Banana Bread French Toast (2024)

Banana bread French toast is a fun way to repurpose leftovers into breakfast or brunch! Topped with syrup, it’s a rich and decadent treat.

Here’s a fun way to transform banana bread into a decadent breakfast treat: Banana Bread French Toast! This is the ultimate breakfast or brunch for banana lovers: the moist, dense texture of the quick bread is ideal for frying until golden brown and cinnamon spiced. Topped with bananas, chopped pecans, and a drizzle of maple syrup, it’s a luxurious way to start the day that’s honestly more like dessert. Needless to say, all of our family are big, big fans of this one!

Ingredients for banana bread French toast

Banana bread French toast starts with a good bread, of course! Our favorite is our best banana bread recipe, but you can use any recipe you like. Cut the bread into slices, then dredge it into our classic French toast custard mixture of eggs, milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The main difference is that the custard has none of the customary sugar, since this quick bread is very sweet. Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

• Banana bread
• Eggs
• Milk
• Vanilla
• Cinnamon and nutmeg
• Kosher salt
• Butter, for cooking

A note on serving size

Banana bread is very filling: one slice is much denser and more filling than a typical slice of bread. For that reason, plan to eat only one slice of banana bread French toast per person. This recipe is rich and decadent, so you’ll want to account for that in your serving!

Tips for making banana bread French toast

If you’ve got banana bread, this French toast recipe is a breeze! All you’ve got to do is whisk the custard, dip the bread, and fry it up. Here’s how to make French toast:

• Slice: Slice the banana bread into 3/4-inch slices. (This is the perfect width; too thin and it falls apart but too thick and it’s too filling.)
• Whisk:In a wide shallow bowl or container, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg andkosher salt.
• Dip:Preheat a griddle over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Soak each side of 4 slices of bread in the egg mixture for about 30 seconds.
• Fry:Place the bread on the hot skillet and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until browned.

Topping ideas

Banana bread French toast is rich in itself, so it doesn’t need a lot of toppings to make it taste incredible! We like it best with the following:

• Pure maple syrup
• Sliced bananas
• Chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted if desired

If you like, you can add other toppings, but keep in mind it’s very sweet. You could try Greek yogurt sweetened with a little maple syrup to cut the sweetness with the acidity in the yogurt, or some sliced strawberries or raspberries. Or, go with a small dollop of whipped cream for an even more decadent treat.

Diet variations

Working with a special diet? Here are a few ways to modify this recipe to fit different dietary needs:

• Dairy-free:This recipe works with banana bread baked with neutral oil and using non-dairy milk. We recommend oat milk, but almond, soy, or coconut milk will work as well.
• Gluten-free:Go to this gluten-free banana bread recipe.
• Vegan:Use this vegan banana bread and the custard mixture from our vegan French toast recipe.

More French toast recipes

There are many ways to make French toast: baked, casserole, stuffed, and more! Here are some of our favorites for a banana breakfast treat or a fun weekend brunch:

• Go for classic Best French Toast Recipe
• Make our family favorite Cinnamon French Toast or Banana French Toast
• Opt for French Toast Sticks
• Try Challah French Toast, Brioche French Toast, or Sourdough French Toast
• Make crowd-favorite French Toast Casserole or Stuffed French Toast

This banana bread French toast recipe is…

Vegetarian.

Print