Banana French Toast

After 3 weeks of homeschooling, I have discovered that the easiest way to get my son out of bed in the morning is to ask if he wants to help make French Toast!! 😂😜😂

While we both agree that French Toasts are heavenly, we don't quite see eye to eye on how to plate them!! I like mine stacked up, and he likes his spread out all over the plate. How do you like your French toast?? 😍😍😍

Found this very EASY and delicious recipe by Minimalist Baker that required minimal tweaking! YAY! Since I'm always trying to decrease fat content in my food, I replaced some of the nondairy milk in this recipe with fat-free date water. By using date water and adding some dates to the batter, we increased our fiber and antioxidant intake, and achieve a healthy boost in sweetness and will consequently need less maple syrup when serving!

Here's my little sous-chef in action! I had him start off by mixing all the wet ingredients in a big measuring cup --- which serves as a measuring cup and as a mixing bowl!! 😉 After mixing the ingredients using an immersion blender, we set the batter aside to let it thicken up while we cut the bread. Because my son was helping, I transferred the batter to a wide-rimmed bowl for easy dipping whereas I would normally just keep in it the measuring cup since the bread fits anyway and I am spared from having to wash yet another bowl! I figured I might end up with a bigger mess to clean if he ended up struggling with the measuring cup! Haha! As you can see here, he does his own stunts:

Even without oil, this batter forms a beautiful golden crust without sticking to my pan, and comes out great everytime!! It's great as is, but if you want a crunchier crust, the airfryer can crisp them up in under 4mins! If you don't have an airfryer, you can trying baking or broiling in the oven --- make sure to keep a close eye to avoid burning the french toast.

When done, top with fresh fruits, nuts and/or maple syrup!! Enjoy!! 😋😋😋

Banana French Toast

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

---

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 whole wheat french bread

• 1/2 cup date water (may sub with plain water or more plant milk)

• 3/4 cup plant milk

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp flax meal

• 1 overripe medium-sized banana

• optional: 3 dates, for a sweeter batter

DIRECTIONS:

1. Blend all ingredients (except for bread) in a blender or in a deep bowl using an immersion blender, and set aside for at least 5 mins.

2. Cut bread crosswise into 3/4-in slices.

3. Quickly dip sliced bread into batter, just long enough to coat the bread without over-soaking it, and cook on a hot skillet.

4. Make sure to peek at the edges for readiness before flipping over -- the banana forms a golden crust on the bread without any added oil.

5. Optional step to make them crispy: Airfry @ 390 x 2-4mins.

6. Top with fruits and maple syrup.