Hummingbird Bread Pudding with Praline Sauce

Hummingbird Bread Pudding made with banana, crushed pineapple, and chopped pecans is topped off with a sweet cream cheese praline sauce to create the ultimate springtime (or anytime) dessert.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread (torn or sliced into about 1-inch pieces)
• 5 large eggs
• 4 cups half and half
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (not vanilla flavoring)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup crushed pineapple (drained)
• 2 ripe bananas (1 mashed, one sliced into discs)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup unsated butter (melted)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese (softened, cut into cubes)
• 1/4 cup of half and half
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. 2To a medium mixing bowl add the eggs, half-and-half, granulated sugar, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, the mashed banana, and the crushed pineapple. Whisk the ingredients together until everything is combined.
3. 3Add the French bread pieces to a large mixing bowl and pour the egg mixture over top of the bread. Use a wooden spoon to stir the ingredients together, making sure the custard covers all of the bread. You can use the spoon to push the bread down into the custard if needed.
4. 4Add the sliced banana and the chopped pecans to the bowl with the bread mixture. Mix the banana and pecan into the bread pudding with the wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
5. 5Spoon the the bread pudding into the prepared baking dish. Pour the melted butter over top of the bread pudding.
6. 6Bake the bread pudding in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden brown on top and set in the middle.
7. 7While the bread pudding is cooling prepare the praline sauce by melting 1/4 cup of butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and half-and-half and cook while stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce is smooth, about 3-5 minutes.
8. 8Stir in the chopped pecans and continue to cook for about another minute. Remove the sauce from the heat and carefully pour it over the bread pudding. Serve the bread pudding warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you prefer. Enjoy!