In case you have ever wondered what to do with leftover banana bread that’s been sitting around for days… we got something for you. Throwing it away isn’t an option, right? Feeding it to the dog isn’t either (even though he’d certainly love it). Ever heard of Banana Bread French Toast? Preparing French toast is a great way to breathe new life into stale bread – with this banana bread French toast, you can now do the same with leftover banana bread. Sounds great, doesn’t it?!
There are plenty of ways to use up stale bread. Even our grandparents knew that food waste was a »no-go« and made sure to use up everything that was available… even if things weren’t quite as fresh anymore.
Stale bread or bread rolls from the day before (or even older) can be used in many ways. You can make yourself some croutons for a salad, make seasoned bread chips for snacking, dumplings, bread pudding or French toast, for example. For some of these dishes you could use fresh bread as well, but often it’s crucial to use stale and dry bread because it absorbs liquids much better that way.
This banana bread French toast is quite similar here. Although banana bread doesn’t dry out quite as much after 1–2 days, of course. Not like regular bread. Banana bread contains much more moisture compared to regular bread and lasts longer as a result. Perhaps we should view this as an “upgrade” rather than a “rescue”? Either way – the result is definitely delicious!
Just like with classic French toast, the banana bread version involves soaking the bread in a mixture of milk, eggs, and some spices. Depending on how dry it is, the banana bread absorbs more or less of this mixture and is then fried in a generous amount of butter. The heat in the pan caramelizes the sugar in the banana bread slightly, giving the whole thing a nice color and, of course, adding delicious flavors.
When preparing classic French toast, people usually add sugar to the milk mixture used to soak the bread. You don’t have to do that with banana bread – the banana bread itself is typically already quite sweet. Adding more sugar on top is something we normally don’t like. But you are welcome to do it anyway. If you like, you can also drizzle some honey or maple syrup on top of the finished banana bread when serving it. No problem!
Otherwise, there isn’t much else to say about the preparation. I recommend using a non-stick frying pan, as the French toast tends to burn faster than you might think. You might also want to avoid heating it to the highest possible setting. The banana bread should brown, but of course it doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through like a piece of meat.
If the Banana Bread French Toast version wasn’t enough – how about Croissant French Toast? Doesn’t sound too bad either, right? Much like the banana bread version, the Croissant French Toast isn’t exactly figure-friendly… but it’s incredibly delicious! Perfect if you want to serve something special.
If you’d rather stick to classic recipes and don’t want to experiment with croissants, banana bread, and the like, you might want to check out our Simple & Easy Bread Pudding. Stale yeast bread or brioche, some milk, sugar, and eggs… just like the classic version Grandma or Grandpa used to love. It’s so good!
INGREDIENTS / INGREDIENTS
(4 servings)
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
1 large egg
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon*
1/8 tsp. vanilla powder*
1 pinch of salt
4 thick slices of banana bread (see note)
some butter for frying
some sugar-cinnamon mixture (optional)
some whipped cream for serving
some fresh fruit, berries or banana slices for serving
some chopped nuts (optional)
some maple syrup* for drizzling (optional)
(4 people)
80ml milk
1 egg (L)
1/8 tsp cinnamon*
1/8 tsp vanilla powder*
1 pinch of salt
4 thick slices banana bread (see note)
some butter for frying
some cinnamon-sugar mixture (optional)
some whipped cream to serve
some fresh fruit, berries or banana slices to serve
some chopped nuts (optional)
some maple syrup* for drizzling (optional)
One more tip – don’t overestimate how much banana bread each person can eat. This dish is very filling. So maybe cut slightly thinner slices or don’t put two per person on the plate right away. After all, you don’t want any of the “rescued” food to go to waste in the end. That said, banana bread French toast is also great eaten cold…
DIRECTIONS / PREPARATION
1. Mix the milk with the egg, ground cinnamon, vanilla powder, and salt in a shallow bowl until well combined. Place the slices of banana bread in the milk mixture for some time so they can soak up some of the mixture – 10 to 15 seconds on each side should be enough. You don’t want them to soak up too much liquid. Take the slices out of the bowl and place them on a plate until you are ready to fry them.
2. Heat up a non-stick frying pan with a good amount of butter. Fry the soaked banana bread slices until nicely browned on both sides. If you like it sweeter, roll the fried banana bread in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon while still warm. Otherwise, just let them drain on a piece of kitchen paper.
3. Serve the banana bread french toast with some whipped cream, berries, banana slices, chopped nuts, and/or some maple syrup – whatever you like the most.
Note: We normally serve a thick slice of banana bread french toast per person, but you could also cut the banana bread into thinner slices and then serve two per person. In that case you might need to add a bit more milk to the soaking mixture.
1. Mix milk, egg, cinnamon, vanilla powder and salt in a shallow bowl. Place the banana bread slices briefly in the milk mixture so that they absorb some of the liquid – 10 to 15 seconds per side should be enough. The banana bread should not absorb too much liquid. Place the slices on a plate until you continue frying.
2. Heat a non-stick pan with a good portion of butter. Fry the soaked banana bread slices one at a time on both sides until golden brown. If you like it sweeter, you can then roll the fried slices while they are still warm in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Otherwise, just let it drain on some kitchen paper.
3. Serve the banana bread French toast slices with some whipped cream, berries, banana slices, chopped nuts and/or maple syrup – whatever you like.
A notice: We usually serve one thick slice of banana bread French toast per person. You can also cut the banana bread into thinner slices and then serve two slices per person. In this case, you may need a little more milk to soak the banana bread slices.
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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Description
If you want to serve something special for breakfast, take a look: this Banana Bread French Toast is a great option for anyone who loves it sweet in the morning.
1/3 cup (80ml) milk
1 large egg
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon*
1/8 tsp. vanilla powder*
1 pinch of salt
4 thick slices of banana bread (see note)
some butter for frying
some sugar-cinnamon mixture (optional)
some whipped cream for serving
some fresh fruit, berries or banana slices for serving
some chopped nuts (optional)
some maple syrup* for drizzling (optional)
1. Mix the milk with the egg, ground cinnamon, vanilla powder, and salt in a shallow bowl until well combined. Place the slices of banana bread in the milk mixture for some time so they can soak up some of the mixture – 10 to 15 seconds on each side should be enough. You don’t want them to soak up too much liquid. Take the slices out of the bowl and place them on a plate until you are ready to fry them.
2. Heat up a non-stick frying pan with a good amount of butter. Fry the soaked banana bread slices until nicely browned on both sides. If you like it sweeter, roll the fried banana bread in a mixture of sugar and cinnamon while still warm. Otherwise, just let them drain on a piece of kitchen paper.
3. Serve the banana bread french toast with some whipped cream, berries, banana slices, chopped nuts, and/or some maple syrup – whatever you like the most.
Notes
We normally serve a thick slice of banana bread french toast per person, but you could also cut the banana bread into thinner slices and then serve two per person. In that case you might need to add a bit more milk to the soaking mixture.
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