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The Pancake Princess

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Banana Bread French Toast Parfaits (with the best vegan banana bread ever)

by erika 26 Comments

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In lieu of pancakes, I bring you something else breakfasty!

Banana Bread French Toast Parfaits

Last night, I started to make a cake for someone. I had grand plans of spreading pliable, freshly made ice cream across thick banana bread French toast cake layers coated in magic chocolate-coconut oil shell, chocolate chips, nuts, etc.

Banana Bread French Toast Parfaits

Banana Bread French Toast Parfaits

…this isn’t my first banana bread French toast rodeo, but this time, unfortunately, I used the most tender, crumbliest vegan banana bread recipe known to man and half of my egg-sogged, meant-to-be-French-toasted layers instantly crumbled.

Banana Bread French Toast Parfaits

So then I was like “ugh” freak out *huff huff* wring hands “ugh!” *roll eyes*smash bread with spatula before I was like duh!

Banana Bread French Toast Parfaits

Are you picking up what I’m putting down?

Banana Bread French Toast Parfaits

French toast banana bread was instantly chunked, layered with cinnamon coconut cream, sliced bananas and chocolate chips and a way-too-involved parfait was born. Or would this be trifle? According to google, this is perhaps not a trifle because there is no custard. Just cake, cream and fruit.

Banana Bread French Toast Parfaits

Good ‘nuff for me.

Banana Bread French Toast Parfaits

For the sake of ease, I could recommend that you use a sturdier banana bread that won’t fall apart during the French toast process, like this one. But truthfully, this vegan banana bread recipe from Babycakes is so amazingly plush and spiced (no, that tablespoon of vanilla is not a typo) and just all around delicious that I really hope you make it despite its nightmarish reaction to French toast batter. These parfaits could be just as good with simple cubes of banana bread.

Banana Bread French Toast Parfaits

You don’t even have to make the parfaits if you just make the banana bread. But seriously, these parfaits are perfect spring party food. Something about blooming flowers and towering sunshine just screams a need for piles of cool, sweet cream over lush cake chunks studded with chocolate chips and banans, no?

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Banana Bread French Toast Parfaits

This vegan banana bread is incredibly sweet and moist. One of the best I've made!

Ingredients

  • For Babycakes' banana bread:

  • 3/4 cup spelt flour
  • 3/4 cup oat flour*
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup neutral oil canola, vegetable, etc.
  • 2/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon good quality vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups mashed bananas about 3 large

  • Cinnamon French toast batter

  • For the coconut cream:

  • 1 can full-fat coconut milk
  • 2-4 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • dash of vanilla
  • dash of cinnamon

Instructions

  • For the banana bread:
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a standard 13x18" cookie sheet (or loaf pan) well and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, chia seeds (if using), salt and cinnamon. Add oil, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla directly to the dry ingredients and mix again. Fold in bananas (the smoother the mash, the better).
  • Pour batter into sheet pan and spread evenly. Bake for 14-17 (40-45 if using a loaf pan) minutes, or until banana bread springs back under your finger (it will feel a tad spongy). Remove from oven and cool completely.
  • Once the banana bread has cooled, prepare the French toast batter. Cut off squares of banana bread, dip in French toast batter, and fry for two minutes on each side in a lightly greased, preheated skillet over medium heat, until golden.

  • For the coconut cream:
  • Place the coconut milk in the fridge overnight (do NOT use milk that has not been thoroughly chilled).
  • Remove the milk from the fridge and turn the can upside down. Remove the lid. Use a spoon to scrape off the solid coconut mass at the top (reserve the liquid at the bottom for another use).
  • Using a hand mixer, beat the coconut cream until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon and vanilla and continue to whip until combined.

  • To assemble:
  • Cut banana bread French toast slices into cubes. Layer cubes with coconut cream, sliced bananas, chocolate chips and repeat as desired. I layered some into glass mason jars and some into a 6" springform pan. With the pan version, I layered the banana bread, bananas and chocolate chips and popped it into a preheated 350 oven for about 10-15 minutes to get everything warm and melty, then topped it with the coconut cream like frosting. Delish.

Notes

*The original Babycakes recipe called for 1.5 cups of Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour, specifically. I used half whole spelt flour and half oat flour (ground from rolled oats), but use gluten-free flour if necessary, obviously. I also subbed chia seeds for xantham gum and maple syrup for the agave, with delicious results. I don't think the chia seeds make a big difference if you want to leave them out, though.
I originally baked the banana bread in a cookie sheet in order to make flat cake layers of French toast. This method will take much less baking time, but you will end up with thin layers that crumble easily if you try to make French toast with them. As an alternative, you can bake the banana bread in a loaf pan, which will take longer, but yield thicker slices that may stand up better to being dipped and fried.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. jerome

    December 28, 2013 at 8:08 pm

    Spelt is actually not gluten free.

