Indulge in This Boozy and Sweet Bananas Foster French Toast Recipe

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In the 1950s, bananas cooked in a bubbling mixture of brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon, flambéed in rum, and served over vanilla ice cream became a classic dessert in New Orleans’ Brennan’s restaurant. Named bananas Foster as a tribute to civic leader Richard Foster, the dramatic dessert gained traction globally. Though seemingly impossible to make bananas Foster even better, recipe developer Miriam Hahn defied the odds by combining it with another brunch favorite: French toast. 

Her bananas Foster French toast recipe involves topping pan-seared, buttery, and batter-soaked toast with rum-infused caramelized bananas. This show-stopping dish makes a fancy Sunday morning breakfast that gives restaurant vibes. And, though it sounds sophisticated, it can be made in just 45 minutes. Moreover, Hanh says, “While you may think that a flambé is necessary for bananas Foster, it’s not required to make this unforgettable and elevated brunch meal.”

Once you try this recipe, you’ll realize that you can also use the caramelized bananas on other breakfast items for a more decadent meal. Hanh suggests bananas Foster on baked French toast, waffles, oatmeal, pound cake, and even layered in a parfait.

To make this recipe, you’ll start with some yellow and firm bananas without any green parts. Make sure you also have butter, heavy cream, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. The dish also uses bread, of course, but you’ll need thick slices to make the French toast. For the bananas Foster’s rich molasses-like spice flavoring, you’ll need dark rum. Finally, to add a little crunch, you can top with chopped pecans if you like.

Begin the bananas Foster by melting ¼ cup butter in a pan over medium heat.

Stir in the brown sugar, ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, and maple syrup.

Once it’s bubbling, add the rum and mix. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.

Add the sliced bananas and cook for 5 minutes, spooning the sauce over the bananas.

Cover the pan and continue to simmer over low heat until you’re ready to top the French toast with it.

To start the French toast, in a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.

Dip the bread slices into the mixture, soaking each side for about 20 seconds.

In a medium skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.

Cook the bread in the pan, about 2 to 3 minutes per side, in batches. Add some more of the remaining butter to the pan with each batch.

Once done cooking the French toast, remove the bananas Foster from the heat and pour over the French toast. Garnish with the remaining cinnamon and, if desired, diced pecans.

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Often, making bananas Foster involves a flambé technique where alcohol is ignited in a hot pan, resulting in a theatrical, short-lived flame that burns off the alcohol as quickly as it infuses the smoky, caramelized flavor. You’ll typically see flambé performed tableside at fancy restaurants to draw patrons’ eyes. At home, simply cooking off the alcohol by bringing the mixture to a bubbling simmer will do the trick. But that’s not to say you can’t create a flambé at home when making bananas Foster.

To try your hand at it, start by choosing a pan that can withstand high heat, like stainless steel or cast iron. Avoid using nonstick pans or lightweight aluminum pans. It’s also important to use a larger one with a long handle. 

Measure out the rum instead of eyeballing it. Using too much alcohol can be dangerous, and a small amount goes a long way. After you add the rum to a hot pan, remove the pan from the heat source and ignite the alcohol with a long lighter. The flame will rise and burn off the alcohol. Once it subsides, you can return it to the burner. As a safety precaution, always keep a fire extinguisher or pan lid close to smother the flame if needed.

There are many bread options to choose from when making French toast. You generally want to look for dense and sturdy bread that won’t fall apart while it’s soaking in the batter.

Texas toast is a white bread that is thickly sliced and will work perfectly. Get the plain version instead of the garlic flavor. Texas toast will crisp up nicely on the outside and stay tender on the inside. Another option is brioche bread. It is very buttery and a bit sweet, adding a unique richness to the French toast. 

Challah bread is another classic bread used for French toast. It will soak up the batter well due to its high egg content. Many versions are sold unsliced, allowing you to slice the bread as thick as you want. Because it is soft, it is best to use a sharp, serrated bread knife for cutting. If you want to use regular sandwich bread that you may have on hand, let it sit for a few days and get slightly stale to hold up to the soaking better.

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