Bananas Foster French Toast

Name: Bananas Foster French Toast
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3 large eggs; 1 cup half and half; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 8 1-inch slices challah bread, preferably day old; 2 tbsp butter; 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 1/2 cup light brown sugar; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 3 large bananas ((ripe but not mushy)); 1/4 cup dark spiced rum

by Joanne May 3, 2023

This Bananas Foster French Toast recipe is an indulgent cross between dessert and breakfast, combining a challah french toast with a sticky sweet bananas foster sauce. Perfect for a special occasion brunch!

Bananas Foster French Toast on a plate with fork

Bananas Foster is one of the earliest desserts that I remember loving as a kid, which is funny because in general I’m not wild about bananas.

I guess if you cook anything in a butter brown sugar rum sauce flambé, it’s bound to be good. Yes?

And there was always so much flashiness when we’d get it at the restaurant and they’d flame it right at the table. Ohhhhh, fire!

In all seriousness, I think bananas totally transform with a little bit of heat, even if it’s just with 5 minutes in a hot pan.

Case in point: I regularly make these Sticky Honey Bananas, cooked in a little coconut oil, honey, and cinnamon, for a few minutes on each side. It’s just enough to caramelize the bananas on the edges, and yield a soft and sweet middle. They’re heavenly.

Banana French Toast - Drizzled with Caramel Rum Sauce on Plate

This particular brunch recipe celebrates the marriage of dessert and breakfast, and was born out of my serious love for bananas foster.

One night after making bananas foster, I found myself left with a bunch of extra sauce, and didn’t want to waste it.

So I put it into a container and decided I would save it for drizzling over french toast the next morning.

Challah French Toast on Plate with Bananas Foster Sauce

AND IT WAS SO GOOD.

I’m a huge maple syrup fan, but this is something that’s a little different, also drizzles beautifully, and feels like a breakfast treat perfect for special occasions.

I say the special occasion part because it’s definitely calorie city, but when it’s mother’s day or a birthday or another special day, I think splurging a little is the only way.

Step by Step Overview:

Start by making the challah french toast.

In a shallow dish or container, mix together large eggs, half and half, and ground cinnamon:

Eggs, Cinnamon, and Dairy in a Container

If you don’t like buying cartons of half and half, you may also combine your own heavy cream and whole milk in equal parts.

Also, I’ll note that I don’t add any sugar to the french toast batter because challah bread is already sweetened.

Can you use other types of bread?

For best results, I really recommend you use challah or brioche. However, you may use whatever your favorite bread is for french toast in this recipe.

Brioche bread is a great substitute that is very similar to challah, and also lightly sweetened.

Texas toast is also a good option, as the bread slices are at double thickness, and great for soaking up the custard mixture.

Whisk to combine the eggs and dairy, then soak 1″ thick slices of challah bread into the custard. I like to do this in a rectangular tupperware container instead of a large bowl for even soaking.

Slice of Challah French Toast in Egg Mixture

Look at that delicious golden brown challah!

Soak for 30 seconds on each side:

Slice of Challah French Toast fully soaked in Egg Mixture

And a quick tip: if you want to soak a whole bunch of challah at one time, put the custard into a rimmed half sheet pan, and lay out all the slices at once.

Cook the soaked challah slices in a little bit of butter over medium heat in a large skillet (nonstick recommended):

Cooking Custard Soaked Challah French Toast in Butter in Skillet

I find that challah french toast typically only needs about 2 minutes on each side until it’s golden and cooked through. If the bread isn’t browning enough, feel free to bump the stove setting up to medium-high heat:

Challah French Toast Golden Brown on Lacy Plate

To make the bananas foster, you’ll need ripe bananas, dark rum, unsalted butter, light or dark brown sugar, nutmeg, and ground cinnamon:

Bananas, brown Sugar, Butter, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, and Rum on Counter

You want to use bananas that are *just* ripe, with no spots on the peel. If you use too ripe of a banana, the slices won’t hold their shape in the sauce.

Melt the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the pan, then add the banana slices and cook:

Banana Slices Simmering in Bananas Foster Sauce in Skillet

At the very end, add the rum and flame it, and cook for about a minute. When the flame burns off, that’s when the caramelized bananas sauce is ready!

Serve the slices of challah french toast with the delicious bananas and caramelized sauce on top:

Slices of Challah French Toast with bananas Foster On Top

I also recommend Cinnamon Roll Pancakes and Chef Josh Capon’s Bacon & Cheddar Waffles for more delicious brunch recipes. Enjoy!

Recipe FAQ and Tips

How do you store leftover banana foster french toast?

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

How do you reheat leftover french toast?

My preferred method is the microwave. Heat in 30 second intervals until warmed through. I have found that in trying to reheat in the skillet, the leftover bananas break down too much from the stirring.

Recipe Variations

Rum – The dark spiced rum flavor is essential for a true bananas foster. However, if you are trying to avoid alcohol, perhaps you can try 1 teaspoon of a rum extract instead. Or if you’re willing to lose that flavor, you can substitute vanilla extract instead, which still tastes delicious.

Casserole – Turn this into a bananas foster french toast casserole instead! Cube the slices of bread and combine with the other french toast custard ingredients (whisk together the eggs, half and half, and cinnamon). Combine in a casserole dish, then bake in a 425F oven for 25 minutes. In the meantime make the bananas foster sauce, then serve the casserole with the warm bananas sauce on top.

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