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 indulgent brunch recipe of my dreams. Top it with maple syrup, whipped cream, and powdered sugar to bring it to the next level!
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. This recipe goes hand in hand with my caramelized honey bananas recipe. You can make a batch of bananas to eat with this 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 almond flour banana muffins too!
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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. It's kid-friendly too!
- 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 perfectly browned.
- 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.
- Honey- Any kind of honey works, but I prefer raw, light-colored honey like this clover honey because of its floral taste.
- Bananas- Use bananas that are slightly underripe. 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.
- Butter- Use a high-quality salted butter, like Kerrygold. Unsalted butter with a sprinkle of sea salt works in a pinch.
- 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, brioche, Texas toast, sourdough, white, or French bread (like a baguette).
Substitutions
- 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 maple syrup to sweeten the bananas and toast.
- Coconut milk: Any kind of milk will do for soaking the toast.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: You can use other warming spices like allspice, cardamom, and cloves.
- Vanilla extract: This can be swapped for almond extract.
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
Caramelized banana French toast can be made super quickly! You'll need 1 medium mixing bowl, a whisk, a spatula, a non-stick frying pan or skillet, measuring cups, and measuring spoons.
STEP 1: Slice the bananas. Using a sharp metal paring knife, slice the bananas into uniform round coins about ½ inch thick and set aside.
STEP 2: Melt the butter, honey, and cinnamon. Add the salted butter, honey, and cinnamon to a skillet on medium heat. Then, whisk the ingredients together, letting them heat until fragrant and simmering.
STEP 3: Caramelize the bananas. Add the bananas coins 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 cook for another 3 minutes. Watch the bananas carefully so they don't burn.
STEP 4: Remove the bananas. Scoop the bananas and the caramel sauce out of the skillet and into a small bowl. Then, move the skillet off the heat but keep the burner on.
STEP 5: Make the custard. Add the eggs, coconut milk, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a shallow mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. The spices might clump a bit.
STEP 6: Dunk the bread. 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: Add bread to the skillet. Immediately after dunking, place the bread onto the hot skillet. Repeat step 6 with another slice of bread and place it on the skillet as well.
STEP 8: Cook the toast. Cook 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: Serve. 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, and a dusting of powdered sugar and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Don't overcrowd the pan with banana slices. It makes them difficult to flip.
- Keep a close eye on the bananas while they are cooking. Honey and butter burn quickly, so be cautious.
- 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.
- Add more butter to the pan throughout the cooking process. The butter helps the outside of the toast caramelize and give a rich flavor.
Additions and Variations
- Orange- Add a splash of orange juice and about a tablespoon of orange zest to the egg mixture for a citrusy twist.
- Bananas Foster- While the bananas caramelize, add a tablespoon of dark rum to the pan. Whiskey or bourbon can also be added.
- Nuts- For more texture, add some walnuts or pecans to your French toast. This reminds me of banana bread!
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!
Some possible toppings include: jam, fruit compote, chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, Nutella, peanut butter, and fresh fruit and berries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! If you have an electric griddle, make sure it is well buttered and set at about 350F. Cooking times will be the same.
You probably used bread that wasn't stale enough or let the bread sit in the egg/vanilla/cinnamon bath for too long. Bread is like a sponge and will be soggy if it soaks up too much liquid.
Stale bread is better because it is old and has lost a lot of moisture. Because of this, it will soak up more of the custardy egg mixture without getting soggy.
More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes to Try
📖 Recipe
Caramelized Banana French Toast
Equipment
- 1 non-stick frying pan or skillet
Ingredients
Honey Caramelized Bananas
- 2-3 bananas large
- 2 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon ground
French Toast
- 2 eggs large
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ground
- 8 slices bread
Instructions
- Make the caramelized bananas following my honey caramelized bananas recipe.2-3 bananas, 2 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon salted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Add the eggs, coconut milk, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a shallow mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined. The spices might clump a bit.2 eggs, 1 cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Move the skillet back onto the heat. Cut the bread into thick, ¾-1 inch slices if not sliced. Dip one piece of bread into the egg mixture. Let it sit for 5-10 seconds, flip, and repeat.8 slices bread
- Immediately after dunking, place the bread onto the hot skillet. Repeat the previous step with another slice of bread and place it on the skillet as well. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.
- Repeat previous 2 steps with the remaining slices of bread, adding about a tablespoon of butter to the pan each time if needed.
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