Easy Caramelized Banana French Toast

This caramelized banana French toast is decadent and delicious! The toast is crispy on the outside and soft and custardy on the inside. It's topped with homemade, warm caramelized bananas, making for the best sweet treat to serve for breakfast or brunch.

This caramelized banana French toast is the perfect way to start the day and the indulgent brunch recipe of my dreams. Top it with maple syrup, whipped cream, fresh fruit, and powdered sugar to up your French toast game!

Each slice of toast is fluffy and pan-fried in the leftover honey banana caramel sauce. The warm, soft banana slices on top are irresistible and definitely the best part. This easy recipe goes hand in hand with my caramelized honey bananas recipe. You can make a batch of bananas to eat with this decadent French toast or to put on pancakes, crepes, ice cream, and more.

Preparing a big brunch spread? Make my white chocolate chip muffins, chia seed banana bread, lemon pancakes, key lime pie overnight oats, cinnamon streusel muffins, and chocolate chip biscuits too!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Honey caramelized bananas- The bananas are naturally sweetened with honey and have a lovely floral flavor.
• Easy to make- You only need about 30 minutes, 1 pan, and only a few ingredients to make this recipe. Your entire family will love it!
• Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside- This French toast isn't soggy because of thick sliced bread and minimal soaking time. It isn't too eggy and is cooked to golden brown perfection.
• Day old bread- Making this recipe is a great way to use up your stale bread. The stale bread actually benefits this recipe's texture.

Ingredient Notes

Here are some notes about the ingredients used. For the full ingredient list, see the recipe card below.

• Bananas- Use bananas that are slightly underripe instead of overripe bananas (which I usually recommend for banana bread!). They should be yellow with a slight green tint. Bananas with brown speckles will fall apart while cooking, but greenish bananas will keep their shape and be easy to flip.
• Honey- Any kind of honey works to fry the bananas in and sweeten the soaking liquid. I prefer raw, light-colored honey like this clover honey because of its floral taste.
• Salted butter- Use a high-quality salted butter. Unsalted butter with a sprinkle of sea salt works in a pinch.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg- These spices add a warm flavor to the caramelized bananas and banana French toast.
• Large eggs- Use large, room temperature eggs to make the custard. Room temperature eggs will mix in better with the other ingredients, so pull them out of the refrigerator 1-2 hours before you start.
• Milk- Any type of milk works to make the soaking liquid. I tested this recipe with coconut milk for a dairy free option, but whole milk, 2% milk, oat milk, or almond milk all work great.
• Bread- Any kind of thickly sliced stale bread works great for making French toast. It will crisp up better and is less likely to get soggy. I recommend challah, buttery brioche, Texas toast, sourdough, white, or French bread (like a baguette).

Substitutions and Variations

• Butter: Coconut oil can be used instead of butter to make the recipe dairy-free. However, the bananas will not brown as much.
• Honey: If you don't have honey, you can use pure maple syrup or brown sugar (light or dark) to sweeten the bananas.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg: You can use other warming spices like allspice, cardamom, and cloves.
• Vanilla extract: This can be swapped for almond extract. While I used banana extract to flavor these chocolate banana cupcakes with banana frosting, I don't recommend it here because the sweet banana flavor will be too strong.
• Add a splash of orange juice and about a tablespoon of orange zest to the egg mixture for a citrusy twist.
• While the bananas caramelize, add a tablespoon of dark rum to the pan to make this bananas foster French toast! Whiskey or bourbon work too.
• For more texture, add some walnuts or pecans to your French toast. It reminds me of banana bread!
• Some possible toppings include: jam, fruit compote, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, Nutella, peanut butter, fresh fruit, and berries.

Helpful Equipment and Tools

• Medium frying pan- I've been using these non-stick pans from All-Clad for years. They've held up beautifully.
• Silicone spatula- This is a great spatula for everyday cooking. It is made of heat resistant silicone so it won't scratch or damage your cookware.

Step by Step Instructions

STEP 1: Using a sharp metal paring knife, slice the bananas into uniform round coins about ½ inch thick. Set aside.

STEP 2: Add the salted butter, honey, and cinnamon to a skillet on the stove top heated on medium-high heat. Then, whisk the ingredients together, letting them heat until fragrant and simmering.

STEP 3: Add the sliced bananas to the pan in a single layer and let them cook in the bubbling honey butter mixture for about 3 minutes or until the bottoms look crisp and golden brown. Lift the bananas with a fork to check. Then, flip with a spatula and let them pan fry for another 2-3 minutes. Watch carefully so they don't burn.

STEP 4: Scoop the bananas and the caramel sauce out of the skillet and into a small bowl. Move the skillet off the heat but keep the burner on. Wipe out the skillet and spray it with cooking spray.

STEP 5: Add the eggs, milk, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a large shallow bowl and whisk until well combined to make a custard. The spices might clump a bit.

STEP 6: Move the skillet back onto the heat. Cut the bread into thick, ¾-1 inch slices if not already sliced. Then, dip one piece of bread into the egg mixture. Let it sit for 5-10 seconds, flip, and repeat.

STEP 7: Immediately after dunking, place the bread onto the heated skillet. Repeat step 6 with another slice of bread and place it on the skillet as well.

STEP 8: Cook the bread slices for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat steps 6-8 with the remaining slices of bread, adding about a tablespoon of butter to the pan each time if needed. The caramel sauce will evaporate as you cook more slices.

TIP - Check on the bread and caramel as it cooks. Gently lift up one side of the bread with a fork to see if it is browning too quickly or slowly. Adjust the heat as needed.

STEP 9: Add 2 slices of toast to a plate. Then, spoon the caramelized bananas and caramel sauce on top. Add a drizzle of maple syrup, a dollop of whipped cream, fresh berries, and a dusting of powdered sugar and enjoy!

Expert Tips

1. Don't overcrowd the pan with banana slices. It makes them difficult to flip.
2. Keep a close eye on the bananas while they are cooking. Honey and butter burn quickly, so be cautious.
3. The bread acts as a sponge. The longer it sits in the egg mixture, the more it will absorb, and the soggier your French toast will be.
4. Add more butter to the pan throughout the cooking process. The butter helps the outside of the toast caramelize and give a rich flavor.

Storage and Freezing

Storage- Store the French toast and the honey bananas in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can reheat French toast in the air fryer, oven, stove, or microwave. For the air fryer and oven, reheat at 400F on a lined baking sheet. Bake each side for 2-4 minutes, adding the bananas after flipping. For the stove, reheat over medium heat on a buttered skillet for about 3 minutes on each side. For the microwave, reheat at 15 second increments.

Freezer- Freeze the toast in an airtight container, Ziplock bag, or wrapped in plastic wrap or foil for up to 1 month. Don't freeze the bananas.

Make ahead- You can make the French toast up to 3 days ahead of time and the banana up to 4 hours ahead of time. I don't recommend letting the toast soak in the egg mixture overnight because it will get very soggy!

Frequently Asked Questions

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