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This easy banana French toast is the perfect healthy breakfast for your baby, toddler or older children! Adding mashed banana to the egg mixture adds a sweet banana flavour and makes each piece more flavourful even without syrup. Plus, it comes together with a handful of common pantry staples and is easy to reheat for yummy breakfasts all week long!
Baby Led Weaning Friendly French Toast
This baby friendly French toast is perfect for baby-led weaning, but it’s also a delicious option for every age and stage!
Since the banana French toast slices are naturally sweet, they taste amazing and you can easily cut the bread into easy-to-grab French toast sticks.
Serve with banana slices, nut butter, or yogurt for lots of flavour, fibre, and extra protein!
BANANA FRENCH TOAST
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Why We Love This French Toast Recipe with Bananas
- Quick & easy: Just like regular French toast, this simple recipe comes together so fast. Whip up your batter in the blender to skip the whisk!
- Naturally sweetened: Overripe bananas add all the sweetness you need to make this healthy banana French toast.
- Kid-friendly: French toast is always a crowd-pleaser! The entire family will enjoy this French toast recipe with bananas added for an extra kick of sweetness and flavour.
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Eggs: In traditional French toast, the eggs help create a nice crust on the outside of the bread.
- Banana: Choose a large overripe banana, which is softer and will be sweeter than a fresh banana.
- Milk: Choose any desired milk percentage to soak into the bread’s nooks and crannies. You may wish to use whole milk for younger babies to add extra fat and calories.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is traditional in French toast and brings all of the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract: A little vanilla gives this French toast a delicious aroma.
- Sliced bread: I prefer to use thick whole wheat bread for this easy recipe, but you can use any bread you have on hand. Stale bread will have the best texture.
- Coconut oil or butter: You’ll need a well-oiled griddle or pan to get a nice crisp crust on each slide of bread.
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the eggs, banana, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can mash the banana in a shallow dish and whisk in the remaining ingredients.
- Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or butter to a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Alternatively, you can use nonstick cooking spray.
- While the coconut oil or butter melts, carefully dip a slice of bread in the egg mixture and then flip to make sure you coat both sides of the bread. Leave the bread in the mixture for about 10-15 seconds.
- Place the coated bread slices in the hot skillet and cook until golden brown and crispy on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with more slices. You should be able to get about 8 slices depending on the type of bread you use.
- Top with fruit of choice, yogurt, nut butter, and/or a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired!
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Tips for the Best Banana French Toast Recipe
- For the best banana French toast, use a thicker type of bread. We used whole wheat Texas toast for an extra boost of fibre. Sourdough, challah, brioche or French bread also work great in this recipe. Avoid using bread that’s too thin and flimsy as it may get too soggy and potentially fall apart when you transfer it to the pan.
- Be sure to use a ripe banana as it will lend the best flavour to the toast.
- Don’t soak the bread in the French toast batter for too long, as it may result in soggy French toast. I find that 10-15 seconds is a good amount of time to allow the egg mixture to absorb into the bread without making it overly soggy.
- Be careful not to cook the French toast over too high of heat as it may cause the outside of the bread to brown too quickly, leaving the middle undercooked. If the French toast is browning too quickly, turn the heat down to medium low heat.
- If preferred, you can also slice the bread into strips before coating in the banana egg mixture. It makes the perfect baby-led weaning french toast sticks!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Simply replace the regular sandwich bread with your favourite gluten-free bread. Look for thicker bread that will stand up to the eggs and milk a little better.
Absolutely! I highly recommend making a second batch and freezing the leftovers for later. Be sure to let the French toast cool completely, then wrap the slices in either foil or plastic wrap. Place them into a freezer-safe bag and freeze for 1-3 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge the day before you want to serve them. Either bake your leftover French toast slices in the oven (350 degrees for 5-10 minutes) or reheat them on the griddle following the instructions below.
This is a great recipe for people who are dairy or lactose-free because there are some really easy substitutions. Use your favorite non-dairy milk (almond milk, cashew, coconut, etc) instead of cow’s milk. Skip the butter and use coconut oil to heat your skillet or griddle. Choose dairy-free toppings like plant-based whipped cream or yogurt for an easy dairy-free breakfast.
