Name: Caramelized Banana & Toasted Sunflower Seed Toast
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Vegan
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

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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

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.

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XO Lauren