Tonga Toast Recipe
French toast recipe consisting of banana stuffed sourdough bread rolled in cinnamon sugar
Ingredients
- 2 or 4 slices sourdough bread, cut 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
- 1 banana
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup milk (for a non-dairy alternative try Silk soy milk used by Disney)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- oil or shortening for frying
- whipped butter and/or syrup
- 10 large strawberries
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Cut a 1-inch pocket in one side of each bread slice.
- Cut banana in half crosswise, then split each piece lengthwise.
- Remove peel and stuff 2 pieces of fruit in each pocket of bread; set aside.
- Mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
- Mix well the egg, milk and vanilla.
- Heat about 4 inches of oil in a pan to 350 degrees F.
- Dip stuffed bread into egg/milk mixture and let it soak a few seconds to let penetrate bread.
- Fry bread on both sides in hot oil until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
- Drain on paper towels or wire rack.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve.
- Slice 6 strawberries and place in small pot.
- Add sugar and vanilla, stir.
- Cook over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes until mixtures starts to boil.
- Place 4 sliced strawberries in a blender or food processor.
- Add cooked strawberry mixture and blend until smooth.
- Serve warm or cold.
Tonga Toast History
Tonga Toast is a delicious and iconic breakfast dish served at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort in Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida. It is one of the most popular menu items at the Kona Cafe, which is located within the resort.
Tonga Toast has been on the menu at Disney’s Polynesian Resort since 1971. It is such a popular item that it is among the top three selling breakfast items. In fact, it is so legendary that there is an urban legend passed down by Disney’s cast members and Tonga Toast fans alike that Elvis was a huge fan of the toast. He supposedly sent his personal chef to Disney World to learn how to make it. “Thank You, thank you very much,” is what I’m guessing the King told his chef. What exactly is in it that makes it so good?
The Tonga Toast is basically a cinnamon-sugared chunk of deep-fried, banana-stuffed toast. It is made by tucking bananas into thick slices of sourdough Pullman bread, dunking the stuffed bread in eggwash, deep frying and then coating in cinnamon sugar. In the early beginnings Disney chefs tried stuffing the toast with marinated peaches, mango slices and other fruits. However, bananas eventually won out and the rest is culinary history.
How Tonga Toast Is Made
Tonga Toast is a unique take on French toast with a Polynesian twist. Here’s how it’s prepared:
- Thick-Cut Bread: The dish starts with thick slices of sourdough bread, which provides a substantial base for the other ingredients.
- Banana Filling: The sourdough slices are then stuffed with a sweet and creamy banana filling. The filling typically consists of mashed ripe bananas mixed with cinnamon and sugar, which adds a delicious tropical flavor to the toast.
- Deep-Fried and Coated: After being filled with the banana mixture, the bread is dipped in a mixture of egg, milk, and cinnamon and then deep-fried until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
- Cinnamon Sugar Coating: Once the Tonga Toast is fried, it is coated with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar, adding even more sweetness and flavor.
Tonga Toast is often served with a side of strawberry compote or syrup for dipping or drizzling. The combination of the crispy outer layer, creamy banana filling, and sweet cinnamon coating makes Tonga Toast a decadent and indulgent breakfast treat.
