Walnut-Crusted Butternut French Toast

The aromas of pumpkin pie spice and toasty walnuts never fail to draw my girls into the kitchen whenever I cook this nutrient-rich classic boosted with vitamin-rich butternut squash puree and a brain-building crust of ground walnuts.

Butternut squash is rich in vitamin C and a good source of beta carotene, the plant form of vitamin A, which supports overall growth, as well as eye and bone health.

The recipe includes four top allergens to help expose babies early and consistently to allergen foods. This helps reduce the risk of food allergies and increases the diversity of baby’s diet—win-win!

Hope you enjoy this sneak peek from my latest cookbook as much as we do!

The book is called: Safe and Simple Food Allergy Prevention: A Baby-Led Feeding Guide to Starting Solids and Introducing Allergens with 80 Family-Friendly Recipes.

It includes a complete plan for allergen introduction, 8 weeks of baby-led feeding meal plans, a guide to starting solids and baby-led feeding based on the latest research, and 80 family-friendly recipes like this one. This one-stop-shop resource makes the process of starting solids and preventing food allergies easy, delicious, and stress-free. Grab your copy here!

Walnut-Crusted French Toast Strips

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Yield: 4 1-slice servings

Author: Malina Malkani

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 20 Min

In this recipe, classic French toast gets a nutritional upgrade with the addition of vitamin-rich butternut squash puree and heart-healthy walnuts. This recipe also includes 4 major allergens – egg, milk, wheat, and tree nuts – so once your child has shown individual tolerance to each of these ingredients, this breakfast is a great way to continue to provide exposure to these allergens. This recipe may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to purchase a product through a link, I will receive a small commission - but this in no way impacts the amount you pay. Affiliate links are marked with an asterisk (*). If you liked this recipe, could you please rate it and share your thoughts? Your ratings help more people find my recipes and articles. Thank you!

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup canned butternut squash puree
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, divided
• 1 cup ground walnuts, pecans, or almonds
• 4 slices whole wheat sourdough bread
• 1 tablespoon ghee

Instructions

1. In a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butternut squash, vanilla, and 1⁄2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
2. In a separate shallow bowl, mix the ground nuts and remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. For BLF, be sure your nuts are finely ground in a food processor or nut grinder, without any larger pieces.
3. Dredge each slice of bread in the egg mixture, fully coating both sides. Then press each side of the bread into the nut mixture until coated.
4. Melt the ghee in a large skillet (preferably cast iron, to help boost your baby’s iron intake) over medium heat. Place the bread in the skillet in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and cook until golden brown, 3–4 minutes per side.
5. For babies and toddlers, cut into strips or small bites. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

To make this recipe nut-free, replace the walnuts with 1 cup quick-cooking oats or a mixture of hemp and ground flaxseeds. 

You can also swap the whole milk for a plant-based milk if your little one has a dairy allergy.

Make this recipe in a cast-iron skillet to increase the iron content of this recipe!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

345

Fat

26 g

Sat. Fat

6 g

Carbs

20 g

Fiber

4 g

Net carbs

16 g

Sugar

3 g

Protein

11 g

Sodium

171 mg

Cholesterol

84 mg

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