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.
Elspeth H. says
I would use the blender to make hummus!
Margaret lasenna says
Green smoothies....every day!
Golda says
I would love this blender because I can make smoothies in the morning. I can make homemade almond milk . This this blender looks easier for me to use I have cerebral palsy so it's hard for me to turn the dials. I'm also a vegan so this will be perfect to help me with my everyday lifestyle.
Sandy Bowers says
I would love to use this incredible Kitchen Aid blender to make smoothies, sauces, pesto, soups and popsicles for my family!
Monica Duggal says
Blender girl soups! This French toast is a fave in our house!
Jody says
I would love to expand using my blender beyond smoothies to make easy main dishes.
Kellie Bock says
I have autoimmune and thyroid issues and am trying to go plant based in hopes of reversing my symptoms.. I am vegetarian but now going gluten and dairy free is posing a great challenge in what to eat for my health. I would use this to gain knowledge by using it for multiple recipes and meals that I see on your Facebook page.
Jessica Leon says
I'd use the blender for smoothies! I like to make smoothies for my kids to get some extra fruits and veggies in them!
Nancy Swieter says
when I was a little girl there was always a garden. Then I grew up and started to work and travel and there was no time to eat properly. Recently I moved to a farm and planted a garden. I have made so many of your delicious recipes. Recently my blender broke and I can't afford a new.
Tracey says
That French toast sounds heavenly! I would love to make blender-inspired breakfast meals.
Barbara says
I'd use the blenders for making smoothies, nut butter, my own almond or coconut milk, salad dressings, and the list goes on.
Evans B. says
I would like to make well-blended smoothie recipes for my family. Soups as well. I always cook everything from scratch for my child who has food allergies. A blender would be a big help to make easy and fast recipes for her.
Ericka Lee says
Due to a resent surgery, removing my pancreas and spleen. I have needed to to make nutrient rich smoothies. A new blender and cook books for help would be a great way to keep my nutrition in the healthy zone!
Ken Balaz says
My girls 6 and 8 love smoothies. They are very active children, go hiking with us and ride their bikes when we go for runs. We make them smoothies with Kale or Spinach in them, coconut water (which they love) and lots of fresh berries. Thanks for the opportunity.
Maureen Boccitto says
I would like to use the blender to create delicious healthy eats!
Alicia LeMarble says
Smoothies and nut butters.
Karine g says
I would use the blender to make smoothies first!
Nadine Bessette says
I love to make smoothies and nut butters and nut milks!!!
wendy samson says
nice creams and cashew creams and soups and nut butters!
Stacy Taylor says
This looks terrific. We have a child with an egg allergy and are always excited to try new egg free recipes that are also additive free! ❤️️ Now to the contest: if I won the blender I would use it to make blended soups and probably a whole lot hummus.
Lee Ann says
I use a blender for smoothies and soups. I'd use this one as a gift for my budget-strained daughter :-)
Diana says
We love making smoothies, and I would like to try it with more recipes like this!
Monica Rush says
Would love to give this new blender a whirl. It would be a great way for my kids to learn how to create healthy meals. Blend fresh picked berries and freeze for delicious summer treats.
Lisa R. says
I'd use the blender for my daughter's favorite, smoothies!
Rebecca says
I'd use the blender for my weekday breakfast smoothies, for dressings/dips and now for French toast!
Katrina Whitley says
I'd use my blender to whip up a batch of black beam brownies. Yum!
Jennifer C says
I'd use the blender for smoothies definitely!
Katy says
I'd use the blender most often for making oat flour for our muffins, but also for smoothies. And definitely to try this recipe!
Cindi Mata says
We use ours for smoothies and of course margaritas! Your blender looks awesome and we'd love to use it for new meals.
Hilary says
I love blenders for pureeing soups! Perfect for butternut squash soup, potato soup, or black beans!
Mandy says
Baby food!
Kimberly Hight says
We do not currently own a full size blender so I would use it for larger recipes like soups. This french toast recipe sounds awesome too!!
penny lowden says
This blender would be perfect for smoothies and homemade salsa!
Brittany says
Soups and smoothies!
Muriel says
I would use the blender for smoothies, dressings and shakes. I love my kitchen aid stand mixer and would like the blender!
Marla says
Smoothies and banana ice cream!
Meri says
I love using a blender to make smoothies, blend soups and sauces, and experiment with gluten free recipes! Our current blender is not very powerful and I would love to expand my cooking with a KitchenAid blender!
Cindy says
Smoothies and salad dressings
Casey says
Yum! I'd love to try more blender recipes!
Jackie Langhofer says
We love making smoothies and sauces in our blender, but ours is old and actually just broke! We would love to be able to have a great one to replace it!