Sweet Roll French Toast Bake with Caramel Syrup and Caramelized Bananas
Hello June!
Good God it’s hot.
Perfect weather for sweet tea, afternoon naps, and making bread. But I’ll be honest – I just don’t make bread like a strict foodie does. I cheat. I use frozen rolls, most often, from Rhodes. Why? Because they are delicious, they’re simple, and here’s the kicker – bread is something I tend to forget about. Like, forget about in the midst of making. I forget I have it tucked away, rising in a warm spot. So without fail, I find it 6 hours later, puffed and flopped, and have to dump it.
No way am I investing all that kneading in something I’m just going to forget about anyway.
So, the frozen rolls are where it’s at for me.
This French Toast Bake is what I will be making each and every time I have left over rolls from this day forward. Sure, I may never fit in regular pants again, but lucky for me, I rarely make them. So, whew. My Mom, on the other hand, always has leftover rolls, and I fear I may take to confiscating them after Sunday Dinner, just so I can make this French Toast. It’s THAT good.
The recipe is made just as regular French Toast is made – bread, eggs, milk, put it in a pan. But it is the sweetness of the rolls, the ooey gooey of the added butter, the ginger, the cinnamon – these are the things that take this dish over the top.
I lie.
It is the caramel sauce that takes it over the top.
Or is it the caramelized bananas? What about the sweetened Bourbon Whipped Cream?
I’ll leave that for you to figure out. Just don’t blame me when you’re shopping in the Coleman Tents for proper dress sizes.
Sweet Roll French Toast Bake with Caramel Syrup and Caramelized Bananas
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 6 baked dinner rolls (Day old is fine)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/3 – 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- pinch of salt
- Caramel Syrup
- Caramelized bananas (I use Dole)
- Bourbon Whipped Cream
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray baking pan with cooking spray. (9×9 will work)
- Split each of the rolls in half. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk, ginger, cinnamon and vanilla. Dip the roll halves in the mixture and place in the prepared baking dish.
- Once all of the bread has been dipped, pour the remaining egg mixture over the bread. Sprinkle the salt into the melted butter, then pour the butter over the bread as well.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the eggs are set and browned.
- Remove from oven and top with caramel syrup, caramelized bananas, and whipped cream.
For the Whipped Cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream- 1 tablespoon Bourbon (or 1 teaspoon vanilla, if desired)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Whip the cream with a hand mixer until soft peaks form, add in bourbon and sugar, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Pipe or apply to French Toast as needed.
Now you tell ME – what’s your absolute favorite French Toast? Stuffed with cream cheese, doused in raspberries? What’s the best? Share your ideas, and links, and I’ll do a fabulous round up linking to them, and choose my favorite one to make here on my site…plus send the winning entry their choice of a cookbook or a Le Creuset pinch bowl set. Share!!
