The following is a guest post by Tess Masters, The Blender Girl - actor, presenter, lifestyle personality, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies book, The Perfect Blend, and The Detox Dynamo Cleanse. She and her easy healthy recipes have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Real Simple, Prevention, Clean Eating, the Today Show, and other media outlets. She is the global spokesperson for KitchenAid blenders and lives in Los Angeles.
For a fabulous family breakfast, brunch, dessert, or (dare I say it?) snack, you can’t beat this phenomenal French toast. My family and I have been battering up with this baby for years, and it is a huge hit with everyone we serve it to. People even say they prefer this healthier incantation of the classic comfort food to its original counterpart! I've received thousands of elated emails and messages on social media about this righteous recipe since I included it in my latest book The Perfect Blend, so I had to share it with you.
Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from us every week!
So simple, so delicious, so creamy, so crispy you may never blend your batter using dairy milk and eggs again. Yep! This terrific treasure is dairy free, egg free, and also gluten free, and it utilizes whole ingredients.
Now, before you grimace at the thought of using cardboard-like gluten-free sandwich bread (we all know how awful that can be), the brilliant batter in this recipe makes even the worst gluten-free bread full and fluffy! I use whole-grain gluten-free bread, but you could use regular whole-wheat bread as well. Just know that this recipe (ingredient ratios and cook times) has been calibrated for gluten-free bread. So, you may need more coconut oil when frying and will need to adjust the temperature of your stove top as well as the cook time.
But, resist the urge to use less coconut oil than what I've prescribed, otherwise, your bread won't crisp up. I don't know about you, but I love my French toast crispy on the outside and moist and chewy on the inside.
This French toast is a fun, family-friendly recipe. I make it with my niece and nephew, and they love soaking the bread and preparing their toppings so they can get their serving juuust right. The caramelized bananas I've included in this recipe are always a hit, but this fried bread will get cozy with any fruit that takes your fancy. Try serving it with stewed or poached apples, pears, peaches, rhubarb, or some fresh berries.
If you want to make this recipe nut-free, use rice, soy, or hemp milk in the batter, and top it with coconut flakes instead of nuts. Bon appetit!
Blend More Than Smoothies
I use my blender to make all kinds of delicious recipes. I think it's the greatest culinary tool we've been given since fire and spoons! So, I want to encourage you to use your blender beyond smoothies, soups, and cocktails. Your blender can make healthy fast food possible. Blending makes life easier, levels the playing field in the kitchen, and allows anybody to whip up nutrient-dense, tasty foods with limited skills and time.
While my books and website do contain a full repertoire of drinks, smoothies, and soups, you’ll find more than food to sip, glug, or scoop up with a spoon. My recipes are blender centered but by no means blender only. I favor blender-inspired dishes—appetizers, snacks, salads, desserts, and easy main dishes you can attack with your trusty knife and fork.
This is why I love this blender more than anything else on the market:
- The most powerful blender to pulverize ingredients for silky smooth consistencies.
- 3 Adapti-Blend™ pre-programmed settings for smoothies, soups, and juices.
- Insulated jar that keeps the contents cool when you're blending smoothies and juices.
- BPA-free container with soft-touch handle grip and asymmetric stainless steel blade.
- Speed dial that goes to 11 to take things beyond regular speeds to completely pulverize ingredients more quickly.
- Pulse switch for an extra boost of power at any speed.
This is the best blender I have ever used. And I own them all!
You May Also Enjoy
- Peanut Butter Banana Stuffed French Toast
- Sourdough French Toast
- Whole Wheat French Toast
- Quick Breakfast Ideas
- Healthy Breakfast Ideas
If you enjoyed this homemade French toast recipe, please leave a rating and comment! For more inspiration, check out my Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. For 5 free weekly meal plans and more free resources, sign up to receive my free newsletter! For more ideas, check out these Breakfast Recipes.
French Toast
Ingredients
French Toast
- 1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
- 1 medium banana (ripe)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (white or black)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (ground)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 slices bread (gluten-free)
- ¼ cup coconut oil (melted)
Caramelized Bananas
- 2 medium bananas (thickly sliced on the diagonal)
- ¼ cup coconut sugar ((or regular sugar))
- 1 - 2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
- Pure maple syrup (for serving)
Toppings
- 2 tablespoons pecans (or walnuts, crushed)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Set the oven to its lowest temperature or the “warm” setting.
- To make the French toast, pour the milk, banana, maple syrup, vanilla, chia seeds, cinnamon, and salt into your blender and blast on high for about 30 seconds until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into a large shallow baking dish and let rest for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly. In batches, place slices of the bread in the baking dish and let soak on one side for 8 to 10 seconds. Flip the slices and let soak for another 8 to 10 seconds, until evenly moistened.
- In a medium skillet (that fits two slices of bread) or on a large griddle (that holds all of the slices) over medium heat, warm 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil per two slices of bread. (Resist the urge to use less coconut oil or the bread won’t get crispy.) Add the bread and fry for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy on the edges; you may need to add more coconut oil after you flip the bread. If cooking in batches, transfer the French toast to a lined baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm and repeat to fry the remaining bread, adding more coconut oil to cook each batch.
- While the last pieces of toast are cooking, make the caramelized bananas. Combine the banana slices and the coconut sugar in a zip-lock bag, seal, and shake to coat evenly.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, warm the coconut oil, add the coated bananas, and fry for about 2 minutes on each side until nicely caramelized.
