Caramelized Banana and Walnut-Topped Bourbon French Toast Recipe
The word "stuffed" is never a good sign on a restaurant menu. Sweet carb-based breakfasts can never contend with protein-driven dishes, but if you're going to do it, these boozy, banana-topped French toast slices are about as good as it gets.
Nutrition: 490 calories, 18 g fat (4 g saturated), 800 mg sodium
Serves 4
You'll Need
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1⁄4 cup bourbon, divided
1⁄4 cup brown sugar
1⁄4 cup crushed walnuts
2 ripe but still firm bananas, sliced into 1⁄2" coins
1 cup 2% milk
3 eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
8 slices sturdy whole-grain bread like sourdough (day-old bread works great)
How to Make It
- Heat the butter in a medium nonstick pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the bourbon and all of the brown sugar and stir to dissolve.
- Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until bubbly. Add walnuts and cook for an additional 2 minutes; add the bananas and heat through. Stir in 1⁄4 cup milk and keep warm.
- Whisk together the remaining 3⁄4 cup milk, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, and the remaining 2 tablespoons bourbon. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
- When the skillet is warm, spray with a light coating of nonstick cooking spray.
- Working 2 pieces at a time, dip the bread into the bourbon-egg mixture.
- Let soak for 30 seconds. Flip each piece over and soak the other side for 30 seconds.
- Add the bread to the hot skillet. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until both sides are golden brown and slightly crispy. Serve with the warm banana topping.
Eat This Tip
Don't have bourbon at the ready in your wet bar? Try dark rum. Don't have rum, or want a sober option? Skip the booze entirely and replace with another 1⁄2 cup of milk. Like all of our Eat This, Not That! recipes, the ingredients can be altered to fit your pantry and your budget. So if you won't otherwise use the booze, don't bother dropping $25 just for this recipe. Cut it entirely from the egg mixture, and add a splash of OJ to the bananas instead. Recipes are road maps, not immutable edicts.
This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!
