Description
Delicious Banana Stuffed French Toast featuring a creamy banana and cream cheese filling, lightly spiced with cinnamon and cooked to golden perfection in butter. This breakfast treat combines the richness of brioche bread with a sweet, buttery, and mildly spiced banana mixture, perfect for a comforting morning meal served warm with maple syrup or your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
Banana Filling
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- 3 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
Bread and Batter
- 12 slices thick slices of brioche, challah, French bread, or Italian bread
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon rum extract (optional)
To Serve
- Butter, maple syrup, fruit, whipped cream, or powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Make the banana sauce: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add light brown sugar and a pinch of ground cinnamon. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and forms a smooth, caramel-like sauce. Add the banana slices and gently toss to coat them in the sauce.
- Cook and cool the filling: Let the bananas cook until slightly soft and the flavors meld together, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool completely. Speed up cooling by refrigeration if desired. Once cool, fold in the cream cheese and mash lightly to combine.
- Assemble the stuffed bread: Spoon about one-sixth of the banana cream cheese filling onto a slice of bread and top with another slice to form a sandwich. Repeat for remaining bread slices. Refrigerate the prepared sandwiches to allow the filling to firm up before dipping.
- Prepare the egg batter: In a medium shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk, ground cinnamon, and rum extract if using until fully blended. Set aside.
- Cook the French toast: Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Dip each stuffed bread sandwich into the egg batter, coating each side for approximately 3 seconds. Place them carefully in the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Clean the skillet between batches if needed.
- Keep warm and serve: Place cooked French toast on a cookie sheet in a warm oven set at 200°F (93°C) to keep them warm until all are ready. Serve warm topped with butter, maple syrup, fresh fruit, whipped cream, or powdered sugar as desired.
Notes
- Using thick slices of bread like brioche, challah, or French bread helps prevent sogginess and holds the filling well.
- Refrigerating the assembled sandwiches before dipping into the egg batter helps the filling stay firm and prevents leaks during cooking.
- Rum extract is optional but adds a lovely depth of flavor to the batter.
- Keep cooked French toast warm in a low oven if preparing in batches to maintain texture and temperature.
- You can substitute cream cheese with mascarpone or ricotta for a different flavor and texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: American
