This recipe for banana bread has been my go-to for over a decade. My mom gifted me with a cookbook for Christmas one year and it is filled with recipes for bread, desserts, cake, meals and more. The best part about this recipe book is that the recipes are all delicious and easy to do. I have yet to cook or bake one of the recipes that is bad. For dinner tonight, we decided to try something completely new, I made French Toast out of Banana bread.

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Published September 6, 2021
Updated March 11, 2022
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Like most kitchens, on our counter we have a banana tree. This banana stand gets used daily, either by bananas being pulled off to eat or by bananas just sitting there waiting to be eaten. Whatever the case, we seem to always have bananas sitting on the tree in some state of ripeness. Sometimes the bananas stay WAY too long and get WAY too many spots and are at high risk of peeling themselves open and then falling down onto the countertop. Can you relate? Your people eat three a day or one a month. It is like there is no in-between. Therefore, we had bananas that were doomed to be made into bread, which, in my opinion, is not a bad way to go.

As today is Labor Day, I was not able to go grocery shopping like a typical Monday. So, what was left in our fridge but two dozen eggs, ham slices, milk, syrup and some other random foods. By the end of our grocery week our kitchen pantry levels are pretty sparse, and I hope we are not the only family that has this predicament every once in a while. As we always have a good stockpile of flour, making breads and bread-foods is quite easy. For example, I quite often make breads for grilled cheese or sandwiches when I just cannot get to the store.

Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients for Banana Bread

3 very ripe bananas
3/4 cup brown sugar
dash of salt
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp water
2 cups flour
Cinnamon and Vanilla (Optional)
Non-stick spray
4X8 pan

Banana Bread Directions

1. Peel three bananas and then place them into a large bowl. Using really ripe bananas is key to making a delicious banana bread! We had six bananas that were super ripe, so this recipe was doubled and made two loaves.

2. Mash bananas with a fork or mix with the KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment. I LOVE my KitchenAid mixer for this recipe because it mixes and makes the batter in only a few minutes.

3. Add a dash of salt and then mix to combine.

4. Mix 1 egg into the bananas. This was a doubled recipe, as there are two eggs. The easiest way to add eggs to a batter is by cracking an egg into a separate bowl and then add it to the batter, this helps avoid any shells in the mix.

5. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a microwavable dish and then slowly add to the bowl and combine. Warm butter needs to be added at a tiny amount at first to acclimate the mixture to the warmth; and so, it does not start to cook the eggs prematurely, no one wants premature scrambled eggs.

6. In a separate bowl, mix together 1 tsp baking soda with 1 Tbsp water, and when combined pour into bowl and mix into the banana bread contents.

7. If desired, add 1/2 tsp vanilla and a dash of cinnamon, then mix to combine.

8. Pour 1 cup of flour into the bowl and mix on slow until just combined.

9. Add the second cup of flour and then mix on slow.

10. Pour the batter into a sprayed pan and then spread it out with a spatula. My favorite spatulas are from Rachel Ray, and I have had them for so many years, and they are sturdy, silicone, dishwasher safe and the tops even come off for easier cleaning.

11. Bake the banana bread at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, then removed from the oven when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

French Toast Directions

*Pro-Tip: To make French toast out of banana bread, you first need to let the fully cooked loaf cool to the touch before you can cut it into slices. I let ours rest for twenty minutes and then cut the loaf into just shy of 1-inch slices.*

1. In a large bowl, crack a dozen eggs and then mix them with 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp cinnamon.
2. Warm a large griddle or skillet to 350 degrees.
3. Dip the slices of banana bread one at a time into the egg mixture and then carefully lay them on the griddle to cook. Make sure you wash your hands after dipping the slices into the egg to avoid any cross-contamination.

4. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side or until the faces of the bread are cooked.

5. Remove the fully cooked French toast from the griddle and then rest them on a serving plate.

6. Finally, serve with butter, syrup, peanut butter, chocolate syrup, banana slices or your favorite toppings.

For example, this was our families first time having banana bread French toast, so we tried it many ways! I can literally smell that picture! You guys, this banana bread French toast was the most delicious French toast ever, I am not kidding.

We ended up with only two pieces left, and those are the butt ends of the loaf. The pieces ended up being SO moist, the egg was seared on the outside perfectly and not soggy, and adding the butter and syrup just made it so delicious.

As requested, banana bread French toast will be added to our menu planner! If you have littles, or big kids, and you want to surprise them with a delicious meal that is more like dessert, I recommend you making this banana bread French toast and please, let me know how you like it! I am so thrilled with how it turned out.
Enjoy!
~Monica

Banana Bread Recipe

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