Banana Bread Is the Secret Ingredient to the Perfect French Toast

If a plate of warm French toast or a slice of banana bread sounds like perfect comfort foods to start your morning, have we got the genius breakfast mashup for you: banana bread French toast. Sure, French toast made with yeast bread is always delicious, but swapping out that challah bread (or sliced white bread) with banana bread is a delicious way to enjoy an entirely new dish using ingredients you probably already have on hand. With almost half of America baking more these days, there might be a loaf of banana bread sitting on your counter right now! And if you already know how to make French toast, you can certainly make this.

Tips for Making French Toast with Banana Bread (or Any Quick Bread)

To start, you'll need your favorite banana bread (here are 20 of our favorite recipes to give you inspiration) or other quick bread such as pumpkin bread and zucchini bread. The best French toast usually uses day-old or "stale" bread to absorb the egg batter. It would be sad to try using a fresh loaf right out of the oven and find it crumbling before you can get it on the griddle. If your bread seems too moist, dry the number of slices you need (two per serving) in your toaster oven or oven on a baking sheet at 300°F for about 10 minutes. Just make sure you've allowed the slices to cool completely before you turn them into French toast.

Most French toast recipes start by whipping a liquid mixture of eggs, milk, and sugar. Use whatever your favorite recipe calls for, but this vanilla French toast would be a perfect recipe to use with banana bread. Simply dip your slices into the mixture and cook them in a skillet or griddle over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes per side.

Fresh out of banana bread? There are plenty of other baked goods that would do well getting the French toast treatment. Enjoy a taste of fall by using pumpkin bread or cinnamon swirl bread. Go for a fruity twist with lemon loaf and top it off with powdered sugar and a berry compote. You can also take your weekend brunch to the next level by creating French toast from baked goods you have leftover. Try slicing a day-old cinnamon roll or donut in half and flattening to turn into French toast.

After your new French toast creations are devoured, try stuffing your bread or making it in the slow cooker for a different variation. Or if you have a major sweet tooth, prepare to be amazed by a bowl of chocolate chip cookie cereal.