Cinnamon Crusted Banana Stuffed French Toast (plus more)

Well, this is fun!

There are lots of ways to make banana French toast.  You can even make French toast with with banana bread rather than with yeasted bread.

Banana Bread French Toast

But I bet you've never seen banana bread that is stuffed with bananas and then coated with cinnamon sugar. But It's a type of French toast.  You can coat any French toast with cinnamon sugar. 

So, that's another trick to add to your kitchen arsenal.  

You can also add a cinnamon sugar coating to peanut butter and jam sandwiches.

How to Make Cinnamon Crusted Banana Stuffed French Toast

Make a banana sandwich. Trim the crusts from the bread, and match up slices in even squares with bananas in the middle. Soak the sandwiches in the egg wash, first on one side and then the other. Then cook them on the griddle with a pan over the sandwiches to trap the heat and cook through to the center, turning once on the griddle.

You'll need homemade bread for this. Store-bought sliced bread is too thin.

• 6 slices of homemade bread sliced 1-inch thick
• 3 large eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2-cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter, softened

Directions

1. Cut the crusts off the bread. Cut the slices into squares.
2. Combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla in a shallow dish. Mix well.
3. Combine the cinnamon and sugar, and put it in a dish that will be used for dredging the French toast squares.
4. Slice the bananas lengthwise into slices 1/4 to 3/8-inches thick. Make the banana sandwiches.
5. Soak the sandwiches in the egg mixture until they absorb the mixture but not until they are soggy, turning them once in the wash.
6. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and add the bread squares. Cook them until they are golden brown on each side.
7. Use tongs to place and turn the sandwiches in the cinnamon sugar mixture, making sure to coat on all sides.
8. Cook and dredge the remaining sticks, adding more butter as needed.

Baker's note: Kamie, in our kitchen, used Maple Cinnamon Sugar instead of regular cinnamon sugar. 

And now for the syrups . . . 

Bananas are mild enough that you can run with almost any syrup. You won't go wrong with any of the buttermilk syrups.  The buttermilk syrups come in mixes. They're very good, very affordable, and very easy.  Add water and butter and cook them until they start to bubble and turn caramel-colored.  

You can also use fruit syrups.  Strawberry, peach, or apple go well with bananas.  Enjoy your adventure.  We also carry cream syrups.