Banana Cinnamon French Toast

Banana Cinnamon French Toast

We've been in Maine for about a week now, and its been lovely. Catching up with cousins, hiking with our puppy, watching the wild turkeys in the field outside our cabin every morning with Alex; its been idyllic and relaxing.
But now that we're settled in? I want to cook.
I offered to make breakfast Sunday morning and wanted a simple meal that was sure to please, especially since I was feeding a breakfast table full of non-vegans.
It turned out perfectly, hearty and sweet.
A crunchy cinnamon crust leading into warm, gooey banana bread.
Topped with some earth balance and a little of Dad's homemade maple syrup? Oh man.

My Dad makes his own maple syrup from the sugar maple trees on his land. It tastes phenomenal. Its lighter, naturally sweeter, and darker in color than even the most raw, organic syrups you find at the grocery store. 
It is liquid gold on warm, fluffy french toast.

After mixing my batter, I always like to pour it into a wider, more shallow dish for dipping. A pie pan or casserole dish works great, and makes dipping, flipping and coating your french toast slices super easy.

The bread is really the secret to a great french toast. Thin, soft bread makes for soggy frech toast; too thickly sliced and it will be too dry in the middle. 
Baguettes and boules, cut into about 1/2 inch slices, are best. Having air pockets in the bread allows trapped batter to get gooey and gives you pockets of warm, melty cinnamon goodness. Mmmm.
This recipe has been approved and officially dubbed by my sister: 
Banana Bread French Toast.
Its her new favorite.

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
3/4 cup hemp milk
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
6-8 slices of crusty vegan bread

optional add-ins:
1/2 tsp. orange, lemon, or almond extract
1/4 cup chopped nuts
2 T. powdered peanut butter
(I just discovered powdered PB. It adds a nice, light PB flavor to things without being overwhelming. Great in baked goods and oatmeal!)

Instructions:
Mash bananas in a medium mixing bowl with a fork. Whisk in milk, cinnamon, & vanilla until combined.
Pour mixture into a shallow dish- a pie plate works great. Dip bread into the wet mixture, flipping to coat the whole slice evenly.
 Place dipped slices onto a pre-heated and greased skillet and let cook about 3-5 minutes on each side, until the edges no longer bubble and both sides are golden brown and crispy.
Enjoy while warm with maple syrup, agave nectar, or fresh fruit!
Makes 6-8 pieces of french toast.

print recipe