When breakfast sounds like it should be a dessert… yeah, that’s our kind of morning. We’ll be jumping straight out of bed every time Brown-Sugar-Banana French Toast Bake is on the table. It’s a mouthful to say, but once you get a mouthful of its sweet, crumbly, banana-infused delightfulness, it won’t even matter. It combines a few of our favorite things, mornings being one of them, so the joy these bring are unmatched for us! Whether you’re a morning person or not, Brown-Sugar-Banana French Toast Bake will surely make your sunrise time so much sweeter!
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- salt, to taste
- 3 bananas, ripe-firm, peeled and sliced
For the French toast:
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 (15-ounce) loaf French bread, preferably 1-2 days old, cut into large cubes
For the brown sugar topping:
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- salt, to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Directions
Step 1 –Grease a 3-quart baking dish.
Step 2 –In a skillet over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons of the butter.
Step 3 –Add 3/4 cup of the brown sugar, the maple syrup, and the salt to the butter and cook, stirring constantly, until it is smooth.
Step 4 –Transfer the brown sugar mixture from the heat and carefully stir in the bananas.
Step 5 –Let the banana mixture cool to room temperature.
Step 6 –While the banana mixture is cooling, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs, the milk, the half-and-half, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the vanilla together.
Step 7 –Place 1/2 of the bread cubes in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Step 8 –Spoon 1/2 of the cooled banana mixture over the bread then top with the remaining bread cubes.
Step 9 –Evenly pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Lightly press down on the top of the bread so that the top layer of bread absorbs some of the liquid.
Step 10 –Spoon the remaining banana mixture over the top of the bread layer.
Step 11 –Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
Step 12 –In a bowl, combine the remaining brown sugar, the flour, the remaining cinnamon, and the salt.
Step 13 –Add the remaining butter to the topping mixture and use a spoon to work it in until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture resembles wet, clumpy sand.
Step 14 –Cover and refrigerate until the French toast bake is ready to be baked.
Step 15 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 16 –Transfer the French toast from the refrigerator and sprinkle with the topping mixture.
Step 17 –Bake the French toast bake, uncovered, until puffed, golden-brown, and set, about 40-55 minutes.
Step 18 –Serve.
