Bananas Foster French Toast Bake combines three of my favorite things from New Orleans, brunch, booze and dessert! Mardi Gras season is here and it’s leaving me with some major NOLA daydreams. We spent 5 days in the Big Easy last Spring and like any first time visitor I quickly fell in love with the city, it’s culture, and of course the cuisine. This mouth watering creation transforms the iconic, NOLA born dessert, Bananas Foster, into an indulgent, sticky sweet breakfast bake. You can find similar versions on the brunch menu at Stanley or Surrey’s and now in your own kitchen. The flavors will exceed all of your expectations. But what I love most about this recipe is that it’s make ahead and insanely easy. Serve it up on Fat Tuesday or a Mardi Gras inspired brunch…and don’t forget the beads!
Here’s all you’ll need: butter, brown sugar, heavy whipping cream, cinnamon, allspice, pecans, bananas, challah bread, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and rum extract.
Place the butter in a microwave safe dish. Heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals until the butter is melted. Add the brown sugar, cream, cinnamon, allspice and pecans. Stir to combine. If you’re looking to lighten up this dish, you can most definitely substitute half and half for the heavy cream. The recipe as it’s written is a totally splurge-worthy but absolutely worth it!
Next cut the bananas into 1/4-inch slices. Fresh bananas work best in this recipe since it sits overnight in the refrigerator. The fresher the better. Save those overripe nanners for our Best Ever Frosted Banana Bars!
Add the banana slices to the brown sugar mixture and gently toss to coat.
This casserole is fun to make because it’s assembled upside down style. Spray a 13X9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the banana mixture into the casserole dish. Top with bread slices. You can cut the bread to fit if necessary. Challah bread is ideal for Bananas Foster French Toast Bake because it’s a little spongy, a bit crusty, and infused with a slight sweetness. It comes in a braided loaf which makes it feel a little bit fancy and special too. If you can’t get your hands on a good challah, a great substitute is Texas Toast or French bread.
Place the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and rum extracts in a blender and process until blended. Of course if you want to get physical you can whisk this up by hand as well. Pour the egg mixture over the bread slices. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
When you’re ready to bake pre heat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the casserole dish from the fridge while the oven heats. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. When ready to serve, run a knife around the edges of the casserole and invert the dish on a cutting board or serving platter. Slice into six pieces and enjoy! Bananas Foster French Toast Bake is perfect for me as is but if you need a little something for dipping try a caramel syrup or rum sauce.
Bananas Foster French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, cubed
- 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 3 large bananas, sliced
- 6-8 slices egg bread or challah
- 1-1/2 cups milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
Directions
- Step 1 Place the butter in a microwave safe dish. Heat in the microwave in 30 second intervals until the butter is melted. Add the brown sugar, cream, cinnamon, allspice and pecans. Stir to combine.
- Step 2 Cut the bananas into 1/4-inch slices. Add the banana slices to the brown sugar mixture and gently toss to coat.
- Step 3 Spray a 13X9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the banana mixture into the casserole dish. Top with bread slices. Trim the bread to fit if necessary.
- Step 4 Place the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and rum extracts in a blender and process until blended. Pour the egg mixture over the bread slices. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
- Step 5 When ready to bake pre heat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the casserole dish from the fridge while the oven heats. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Step 6 Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the casserole and invert the dish on a cutting board or platter to serve. Slice into six pieces and enjoy!
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