Cinnamon Raisin French Toast with Bananas and Walnuts

I am not kidding when I say that this is the best French toast I have EVER made. And trust me – I’ve made a lot of French toast! For some reason, this is the first time I’ve attempted since going gluten free a few months ago. I had some bread I needed to use up quickly and this turned out to be the perfect way to not waste it! I’m thinking this may be on our regular menu for the fall…

6 slices of cinnamon raisin bread (either homemade GF or store bought)

2 eggs
½ cup milk (I used almond)
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp coconut oil (or shortening)
1 over-ripe banana
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup walnuts, chopped
1 tsp honey or maple syrup

• Preheat griddle to 375°F and add coconut oil to griddle.
• Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla and 1 tsp cinnamon in a medium sized bowl until combined. Dip both slices of bread into egg mixture.
• Place “battered” toast onto a hot griddle. Cook first side for about 10 minutes or until browned and crispy. Flip and cook the other side for about 5 minutes or until crispy and brown.
• While your toast is cooking, cut banana lengthwise in half. Then cut each half lengthwise to make four long slices of banana. Add banana slices to griddle and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon.
• Top bananas with walnuts and drizzle honey on and “fry” until slightly browned. Remove toast from griddle and put onto serving plate.
• Top each serving of French toast with the caramelized banana/walnut mixture. Serve with additional syrup if desired, but really these are sweet enough already.