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.
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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.
Raisa Berriz says
I would se the blender for making the bases for my gelatos! I need something that will blend/liquify as much as possible to keep the whole fruit!
Christie says
So many things...smoothies, soups, hot sauce, homemade bread crumbs, etc.
Mary Jane Strohler says
Smoothies
Dana James says
Muffins.
Linda says
Aquafaba recipes
Stacie says
Smoothies, soups, sauces...so many things!
Kim L. says
We would use the blender first for after school snack fruit and yogurt smoothies and second for making breadcrumbs from old heels of bread.
Julie says
Smoothies
Sharon says
Homemade ice creams.
Melissa Wilshire says
Salsa Verde
Glyn says
We would love to make smoothies with it and try new recipes, like this one!
Julie says
Smoothies and creamy sauces.
Ann M says
I would love to try making smoothies for my kids for breakfast. I have a food allergy kid so they can't eat smoothies at most places due to cross contamination. We are trying to start out with healthier breakfast options this school year.
Jen says
Hummus and banana ice cream!
Angela says
Smoothies!
Keri S says
I am working toward a whole foods diet. I have a teenage son with Multiple Sclerosis and we are trying to keep him healthy as we all reap the benefits of "real food"!
Megan K says
I would use this blender to try and expand my kitchen skills. I graduated from college and began cooking for myself and this site has helped and inspired me so much to not only learn how to make simple, yummy dishes, but dishes that are also full of wholesome ingredients. With this blender, I would be able to look at 100 Days of Real Food recipes in a whole new light!!
Linda says
I could be Blender Woman with this blende Thank you for the opportunity!
Elizabeth Stelley says
I know this is cliche, but I do seriously love smoothies, so that's probably the main thing I would use the blender for. Also love to make mexican sauces with one!
Amanda Skinner says
I would LOVE this blender! I could use it for our smoothies, smoothie pops, baby food and I'd really like to try this recipe!
Jamie Little says
I'd definitely use it for smoothies....and margaritas. ;)
Lorraine Cormier says
For health reason a month ago my doctor told me to stop eating processed foods. I come across 100 Days of Real Food. I use your website everyday to search for any question about what to eat in place of processed foods. This blender would be a wonderful tool to better health making smoothies & soups.
Shauna says
Hollandaise, milkshakes, soup, bulletproof coffee, where does it end??
Terri Upton says
I would use this blender to help my family make healthier meals and show my son that real food makes you feel better!
Amanda Sluss says
The good old fashioned smoothie. I love sneaking in greens for my kiddos!
Caroline Calvert says
would love to use this blender for smoothies, muffins, pancakes, soups and to try new recipes
Melissa C says
Mainly smoothies but I'm a sucker for blender muffin and similar recipes. Anything to speed up the cooking process and minimize the mess!
Saving this recipe for a Sunday morning treat!!!
Stacie Altz says
I would use blender for smoothies!
Monica Diffenderfer says
I would use this blender to make chia seed pudding!
Jenny D. says
I would use the blender for smoothies and this french toast recipe!
LUANNE WILES says
So glad a friend led me to your site! I teach high school juniors and seniors culinary arts. I use Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food to help teach young people to identify REAL food. I would use this blender to help teach!
Erin Roldan says
I would use this blender for my grain free doughs!
Crystal says
I would love a new blender for smoothies!
Allison says
Smoothies!
Andrea G says
How can you advertise this as allergy free when it's full of nuts??? Very disappointed
Kerry says
This sounds delicious. Currently I only am using my blender for smoothies, but would love to try a more powerful blender for recipes like this and for other meals of the day!
Emily says
Smoothies! I like to stick all sorts of healthy stuff ours, my kids don't mind the taste, texture wise it could be smoother. I have heard such great things about this blender.
Carrie Jackson says
A new blender would take our morning smoothies to the next level!
Laura says
I would use the blender for smoothies!
Ali Kirchberger says
As a new follower, I would love to use a new blender to make delicious recipes for my family as recommended by Tess! Currently, all I have is a small baby bullet that I use for smoothies. Can't wait to try out this French Toast, yum!