Vegan Banana Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

Last Wednesday Matt and I celebrated our one year anniversary! Go us!  We went to the Rooftop Lounge in Laguna Beach for cocktails- what’s better than mango mojito’s and a sunset with your man? For dinner we went to K’YA Bistro which is known for its tapa style plates and diverse menu.

The food at KY’A was superb and the company even better.  We shared bacon wrapped dates, braised beef short ribs and banana bread pudding with bourbon sauce.  I kind of took over the banana bread pudding, poor Matt was left with only one or two bites.  The bread pudding was so moist and flavorful it inspired me to create a healthy version of it for my blog.

Last Friday after work, I found time to create this vegan dessert. By replacing heavy cream with almond milk and making other changes to a classic bread pudding recipe, I perfected vegan banana bread pudding!

It turned out beautifully and was just sweet enough. Matt and I went back for thirds. Yes I said it, thirds! And we’re not ashamed of it because it is actually a very healthy dessert.

Vegan Banana Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

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Yields 8 servings // Prep time 15 minutes // Cook time 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 16 ounce loaf day old French Bread
• 1 ½ cups sweetened vanilla almond milk
• 3 ripe bananas, sliced
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 ½ tsp corn starch + ½ tsp baking powder (You can substitute for 1 egg + 2 egg whites if you aren’t vegan)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt

Sauce:

• ½ cup vanilla almond milk
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp corn starch mixed with 1 Tbsp vanilla almond milk
• 1 Tbsp bourbon (add to taste)
• ¼ cup toasted pecans
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg

Instructions

1. Cut the bread into bite-sized pieces. If the bread seems moist or dense, spread it out on a cookie sheet and toast it for a few minutes in the oven. Place it in a large bowl.
2. Whisk almond milk, maple syrup, sugar, corn starch + baking powder (or eggs), vanilla, spices, and salt together in a separate bowl. Add bananas and mix to combine. Pour the mixture over the bread, using a silicone spatula to get out every drop. Stir well to completely coat all of the bread. Set aside to soak for a few minutes while you ready the pan and preheat the oven.
3. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a 8×8-inch baking dish. Pour the bread pudding into the pan in an even layer. Bake for about 45 minutes or until top is set and beginning to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
4. While the pudding is cooling make the sauce. Place the vanilla almond milk and maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a simmer, stirring often, until reduced to about half. Carefully add the cornstarch mixture, bring to a boil, and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is no longer cloudy and thickens slightly. Remove from heat and add the bourbon a little at a time, to taste. Stir in the nuts. Poke a few holes in the top of the bread pudding with a knife, and pour the sauce over the top, distributing nuts evenly. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Enjoy!!!