    Reply
    • erika

      December 31, 2013 at 10:35 pm

      oh my mistake, jerome! thanks for the comment!!

      Reply
  2. Lianna

    November 1, 2013 at 3:27 pm

    OMG I need this in my life right nowww!!!!! I’ve never made banana bread french toast but I’m going to have to now so I can make these parfaits ahhh!

    Reply
  3. Kylie @ immaeatthat

    May 7, 2013 at 3:07 pm

    It’s gonna take some serious willpower to not just eat the banana bread plain but I think it’s totally necessary!!:) These parfaits look amazing! I pretty much love anything with layers and I’m ALL about having healthy desserty things for breakfast:):)

    Reply
  4. Brandi

    May 7, 2013 at 1:31 am

    Looks beautiful Erika! I love how you saved the day! This does look really delicious and comforting. Funny you mention this. Over the weekend I was testing out a brownie recipe and they were delicious, but they didn’t bake up quite perfectly. So, my dilemma was what do I do with all his brownie-like mess?? Ahhhh, it became brownie ice cream! I decided to make some homemade almond milk for the ice cream base and threw in the brownie chunks. Omg, it was so good! Sometimes our messups turn out to be awesome yummy recipes 🙂

    Reply
  5. Lilly Sue

    May 6, 2013 at 2:11 pm

    YUM! This looks good. I love your creativity 🙂

    Reply
  6. Nancy @ gottagetbaked

    May 6, 2013 at 11:57 am

    Erika, I love everything about this post. You show time and time again how incredibly funny and witty you are (*wrings hands* <– love that!). Your photos and styling just get better all the time. And this dessert is killer – damn, I want a banana bread french toast parfait right.now. Can you send me a few jars? Thanks, girl 😉

    Reply
    • erika

      May 6, 2013 at 3:45 pm

      Oh Nancy. You are too sweet! What’s your address? 😉

      Reply
  7. Choc Chip Uru

    May 4, 2013 at 3:15 pm

    You are a certified genius my friend, this recipe is overwhelmingly awesome 🙂

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    Reply
  8. christina @ smallkitchenchronicles

    May 4, 2013 at 2:30 pm

    Yum, Erika, and way to go making lemonade out of lemons! Or shall I say delicious parfaits out of luscious crumble-ies? 😉 Genius and totally pro. THOROUGHLY impressed =) xo

    Reply
    • erika

      May 6, 2013 at 3:44 pm

      Haha good one 😉 Thanks so much 🙂

      Reply
  9. IRENASdots

    May 4, 2013 at 12:57 pm

    What about Piled Cake? To me, looks like that 😉 When you go for something that not really exist yet you can have hard time finding the right name for it. Eater way, looks super yummy combination of flavors! Have to get some bananas tomorrow morning for the banana toast. Just watching your photos make me want some!

    Reply
    • erika

      May 6, 2013 at 3:44 pm

      Lol Irena–I love that name! I’m definitely making it a goal to make something called “Piled cake” in the future. Oh man, PLEASE try making banana bread French toast. It will rock your world!

      Reply
  10. Kayle (The Cooking Actress)

    May 4, 2013 at 11:30 am

    Lookat you, you’re such a smarty! Brilliant idea! Yummersssss

    Reply
  11. Heather (Sweet Precision)

    May 3, 2013 at 8:17 pm

    Perfect way to save your recipe! Sometimes it’s all about being creative 🙂

    Reply
    • erika

      May 6, 2013 at 3:43 pm

      A-men 🙂

      Reply
  12. Tahnycooks

    May 3, 2013 at 8:11 pm

    These rock, sista! Yum!

    Reply
    • erika

      May 6, 2013 at 3:43 pm

      Thanks Tahny! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Kaylie @ Skinny Muffin

    May 3, 2013 at 8:01 pm

    Genius. Just, genius.

    Reply
    • erika

      May 6, 2013 at 3:43 pm

      Thaanks 🙂

      Reply
  14. yummychunklet

    May 3, 2013 at 5:09 pm

    What a tasty looking parfait!

    Reply
  15. Alex @ Brain, Body, Because

    May 3, 2013 at 3:28 pm

    “Just cake, cream and fruit.”

    um, good ’nuff for me, too! This looks so delicious! The sweet dense bread, light cream, fresh fruit, oh my gosh.

    One time, I tried to bake brownies for a friend’s birthday and I burnt them horribly. I was super squeezed for time, though, so I scraped off the burnt bits, saved the inner non-burnt bits, and bought chocolate pudding snack packs from the grocery store. I spread the pudding in a pie plate and crumbled the brownies over top. ta-dah!

    ps – I also did this sitting in the car in front of my friend’s house. ftw.

    Reply
    • erika

      May 3, 2013 at 3:34 pm

      Omg that is actually hilarious. Go you!! I love resourcefulness 🙂 That is an awesome idea! I will definitely be keeping that in mind for my next brownie fail (which is sure to happen).

      Reply

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