Hawaiian Bread and Maple Banana Baked French Toast
Assembly takes just 5 minutes, but French toast can be prepared as a make-ahead/overnight recipe if desired. Hawaiian Bread is so light, soft, and fluffy, and is the perfect sponge to soak up a sweet, buttery marinade. The marinade contains brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and spices, and gently and warmly flavors the bread and the diced banana bits. While baking, the bread caramelizes, and develops a slightly crusted exterior, yet retains a soft, tender interior. The bananas turn extra chewy and their flavor intensifies and takes on hints of maple. The smell of maple syrup, bananas, and bread baking is almost as good as the way the French toast tastes.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Course: French Toast
Servings: 9
Calories: 356kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
½cupunsalted buttermelted
2large eggs
½cupmilk or creamregular, soy, almond, cashew, etc.
½cupgranulated sugar
⅓cupmaple syrup - heaping
¼cuplight brown sugarpacked
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1tablespooncinnamon
¼teaspoonallspice
¼teaspoonground nutmeg
¼teaspoonsaltoptional and to taste
optionally add: about 1/2 cup raisinsblueberries (fresh or frozen), diced apples, peaches, or mangoes; coconut flakes
1poundHawaiian Breaddiced in 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces, see substitutions below
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-by-9-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute (or use browned butter. Allow the butter to cool momentarily so you don't curdle the milk or scramble the eggs.
Add all remaining ingredients to the butter, except for the bread and bananas, and whisk until smooth and combined. Add the bread cubes, bananas, and toss gently to coat.
Transfer mixture to baking pan, pressing it down just slightly with a spatula to even and smooth it, but I leave it fairly loosely piled (unlike bread pudding which is packed down). Push down any bread corners or sides that are jutting up so they don't burn. Scrape out any marinade in the bottom of the bowl and pour that over the bread.
Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden and browned, and the marinade has dried out some, taking care not to overbake as you want this moist. The coating does not have to be bone dry on all pieces. Serve immediately by slicing into pieces (I made 9 generous squares) or scoop with a serving spoon.
Serve with Vanilla Maple Butter, warm maple syrup, a dusting of confectioners' sugar, a sprinkle of salt (my husband loved the salty-and-sweet) or plain. Store extra French Toast in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, reheating gently in the microwave prior to serving with a drizzle of syrup; or freeze for up to 2 months. French toast becomes less sticky as the days pass, making it easy to wrap up like muffin for a portable snack.
If making this as a make-ahead/overnight option, assemble, cover pan with foil, and refrigerate for up to 16 hours before baking. Remove foil, and bake as directed, possibly extending baking time past what's suggest (30 to 35 minutes) since pan and contents are starting out cold from the fridge.
You can use Challah bread as a Hawaiian bread SubstituteIf making this as an overnight/make-ahead option, use French bread, a French Baguette, or a crusty and hearty bread that can stand up to overnight soaking without disintegrating