Growing up, “french toast” meant Eggo French Toast Sticks – a tasty treat we only broke out when our parents let us have the rare sleepover. Those sugary confections were yummy, but so far from actual French toast that for a long time I didn’t even know French toast was made by dipping bread into a mixture of milk and egg. I thought it was just… toast-shaped pancakes? How far I’ve come.
It is unclear exactly when it occurred to me to cook French toast myself – I was probably inspired by some mouthwatering Instagram on my feed, to be honest. I just remember being shocked at how easy it was, and subsequently having breakfast for dinner no less than three times in one week.
A dish that started out as an impulsive experiment has since lent itself as a vehicle for a endless variety of toppings, based on whatever is on hand (or random cravings I get fixated on). Here, I just layered strawberries and bananas and then drizzled with maple syrup – nothing revolutionary, but delicious nonetheless. Another go-to combination is almond butter, cinnamon, and bananas. My favorite alteration by far is using thick slices of challah… be right back, dreaming of cheat day!
P.S. I’ve realized this summer how versatile bananas are, despite the fact that I don’t particularly enjoy eating plain bananas! They’re cheap and a great topping for yogurt, overnight oats, chia pudding, toast, pancakes, smoothies you name it… Let me know if you’d like a post on more ways to use bananas!
- In a wide, shallow bowl, beat together all the ingredients except the toast.
- Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and spread it out evenly.
- Once the butter starts to sizzle, dip both sides of as many slices of bread that can fit into your pan at once and cook on both sides until golden.
- Serve with whatever toppings your heart desires!
Sub the cinnamon and vanilla for chai spices, or throw in some lemon juice/zest, or almond extract, or leave out the spices completely if you're going for some savory toppings like avocado and mozzarella! Be creative - it's hard to go wrong!