender. Loosely cover with foil and bake 25 minutes at 350°F. Remove foil and continue baking 20–25 minutes until the top is golden, edges are lightly crisp, and center is softly set with no loose liquid. Rest 10–15 minutes before serving.
Make the Bananas Foster Caramel
- Create the maple-coconut caramel. Near the end of baking, melt vegan butter in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add coconut sugar, maple syrup, coconut milk, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to a gentle simmer 2–3 minutes until dissolved and glossy. If using rum, take the skillet off the heat while adding it, then return to low heat for about 1 minute. Do not flambé.
- Caramelize the bananas. Add diagonally sliced firm-ripe bananas in one layer. Warm about 30–45 seconds per side until lightly softened and glossy with caramel. Do not vigorously stir or mash.
Finish and Serve
- Bring everything together. Divide the warm bread pudding into eight portions. Spoon caramelized bananas and sauce over each. Sprinkle with toasted pecans and offer vegan vanilla ice cream, if desired.
Nutrition
Notes
Bread choice: Choose sturdy labeled vegan gluten-free bread. If very soft, dry at 300°F for 12–15 minutes before increasing oven to 350°F.
Texture: Soak 20 minutes; bake covered 25 minutes, then uncovered 20–25 minutes until no loose liquid remains. Rest 10–15 minutes to set the center without drying it.
Banana and caramel: Soft bananas flavor the custard; firmer yellow bananas retain their shape in the topping. Stir optional rum into the sauce away from heat; do not flambé. For alcohol-free, omit rum and use extra vanilla.
Diet and allergens: Use certified gluten-free vegan bread and oat milk and check all packaged ingredient labels. Contains pecans and may contain other allergens according to the chosen bread, plant milk and vegan ice cream. Nut-free only if the pecans are omitted and all remaining ingredient labels are suitable.
Storage: Refrigerate baked pudding and caramel separately in airtight containers for up to three days. Reheat pudding covered at 325°F for 15–20 minutes until heated through. Add fresh bananas to reheated sauce just before serving.
Serving and nutrition: Eight servings each include one-eighth of the pudding, caramel and measured pecans. Estimated nutrition includes the measured pecans and excludes optional rum and vegan ice cream. Values vary with the bread and plant milk you choose.
