Leftover bananas are a reality in my life. I’m just not good at estimating how many bananas to buy in a week. Instead of letting them slowly turn brown on the counter until their fate as banana bread is sealed, I’m always trying to come up with fun ways to use up my extras. If you’re looking for a breakfast or brunch dish that’s flavorful, fun, and uses some bananas, you’ll definitely want to try this Bananas Foster Stuffed French Toast.

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Stuffed French toast is one of my favorite breakfast dishes to make and to eat. It’s nearly as easy to make as regular French toast, but so much more impressive to serve. I’ve always said that it will be a signature dish once I open my bed and breakfast! And this one is definitely going on the menu.

How to Make Stuffed French Toast

There are a couple techniques to getting that filling inside your French toast. In this recipe, I use two pieces of regular sliced bread, and spread the filling in between. Another option is to use a thicker slice of bread, and create a pocket. Either way, it will be delicious.

The first step is to make the filling. To use cream cheese, it needs to be softer enough to easily spread, without tearing through the bread slices. To do that, you can leave it at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes. Or, you can microwave it in very short bursts. Be careful if microwaving, because it may pop. If you hear that, it’s softened enough.

Adding milk and and sugar to the cream cheese helps with both the texture and flavor. You mix these all together until smooth, and then spread on the slices of bread. I like to put in on both slices, and then nestle the bananas slices in between. Then, you can just gently pinch the edges of the bread together. It doesn’t need to be fully sealed.

You cook it just like regular French toast. Mix together eggs, milk, and vanilla and drench each of the sandwiches. Then fry until perfectly golden brown. But the filling just makes it so much more exciting than its normal counterpart.

What Is Bananas Foster?

Bananas Foster is a dessert that originated in New Orleans, that involves cooking bananas in a brown sugar, butter, and rum sauce – essentially a rum-caramel. Traditional it’s served over vanilla ice cream, but can be eaten as a crepe filling, over French toast, like here, or simply with a spoon!

It’s often prepared and served using a flambé technique, in which the rum vapors are lit on fire. However, if you don’t want to do that here, it doesn’t change the flavor of the dish. The flambé just adds a little “flash” to the presentation. It can be fun when serving this for a group brunch!

How to Make Bananas Foster

Start making the sauce while the sandwiches are frying. Melt the butter but add the sugar before it starts crackling, and mix it together until smooth. A little splash of water helps everything come together.

Then you can add the bananas into the pan in a single layer, and cook them for just a couple minutes in the gooey caramel sauce. Gently turn and stir to coat the bananas, but be careful not to smash them. It’s okay if a few break in half or thirds, though.

When you add the rum, it’s totally acceptable to take a sip or a shot. No one is judging here. If you want to drink more, I suggest a cinnamon, pear, and rum cocktail to drink while you’re cooking or eating. If you’re lighting it on fire, be cautious. Use a long lighter, and make sure nothing flammable is nearby. The flames should go out on their own in just a minute or so. It’s a good idea to have a pot lid ready to smother if needed.

If you don’t want to deal with fire (or you can’t find your lighter, like in my house), you’re not sacrificing any flavor, so don’t worry! You can simply stir in the rum and let it cook for a little bit to combine all the flavors. Scoop the cooked bananas and sauce onto the sandwiches, and enjoy!

How to Serve Bananas Foster French Toast

This dish is perfect for a brunch main course. Here are some tips on how to plan a three-course brunch menu, and even more for throwing a themed brunch party. A New Orleans theme would suit this perfectly. Add in some beignets and chicory coffee, yum!

Don’t forget the cocktails! This French toast is sweet, so a light dragon fruit raspberry sangria or bourbon mint lemonade would pair nicely. For a savory touch, serve with a few vegan lentil-pecan sausage patties on the side.

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