Bananas Foster French Toast is a delicious blend of thick, golden brown French toast topped with a rich sauce of caramelized bananas and crunchy pecans. The ideal breakfast treat, it’s a decadent yet easy recipe that combines the familiar comfort of French toast with the indulgence of a classic New Orleans dessert.
Now, let’s talk about mornings, y’all. We all know that some days it’s a real struggle to get out from under the covers. But, when there’s something as tempting as this Bananas Foster French Toast recipe waiting in the kitchen, getting up becomes a whole lot easier.
This ain’t your regular French toast. It’s jazzed up, it’s exciting, and above all, it’s scrumptious. And it totally elevates special occasions like Mother’s Day or somebody’s birthday.
Believe me, the moment you drizzle that sweet, luscious Bananas Foster sauce over your French toast, you’ll be sold. And hey, you might want to save some of that sauce on the side for dipping because no one likes to leave any of that goodness behind.
We love this Bananas Foster French Toast with our easy Oven-Baked Bacon and Cheese Grits Casserole. Throw in some mimosas along with a gorgeous fruit salad, and you have a perfect breakfast or brunch menu.
Ingredients
See the recipe card for full ingredients and instructions.
For the French Toast
- Eggs – needed as binder in the custard.
- Whole milk – milk and cream make the dipping custard.
- Heavy cream – adds richness and flavor.
- Vanilla extract – pure vanilla extract works best.
- Cinnamon – just a tad bit of cinnamon is needed.
- Thick slices of bread – we like brioche or challah bread
- Oil – choose an oil that doesn’t have a strong flavor, like vegetable oil.
- Unsalted butter – y’all know we only use Land O’Lakes around here.
For the Bananas Foster Sauce
- Unsalted butter – you will melt butter in the hot pan.
- Dark brown sugar – adds darker coloring and helps with caramelization.
- Cinnamon – perfect for a burst of warmth.
- Heavy cream – adds richness and thins out the sauce.
- Dark rum – deepens the flavor without tasting like alcohol
- Bananas – choose firm, slightly less ripe bananas for best results.
- Pecans – buy them toasted or toast them yourself!
- Sea salt – just a pinch is all you need!
How to make bananas foster french toast
- Whip up the French toast batter: Combine the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Soak the bread: Pour the custard mixture into a shallow dish, then soak the bread slices. Let them sit for just a couple of minutes on each side.
- Cook the toast: Heat oil and butter in a large skillet or nonstick pan over medium heat, then add the soaked bread slices. Cook until golden on each side, then keep warm in the oven.
- Make the sauce: Melt the butter, then mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Once it starts to bubble, stir in the heavy cream and dark rum.
- Add the goodies: Toss in the banana slices and toasted pecans, let them cook for a few minutes, then remove from heat.
- Serve it up: Pour the sauce over the warm French toast, and sprinkle some sea salt on top to make the flavors pop.
Tips
- For an indulgent touch, try using brioche bread. Thick-cut white bread is also a fantastic choice.
- Slightly stale bread can often be best as it won’t soak up too much of the egg mixture, preventing any sogginess. If your bread is fresh, you can slice it up and pop it in the oven for a few minutes to dry it out a bit.
- When it comes to the bananas, opt for ones that are a bit firmer. Overripe bananas may not hold their shape well during the cooking process.
- If your melted butter and sugar appear to be separated, fear not. Simply whisk them more vigorously. The sugar will begin to meld with the butter as it melts. Adding the cream will also help the sauce come together nicely.
- Like many dishes, this Bananas Foster French Toast is best served immediately. It’s a dish best enjoyed on the day it’s made, so gather your folks around the table and savor the flavor together.
- Place the cooked slices on a sheet pan in a warm oven to keep the French toast warm while cooking.
Yes, you can freeze the cooked French toast, but make the sauce fresh when you’re ready to eat.
This recipe is best made and served immediately.
While we don’t usually save the leftovers, if you would like to then once it’s cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. The sauce should be stored separately and heated up when ready to use.
Many more of our favorite breakfast recipes are on the site, like our Overnight Breakfast Casserole, Sausage Breakfast Pizza, Homemade Waffles, and Easy Quiche. We’ve got you covered next time you host a brunch or big family breakfast.
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Banana Foster French Toast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream 2
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 thick slices of bread
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
For the Sauce
- ¾ cup butter
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons dark rum
- 2-3 bananas sliced
- ½ cup pecans
- sea salt pinch
Instructions
- To make the French Toast, put the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl and beat until fully combined.
- Pour the egg mixture into a casserole dish then lay slices of bread in a single layer on top of the egg mixture. Allow the bread to soak for a couple of minutes and then turn over. If you don’t have a dish big enough to fit all the bread in at once, work in batches.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan. When the butter is bubbling add the first two slices of bread. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden. Repeat with the remaining oil, butter, and slices of bread.
- When all the French toast is cooked, transfer to a dish and keep warm in the oven while you make the Bananas Foster sauce.
- To make the sauce, melt the butter then add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Whisk the sugar and cinnamon vigorously into the melted butter. It will take a few minutes for the butter and sugar to combine into a sauce.
- When the mixture is bubbling, add the heavy cream. Be careful – the mixture might hiss and spit as the sugar will be very hot.
- Add the dark rum, sliced bananas, and pecans. Cook for 3 minutes then remove from the heat.
- To serve, pour the Bananas Foster sauce over the warm French Toast. A sprinkling of sea salt will really bring out the flavors.
