Give French Toast A Sweet Makeover With One Bread Swap

The bread you choose for your favorite French toast is personal. Maybe you like a buttery brioche or a fluffy challah. Perhaps you prefer a thick slice of Texas toast, or small, oval pieces of French baguette piled high and drizzled with maple syrup. But if you're looking to seriously boost the sweetness of your stack, there's one beloved breakfast item that could be a game changer: banana bread.

There are a lot of delicious twists on French toast that will stir your cravings, but this simple exchange doesn't require any major ingredient additions or extra time. By using banana bread, you're bringing all the natural sweetness of the fruit, giving it that battered French toast treatment, and cooking it up in hot butter — which promotes a crispy, caramelized exterior, and an eggy, custardy middle. 

Banana already pairs well with maple, cinnamon, and traditional flavors of this breakfast classic. You can also use your own banana bread recipe, or reach for a store-bought loaf, which makes this a cinch to pull off on the fly — morning, noon, or night.

There are some common banana bread mistakes to avoid, and when it comes to converting it into French toast, there a few additional notes to keep in mind. To start, banana bread is quite soft and moist, which is part of what makes it delicious. But for this dish, you'll want to do something that may seem blasphemous — let it go a little stale. When it's a bit dry, you'll have a much better chance at getting it to absorb the batter. Also be sure to use a nonstick pan that's been pre-heated, as the tender bread is more delicate than something like a sourdough or whole wheat, and you don't want to wind up trying to scrape it off the surface and having your pieces fall apart.

Once you've got your banana bread French toast process down pat, you can play with all kinds of ways to customize and serve it. Try peanut butter and crumbled bacon on top for a little saltiness and protein (in an offering Elvis Presley would love). Walnuts, chocolate chips, and pumpkin seeds all add both texture and flavor to your French toast, and while maple syrup will definitely fit the bill, honey is also a delicious option as a topping.

You can also try this trick with similar options, too. Look at quick breads for inspiration, from pumpkin to zucchini and even lemon poppy breads, and go forth with your French toast experiments.