When we have family over to visit, they either directly ask me to make this dish or hint at it (in not-so-subtle ways!). Before we were dairy & soy-free, I used lots of butter and heavy cream to make this dish sinfully rich and delicious. When we went dairy & soy-free, I knew there was no way we could abandon this family favorite so I worked to adapt it to fit our current lifestyle. The result — bananas foster french toast that even dairy and soy eaters will love. This recipe serves 4, but feel free to double it if you want more. I usually double or triple it regardless of how many people we have over. The leftovers are even better the next day!
Bananas Foster French Toast
Ingredients:
1 loaf dairy-free, soy-free French bread (a lot of artisan breads, like French bread, are dairy & soy-free)
3 c. original flavor non-dairy milk (I like to use Califia Farms Unsweetened Shelf-Stable Almond Milk or Califia Farms Shelf-Stable Oat Milk Barista Blend)
1 c. raisins (I like using Gerb's Seedless Raisins because they're 14-allergen free and unsulphured and this 4 lb. bag is great for the pantry and lasts me a long time).
1/2 c. dark rum (you can substitute 1 tbsp. + 2 tsp. rum extract or vanilla extract mixed with 3/8 c. water)
5 ripe bananas, sliced
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract (I like Silver Cloud Flavors Pure Almond Extract because it tastes great and it's nut-free!)
6 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon
8 tbsp. dairy-free, soy-free butter, divided into two 4 tbsp. portions (such as Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks)
maple syrup (for topping, to taste)
Directions:
In a small container, soak the raisins in rum (or the extract & water mixture) for one hour.
Slice the french bread into 8 thick slices.
Mix together the “milk,” eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract in a bowl.
In another small bowl, mix together the cinnamon and granulated sugar.
In a pan, over medium heat, melt 4 tbsp. “butter.” Add the bananas and half of the cinnamon & sugar mixture (you can eyeball it!). Cook until bananas are caramelized. Once caramelized, add the raisins that you soaked (which should have absorbed all the liquid). Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then keep warm while you cook your french toast.
Dip the slices of bread in the “milk” mixture and sprinkle each slice with the cinnamon & sugar mixture on both sides.
In a large frying pan or an electric griddle (my personal favorite since I can cook all 8 slices at one time!) heat the remaining 4 tbsp. of butter. Then, add as many pieces of the dipped bread as will fit comfortably and cook until golden brown on each side, flipping half-way through cooking.
To serve, place 2 slices of french toast on each place, top with the bananas foster mixture and serve with maple syrup. We usually don’t even need the maple syrup, but some of our family members like their french toast extra sweet, so it’s nice to have the option!
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