{"id":9677,"date":"2019-02-11T10:42:00","date_gmt":"2019-02-11T16:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gw.finelimedesigns.com\/2011\/04\/baked-french-toast-with-bananas-walnuts-and-cacao-nibs-3\/"},"modified":"2020-02-12T14:41:13","modified_gmt":"2020-02-12T20:41:13","slug":"baked-french-toast-with-bananas-walnuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cupcakeproject.com\/baked-french-toast-with-bananas-walnuts\/","title":{"rendered":"Bananas Foster French Toast"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bananas Foster French toast is made with caramelized bananas<\/em>, and it’s soft and pillowy and decadent – just like eating Bananas Foster for breakfast. This Bananas Foster French toast recipe is made by soaking bread in milk and cream overnight so that that all of the liquid is absorbed. In the morning, you bake it and end up with a super moist French toast that is almost like bread pudding.<\/p>\n

\"Overnight<\/p>\n

What is Bananas Foster French Toast?<\/h2>\n

Bananas Foster<\/a> is an amazing, simple dessert where warm bananas fried in brown sugar, butter, and a little rum are served over ice cream. To give the French toast a Bananas Foster flavor, I add caramelized bananas<\/a> to sweet brioche<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Caramelized
\nWhile you could add the caramelized bananas as a French toast topping after the dish is done baking, I prefer to put them on before. Preparing it my way means that you get some bananas and banana flavor in every bite of the French toast casserole!<\/em><\/p>\n

This French toast is right up there alongside my overnight strawberry French toast casserole<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and my stuffed raspberry French toast<\/a><\/strong> when I’m looking for a dish to serve at a brunch or bring to a breakfast potluck.<\/p>\n

How to Make Bananas Foster French Toast<\/h2>\n

The best breads to use for French toast are all enriched, meaning that they have eggs and fat in addition to flour, water, and yeast. Challah and brioche are both good candidates; challah typically uses oil as the fat and brioche uses butter. While I absolutely love challah French toast, once I discovered brioche, there was no turning back.<\/em><\/p>\n

Start by ripping brioche apart<\/strong> into a 6 cup baking dish such as a 10″ round or an 8″ square baking dish. You want to break the bread up so that it isn’t one big piece. The size of the pieces you end up with doesn’t really matter. Although many people prefer to use stale bread in their French toast, I find that fresh brioche works perfectly in this recipe. The end result is really moist, but not soggy.<\/p>\n

Tip<\/span><\/strong>: I like baking in cast iron because it yields a rustic presentation, but any oven-safe dish is fine.<\/p>\n

\"Ripping
\nTop with caramelized bananas. <\/strong>While I include the recipe for caramelized bananas as part of this French toast recipe, my guide to making caramelized bananas<\/a><\/strong> goes into great detail about preparing the topping on the range or in a microwave (if you prefer).<\/p>\n

Be sure to pour all of the caramel sauce in the pan, along with the bananas, over the brioche.<\/p>\n

\"Bananas
\nPour a mixture of eggs, milk, heavy whipping cream, sugar, spices, and vanilla over the top of the bread and caramelized bananas.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Then, cover the dish and refrigerate overnight<\/strong> so it’s ready to bake and serve in the morning.<\/p>\n

\"pouring
\nBake uncovered at 350 F until there is no liquid remaining<\/strong>. If you see any liquid pooling at the top of the dish, it’s not done yet.<\/p>\n

Tip<\/span><\/strong>: Food cooked in more shallow bakeware cooks more quickly.<\/strong> Since bakeware varies by brand, always keep an eye on your French toast as it nears completion to make sure it doesn’t get too dried out. It took 90 minutes for me to bake the French toast using the skillet shown here.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Bananas<\/p>\n

Bananas Foster French Toast Serving Suggestions<\/h2>\n

\"Bananas
\nBananas Foster French toast is sweet enough that it doesn’t need any topping, but if you want it to be extra decadent, it is SO good with a dollop of whipped cream on top!<\/p>\n

Tip<\/span><\/strong>: Ideally, serve baked French toast hot out of the oven. Like a souffle, you’ll find that the French toast will look prettiest immediately and will deflate some as it cools. If you need to reheat it, microwave individual pieces for about one minute or heat the whole casserole dish covered in the oven at 250 F for 30 minutes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This French toast lasts about one week in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer<\/strong> if removed from the casserole dish and sealed in an airtight container.<\/p>\n

Best Tips for Making This French Toast Recipe<\/h2>\n