Especially if you’re making a large batch for meal prep, try baking your French toast in the oven next time! This will save time standing over the stove and you’ll have more time to assemble the toppings.
Dip all of your french toast slices like normal and add them to a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve like normal.
Storage & Reheating Guidelines
- Refrigerator: Store leftover French toast in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- To reheat: Heat up a large skillet over medium-high heat and warm each slice for 1-2 minutes per side. You can also pop it in the toaster or bake each slice of this easy French toast in the toaster oven at 350 degrees oven for 2-3 minutes.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Since this healthy French toast is on the lower side when it comes to protein, I recommend serving it with scrambled eggs (like these scrambled eggs for baby), egg bites, yogurt or another source of protein.
For baby-led weaning, you can slice it into thin long strips or for toddlers and older children, you can cut it into fun shapes!
Optional Toppings
Don’t forget to add your little one’s favourite toppings for a delicious meal even picky eaters will love!
Try it topped with:
- Peanut butter (or any nut butter)
- Sliced bananas
- Cream cheese
- Fresh fruit or berries
- Chia jam (we love this strawberry chia jam)
- Yogurt
- Unsweetened applesauce (try this sugar free applesauce recipe)
- Pure maple syrup
- Mini chocolate chips
- Whipped cream
Sometimes I’ll even make this banana French toast into a sandwich topped with a spread of cream cheese, chia jam and sliced strawberries or bananas.
It makes a delicious option for those lunch boxes!
Recipe Variations
- Dairy-free: Choose plant-based milk and use coconut oil instead of butter.
- Gluten-free: Replace your regular bread with gluten-free bread.
- “The Elvis:” Top each slice of French toast with peanut butter, sliced bananas, and a drizzle of honey (or maple for kids under 1). So yummy!
More Healthy Breakfast Ideas
- 3-Ingredient Protein Waffles
- 3-Ingredient Banana Waffles
- Baby Cereal Pancakes
- Baby Banana Bread
- Pancake Batter Donuts
- Mini Egg Bites
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Easy Banana French Toast
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large overripe banana
- 1/4 cup milk (or milk alternative)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 8-9 slices of bread (I used whole wheat Texas toast)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter plus more if necessary
Instructions
- Add the eggs, banana, milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract to a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can mash the banana in a shallow dish and whisk in the remaining ingredients.
- Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil or butter to a non-stick frying pan set over medium heat. Alternatively, you can use nonstick cooking spray.
- While the coconut oil or butter melts, carefully dip a slice of bread in the egg mixture and then flip to make sure you coat both sides of the bread. Leave the bread in the mixture for about 10-15 seconds.
- Place the coated bread slices in the hot skillet and cook until golden brown and crispy on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Repeat with more slices. You should be able to get about 8 slices depending on the type of bread you use.
- Top with fruit of choice, yogurt, nut butter, and/or a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired!
Notes
- For the best banana French toast, use a thicker type of bread. We used whole wheat Texas toast for an extra boost of fibre. Sourdough, challah, brioche or French bread also work great in this recipe. Avoid using bread that’s too thin and flimsy as it may get too soggy and potentially fall apart when you transfer it to the pan.
- Be sure to use a ripe banana as it will lend the best flavour to the toast.
- Don’t soak the bread in the French toast batter for too long, as it may result in soggy French toast. I find that 10-15 seconds is a good amount of time to allow the egg mixture to absorb into the bread without making it overly soggy.
- Be careful not to cook the French toast over too high of heat as it may cause the outside of the bread to brown too quickly, leaving the middle undercooked. If the French toast is browning too quickly, turn the heat down to medium low heat.
- If preferred, you can also slice the bread into strips before coating in the banana egg mixture. It makes the perfect baby-led weaning french toast sticks!
I have a kiddo with an egg allergy, do you know if there’s a way to still make this French toast without the egg??
I haven’t personally tried it, but you could try adding about a tablespoon of cornstarch or tapioca starch as a replacement for the egg. Chia seeds might work as well. It helps to thicken it slightly and form a custard mixture similar to the egg. Let me know how it turns out if you decide to experiment!