Photo: Claire Lower
In the age of viral and often antagonistic TikTok recipes, it’s nice to see something vintage get attention. Take this “secret banana” french toast—The Reddit-famous recipe is quite simple: Puree half a banana with an egg and a little cinnamon, dip some whole grain bread in the batter, and fry in butter. It’s sort of like those two-ingredient banana pancakes, only with actual bread and gluten involved (thankfully).
You may have noticed the French toast pictured in the photo above has not been made with whole grain bread. That is because I did not have any in my house—but I did have some challah, which my preferred bread for making French toast. (If you want to see a review of the recipe exactly as written, head to The Kitchn.)
No matter your bread preference, I’m confident you’ll enjoy “invisible banana” French toast, provided you like the flavor of bananas. The batter is sweet and its sugars caramelize beautifully in the pan, giving the dish a pleasant, but not overpowering banana flavor. When made with challah, it tastes like a banana-flavored doughnut. When made with challah and finished with raspberry jam or strawberry sauce, it tastes like a banana-flavored jelly doughnut. If you fry it in oil instead of butter, it’s dairy-free, which is nice for the lactose-intolerant.
Like any French toast, you can keep the toppings simple (butter and maple syrup), but I urge you to slice up the other half of the banana and fan the slices out on top, maybe over a smear of Nutella. Banana and Nutella work magic together.
Invisible Banana French Toast (lightly adapted from Reddit)
Ingredients:
1 banana, cut in half1 egg1 teaspoon vanilla1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon2 slices of your favorite bread (I recommend challah)2 tablespoons of butter, dividedAdd half of the banana, an egg, vanilla, and cinnamon to a blender, or cup large enough to accommodate an immersion blender. Blend to combine. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Pour the batter in a shallow bowl and dip both sides of a piece of bread in the batter. Let the excess drip off.
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Once the butter starts to foam, but before it starts to brown, add the battered bread to pan. Fry on both sides for a few minutes until golden brown and crispy. Repeat with second piece of bread, adding the second tablespoon of butter to the pan if needed. Slice the remaining banana on the bias and fan on top of the French toast. Serve with your favorite French toast accompaniments.
