Oh yes I did! You read that right: Greek Yogurt Banana Maple Bread Pudding. And it has walnuts on it too. It’s bananas! Literally.

Did you know that bread pudding is my favorite dessert on the entire planet? True. And it HAS to be served warm. No question.

In fact, I love bread pudding so so so much, that when it came time to choose what kind of wedding cake Jase and I were going to have at our wedding, I decided that I would rather have bread pudding. So we did. And yes it was warm. True story, it was actually so warm it burnt my mouth! On my wedding day. Ooopsie!

But I think that someone who isn’t as in love with bread pudding as I am would also agree that this dessert is the best. When it came out of the oven and I was taking these pictures, I had a hard time not eating it. And then as soon as I was done I was like oh my gosh I can’t wait to share this with everyone! I hadn’t even cleaned up or anything, and Jason was working on the sugar house. He happened to come inside to grab something and I accosted him in the mudroom with a spoonful of WARM bread pudding, and I was like “Dude, you HAVE to try this!” And he did. And he was like “Oh my God!” And I was like “I know!!!!”

And then my daughters also tried it and they were like, “Mom, Wow!”

It’s that kind of a recipe, guys.

It is like Wow!

Okay, so enough with the gushy gushy, you get it. I know you want to make it now, so let’s talk cooks notes for a second.

How to Make Greek Yogurt Banana Maple Bread Pudding

1. The Banana: Mash one of the bananas and mix that into the custard mixture to make the whole thing taste more banana-ish. This also keeps it more moist and adds natural sweetness. My bananas were black in spots, but not over-ripe to the point where they were turning translucent on the insides. The other three bananas get sliced and layered inside and on top.
2. Greek Yogurt: I love the way the Greek yogurt tastes in the custard. The sourness is a really yummy balance to the maple and banana and keeps it from tasting too cloying. It is also a healthy high-protein way to extend the custard and keep the bread pudding moist without adding extra cream.
3. Lower Fat Dairy: I used low fat milk and just a quarter cup of half and half instead of heavy cream to make the custard. It still seems quite rich due to the thick Greek yogurt.
4. Maple Sweetened: I sweetened it up with maple syrup which plays off the nuts and bananas in a carmely mapley sweet way.
5. Lower Glycemic Bread: I used sourdough because again, the sourness helps to balance the sweetness of the maple and banana. Plus sourdough bread is lower glycemic than white bread, but doesn’t have the strong taste that whole-wheat bread has.
6. Unrefined Sugar and Nuts for Crunchy Texture Contrast: I added crunchy turbinado sugar on top and walnuts (one of maple’s BFFs.)
7. Technique: First mix the bread and custard in a bowl and let the custard totally soak into the bread. Then before layering it into the cast iron skillet, stir it again to mix in the pieces on the top that weren’t as moist. Next butter the skillet. This will prevent it from sticking, and adds yummy flavor. To assemble, add half of the bread and custard mix, top with slices of banana, then add the remaining bread and custard mix. To bake it, cover it so that it heats through without browning. Then remove the top, add on the crunchy turbinado sugar and walnuts and let the whole thing brown and puff.
8. To Serve: Before serving drizzle on more maple syrup if you like. And top with whipped cream if you’re feeling indulgent.
9. Tip: Oh, and don’t forget: Make sure to let it cool a bit before serving. You don’t want to burn your mouth like I did on my wedding day!

QUESTIONS:
Married folks: Did you have wedding cake at your wedding?
Have you been to a wedding where there was no cake?
Do you ever force tastes of food on unsuspecting people in your family when you are cooking and they are doing something else?