Caramelized Banana & Toasted Sunflower Seed Toast with sunflower seed butter and caramelized banana coins. Perfect for a hearty breakfast!
I’ve been sleeping hard lately, guys.
I’m attributing it to colder nights and darker mornings.
Can I also blame it on our blackout blinds?
They do their job all too well, making it feel like its in the wee hours of the morning when it’s actually…7 AM.
Cozy cold weather breakfasts are imperative to making that epic step out of bed, into my robe, and shuffling down the steps.
This Caramelized Banana & Toasted Sunflower Seed Toast makes me feel like a kid again– ready to wake up and hit the ground running.
My parents used to make peanut butter and honey sandwiches (did you ever try?), and peanut butter and banana sandwiches instead of the typical PB&J to keep toast and sandwiches interesting.
Consider this toast the vegan, nut free mash up of that homey smashed sandwich I used to pull out of my lunchbox.
Crunchy bread, creamy sunflower seeds butter, succulent and sweet caramelized banana rounds, and warm toasted sunflower seeds create a situation that’s totally worth toasting to.
How to Make Caramelized Bananas
If you’ve been following me a while, you don’t I don’t use bananas very often.
Eating them raw doesn’t set well with my stomach, but something about the act of cooking/heating them makes them tolerable.
OK, tolerable isn’t the best word.
By tolerable I mean terribly TASTY.
I love caramelizing them on the stovetop with a drizzle of maple syrup for the ultimate cozy toast topping.
Also, bananas can be caramelized on the stovetop without oil, if you’re oil-free!
Simply skip the coconut oil, grab a nonstick pan, and heat the rounds with a drizzle of maple syrup, flipping often to ensure they don’t stick.
If you’re avoiding bananas for whatever reason, allergy or preference, try subbing them with another seasonal sautéed fruit of choice, like apples, pears, or figs.
Make Toasted Sunflower Seeds
Chances are you’ve probably had roasted/toasted sunflower seeds before.
They’re actually a bit difficult to find raw in stores around me.
I prefer to buy mine raw and toast at home, because it’s difficult to find a dry-roasted sunflower seed that doesn’t have added oils and salt.
That being said, they’re incredibly easy to toast at home!
Spread them on a baking sheet and baking at a lower temp for 30-40 minutes, until the house smells wonderfully nutty and fragrant and the seeds are lightly browned and crispy.
Store them in an airtight container for about a week, or longer, nut they taste best within the one week mark.
If you’re short on time, grab the pre-roasted kind at the store OR sub raw instead, although I think the toasted seeds is ideal to get that roasty toasty flavor here.
Notes on Meal Prep
These Caramelized Banana & Toasted Sunflower Seed Toast make a great breakfast, mid-morning snack, or even a sweet lunch situation.
Try roasting the sunflower seeds and caramelizing the bananas in advance for quicker on-the-spot toast to mouth assembly.
They’d also be great as a healthy toast or sandwich option for anyone with a nut allergy.
Enjoy!
How to Serve Caramelized Banana & Toasted Sunflower Seed Toast
You can smash two of these together to make a grab and go sandwich for work, school, or wherever your day takes you.
This combination also makes for a picturesque weekend breakfast/brunch with a cup of something hot and your favorite book/newspaper.
Packed with protein, complex carbs, and naturally occurring sugars, this combo is ideal for post and pre workout energy and fuel.
However you enjoy it, be sure to savor every sticky sweet bite.
Cheers!
More Toast Recipes
-
Lemon-Y Smashed Pea Toasts
-
Blackberry Basil Yogurt Toast
-
Strawberry Rhubarb French Toast
-
Romesco Roasted Cauliflower Toast
-
Strawberry Hemp Heart Avocado Toast
-
Tempeh, Lettuce, Avocado, & Tomato (TLAT) Toast
-
White Bean Ricotta & Baby Artichoke Toast
-
Apple Pie Avocado Toast
-
Peanut Butter Blueberry Rice Cake Toast
-
Avocado Raspberry Rice Cake Toast
-
Chickpea Free Purple Sweet Potato Toast
-
Shiitake Avocado Toast
I Want to Hear From You
If you make this Caramelized Banana & Toasted Sunflower Seed Toast recipe, let me know!
Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.
Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.
Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.
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XO Lauren

Caramelized Banana & Toasted Sunflower Seed Toast
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 4 toasts
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Caramelized Banana & Toasted Sunflower Seed Toast with sunflower seed butter and caramelized banana coins. Perfect for a hearty breakfast!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 2 bananas, cut into “coins”
- 1–2 TBSP maple syrup
- 1 TBSP coconut oil (optional, or omit for OF version)
- 4 TBSP sunflower seed butter
- 4 pieces toast, gluten-free if preferred
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a baking pan with parchment paper. Spread the sunflower seeds in an even layer on the parchment paper. Next, transfer the pan to the oven and bake them for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and fragrant, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, caramelize the bananas on the stovetop. Heat a pan over medium heat. Once it’s warm, add the optional coconut oil and banana coins to the pan with a drizzle of maple syrup. Heat the bananas for 10 minutes, flipping them once halfway, until both sides are golden and sticky.
- To assemble the toasts, spread the sunflower seed butter on toasted bread and top it with caramelized banana rounds and roasted sunflower seeds.
- Store the leftover caramelized banana in the fridge for up to one week and the leftover roasted sunflower seeds in an airtight container at room temperature for ten days. Reassemble toasts before serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Baker Mama
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Category: Toast, Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Made this on a whim and loved it! It’s like a quick and easy take on banana bread. Great for dessert or for a snack if you’re craving something sweet & savory! Thanks Lauren!
Hi Caroline– so glad you enjoyed it and thanks for taking the time to comment! It’s such a fun snack 🙂
XOXO Lauren