- Serve two slices of French toast on each plate, topped with one-quarter of the caramelized bananas, one-quarter of the crushed nut boosters, and one-quarter of the coconut booster. Pass maple syrup at the table.
Anita Lowe says
Use to make my own cashew butter, soups, smoothies and recipies i have not had opportunity to make w/o a high speed blender.
Alyssa P. says
I would use it for smoothies and sauces :)
Ariel Santos says
Would love this blender for making smoothies! #Vegan :) <3
Betsy Smith says
I would use the blender to make nut butters, smoothies, salad dressings, soups, banana nice cream, dips....so many things! I have an autoimmune disease and I am always trying to eat food that will help my body and not harm it. I also have a family and want them to eat healthy too. Having a blender like this would be amazing!
Melissa Vasquez says
Perfect smoothies and pina coladas here i come!
Jessie Kuykendall says
I would love to use the blender to work through the Blender Girl books.
Susie Paunan says
I would love this blender so my daughter can make all the different smoothies she loves!
Brianna says
I'd use it for smoothies - my current blender can't blend frozen fruits and leaves way too many chunks!
Ayala says
I love your page and always something new and your recipes are the bomb. I would love to win this blender to help me incorporate more things in my road to clean living. I hope I win
Angela says
I would love to make smoothies!
Jackie bean says
I would LOVE to use this blender to make healthy soups and meals for my little ones, especially my very picky 4 year old!
Amanda chilberg says
I would make healthy green smoothies for my kids and I as well as sauces.
Shemara Lakin says
I would like to use this blender to help heal my fibromyalgia and many autoimmune disorders, I have refused pharmaceuticals and want to heal myself naturally. This means list of blended raw meals and paleo eating, with disability still not started yet and jobs refusing to hire the limited hours I can work and other issues that come and go I don't have funds to get myself stocked up on the tools I need to do this
This is why winning would mean the world to me
I'm also teaching others how to deal with their health issues and autoimmune disorders as I work on mine, as I was in college for my fitness degree as I was diagnosed....I'm hoping to integrate what I know with what I'm learning and help others with same issues!!
Maria Veronica Diaz says
I'd love to have a KitchenAid blender to make my shakes and baby purée for my little one. My actual blender leaks a lot.
Jennifer kastelic says
Ohhhh, If I won this lovely blender I would start with making smoothies and soups and also use it to help me make different consistencies in making jam from all the grapes I have growing!! Yummy!!
Katherine Anna says
Would love this blender to make heathy smoothies and nutbutters as well as many other Whole Foods recipes!
Kelly Click says
I love to make smoothies daily, green and protein. I would live to learn to make nut butters
Marleah Graff says
I would make some homemade sauces or dips.
Ruby Vaughn says
To own this machine that will extract all the healthful nutrients from vegetables and fruits to make green smoothies will make it possible for me to improve my health.
Susan says
Cashew cream sauces
Leah Taylor says
It's hot where I live right now so banana ice cream and smoothies would be great to make.
Pennie says
My list is long...home made almond milk, vegan ice cream, blended soups, vinagrettes....
Melissa says
I would love to make smoother, better smoothies and nut milks!!
Candise P says
Smoothies!! We love all kinds of smoothies at our house. Would love to win a great blender for that!
Jen says
My boys are just starting to create their own smoothies this summer. It would be amazing to have a blender like this so that they didn't have to stop and stir every few seconds! Thank you!
Karen Lynch says
My blendtec just died and I need a new high powered blender. Would love this one for making healthy smoothies.
Allison Bost says
Kitchenaid makes THE BEST appliances out there!! I would be thrilled to win this world class blender in order to start making my own nutmilks, nut butters and smoothies
Betty Spry says
I would love to be able to make healthy smoothies for my family and great recipes like Mango Ice Pops.
Lisa Saunders says
I need a new blender! Maybe this one will actually make all our smoothies very smooth! We make smoothies, popsicles, pancake batter...really anything that you or Weelicious post, we try!
Jackie Caldwell says
I got to try this blender at a friend's house and I loved it. Would love to win the blender and the cookbooks!
Judy Marston says
this would be great to make raw recipes with, as well as smoothies.
Erika Tapani says
I need a new blender and a high powered one to make my chocolate avocado pudding easier. Also want to make my own nut butter. My blender had to prongs now bent down and it's not high powered. Mine is ok for smoothies which I make all the time.
Janel M. says
I would use this blender for raw vegan desserts. I so important to gets those cashews ultra-smooth.
Raquel sherman says
I would love to win the blender to make amazing healthy meals for my family of three. I would also use the opportunity to create amazing healthy food for my house guest. I want to be able to execute dishes that will blow my guest mind and have them wanting to direct their eating habits to a healthier way.
Jodi says
Smoothies and soup!!!
Jennifer J says
I would use the blender to make dressings and pesto. Thank you!
ADA PIAZZE says
I would love to win the blender to make and drink green smoothies every day.
Pam says
I make a smoothie for breakfast every day, and often need to atop it and move things around. I'd love a high speed blender!
Elizabeth Robinson says
I would love to win this to be able to make smoothies.
Jessica Mickey says
I'd enjoy making my breakfast smoothies the most!!!