Have leftover banana bread? Make Banana Bread French Toast and level up your brunch game. I promise you this french toast is so good, you’ll make extra banana bread on purpose next time.
First of all, you need to make my out-of-this-world brown butter banana bread. Be sure to make two loaves, one for eating, and one for Banana Bread French Toast of course. Because brunch is totally worth it.
I tried banana bread french toast for the very first time (guess where!!) in Maui. It took me a long time, but I finally came around to making it at home. Thick slices of fluffy luxurious french toast, smothered in sticky syrup, I don’t even need bacon, thanks!
How to make Banana Bread French Toast
Preparing the banana bread
As with all french toast, you want to use leftover stale bread so the bread can soak up the custard mixture. For this recipe, I sliced up the banana bread and laid it out on a baking sheet covered with a kitchen towel and let it dry out for a couple of days.
This recipe uses ¾ of a homemade loaf of banana bread. And the slices are about 1” thick.
You could also use this Matcha Banana Bread to make banana bread french toast. Such a fun flavor and color!
Making the french toast
Making banana bread french toast (Photos 1 – 4)
- Beat together half and half, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add custard mixture to a shallow dish and soak the banana bread in the custard for about 30 – 45 seconds.
- Flip the banana bread over and allow the other side to soak in the custard until saturated, another 30 – 45 seconds.
- Place the custard soaked bread on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and allow the excess custard to drip off if any. Continue to soak the remaining bread slices.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the french toast for 3 – 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Adjust the heat between medium to medium-low heat as necessary so the toast doesn’t burn.
What to serve banana bread french toast with
I could seriously eat this by itself, I actually did the first time when I was testing this recipe. But it sure is a lot better with fancy toppings.
- For a classic pairing, dust it with powdered sugar and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
- You could also serve it with whipped cream and fresh berries.
- For a fruity kick, top it with a homemade peach sauce or an easy cherry compote.
- If you want to add an island vibe, serve it with toasted coconut flakes and the coconut sauce I used in this Tropical Cinnamon Buns recipe and this Pani Popo recipe.
Baker’s Tips
- My homemade banana bread doesn’t have any spices in it, so I used cinnamon in the custard mixture for more flavor. If your banana bread already has a lot of spices, you could reduce the amount of cinnamon in the custard or skip it.
- You can substitute the half and half with ⅓ cup of milk + ⅓ cup of cream. I recommend whole milk but 2% will work as well.
- You can also substitute coconut milk in place of the half and half. If using coconut milk, I recommend canned coconut milk for richer flavor and higher fat content.
Storage
Banana bread french toast is best served right away. But if you have any leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm them up in the microwave for 15 – 20 seconds before serving.
More breakfast sweets
- Coconut French Toast Casserole
- Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins
- Lemon Dutch Baby
- Homemade Poptart
- Cream Scones
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, send me a photo, rate it and don’t forget to tag me @wildwildwhisk on Instagram. I’d love to see what’s cooking up in your kitchen. Cheers!
📖 Recipe card
Banana Bread French Toast (made with brown butter banana bread)
Ingredients
- 6 slices of leftover banana bread (about 1” thick)
- ⅔ cup half and half (158 g)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 oz butter for frying
Instructions
- Cut the banana bread into 1” thick slices and allow to dry overnight or preferably a couple of days in advance.
- Beat together half and half, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and transfer the custard mixture to a shallow dish.
- Place a few slices of banana bread into the custard mixture and soak one side for about 30 - 45 seconds. Flip the banana bread over and allow the other side to soak in the custard until saturated, another 30 - 45 seconds.
- Place the custard soaked bread on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and allow any excess custard to drip off. Continue to soak the remaining bread slices.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the french toast for 3 - 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Adjust the heat between medium to medium low heat as necessary so the toast doesn’t burn.
- Remove the french toasts from the skillet and serve right away.
Notes
- You can substitute the half and half with ⅓ cup of milk + ⅓ cup of cream. I recommend whole milk but 2% will work as well.
- You can also substitute coconut milk in place of the half and half. If using coconut milk, I recommend canned coconut milk for richer flavor and higher fat content.
Nutrition
Definitely a next level brunch. Thanks so much for the recipe