Upside-Down Bananas Foster French Toast Bake

slice of banana french toast casserole on a plate

Upside-Down Bananas Foster French Toast Bake

Amazing upside-down bananas foster french toast bake with an irresistible caramel layer. This easy banana french toast casserole has delicious hints of brown sugar and cinnamon in every bite. Make it the night before and enjoy a wonderful holiday brunch treat!

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Cuisine American

Keyword banana french toast bake, banana french toast casserole, bananas foster french toast bake

Prep Time 4 15

Cook Time 50

Total Time 5 5

Servings servings

Calories 454cal

Author Monique Volz of AmbitiousKitchen.com

Ingredients

For the caramel:
2/3 cup packed brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
1/3 cup salted butter, melted (unsalted is fine, too!)
½ teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2-3 bananas, sliced
For the french toast:
8 large eggs
2 ½ cups vanilla unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 pound/loaf day old french or italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes*
For the topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (or coconut sugar), for sprinkling
For serving:
Fresh berries
Extra banana slices
Powdered Sugar
Maple syrup

Instructions

Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish or 2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine melted butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl, pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, be sure to spread out evenly towards the sides. Sprinkle with sliced bananas and chopped pecans so that they are set in the ‘caramel’ layer. Place cubed bread evenly over the pecan mixture.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over the bread, making sure to soak each cube. If there are some dry pieces, simply push them down a bit to soak up some of the egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Once ready to bake: preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar on top of the bread. Bake for 50 minutes-1 hour or until the top of the french toast is nice and golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes then cut into 8 servings.
When you plate, flip each piece upside-down so the caramel and pecans are on top. Serve with fresh berries, yogurt, powdered sugar, or maple syrup, but honestly it’s delicious as is! Enjoy!

Notes

To make gluten free: use a gluten free loaf. It’s best if it’s similar to Italian or French bread.

Nutrition