Healthy Banana Bread French Toast

Like most banana bread inspired recipes, this one started with a bunch of overripe bananas. After deciding I needed to use my bananas for something healthy that day, I opened my blog feed on the computer and low and behold Livvy over at 86 Lemons had posted a recipe for healthy banana bread (here). Thank you Livvy! She originally found the recipe over at Gluten-Free-Vegan-Girl (here). In her notes she mentioned how she made a second loaf altering the flours by using spelt flour alongside the oat flour. I did this too and the bread turned out wonderful! If you are very gluten intolerant though you can use all oat flour in this recipe to make it gluten free.

This bread is amazing because it contains zero oil or processed sugar, using only pure good-for-you ingredients! Not to mention it tastes amazing, I was totally shocked. This bread tastes more like bread than the typical cake-like banana bread I am used too, therefore it was perfect for french toast! I kept it healthy by baking the french toast slices in the oven instead of in a pan with butter, and topped it with coconut cream and pomegranate seeds. I absolutely loved every flavor going on in this dish, and the texture was perfect. Baking the french toast gave it this slightly crunchy exterior with a moist banana bread interior. The coconut cream sat on top like whipped cream until the warmth from the toast began to melt the cream and the bread started to soak it up - this was a delicious accident! The pomegranate seeds gave each bite a sweet touch, but I also think any fruit would have been amazing. I wold love to try this again sometime with some fresh raspberries or apple slices too.

Banana Bread Ingredients
1 cup oat flour
1 cup spelt flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup unsweetened, non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 large, very ripe bananas

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan with some coconut oil and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Using a food processor, chop up the dates into small pieces, then add the almond milk and vanilla. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as you go. Peal and mash the three bananas in a small mixing bowl. Add the date mixture from the food processor to the mashed bananas and mix well. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and mix until well incorporated. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Allow bread to cool in pan for 5 minutes before removing, and then let cool an additional 10 minutes before slicing. I baked my loaf the night before and let it fully cool before wrapping it in plastic wrap to keep moist for french toast the following morning.

French Toast Batter
1 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon agave nectar 
1/2 ripe banana

Toppings
1 can full fat coconut milk, refrigerated
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Fruit of your choice (I used pomegranate seeds)

Preheat your oven the 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Combine the above ingredients listed for the batter in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a shallow pan (I used a pie plate). Slice 4-6 banana bread slices 1 inch thick and soak each side in the batter for 2-3 minutes. Transfer soaked banana bread slices to the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip each slice and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

To serve with the toppings listed above, open the can of coconut milk that has been refrigerated (causing the cream to rise to the top) and scoop the coconut cream into a small bowl. Whisk cream with agave and cinnamon. Top each slice with a dollop of cream and some fruit, and you have one healthy plate of banana bread french toast!