This Coconut Milk French Toast gets a tropical twist and is topped with sweet caramelized pineapple. This recipe can easily be made gluten- and/or dairy-free.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I was in Maui a few weeks ago.

It was a little for work, a little for pleasure, and a whole lot incredible.

I loved every minute of my time in Maui, and I am working on bringing you a very detailed Maui Travel Guide post soon.

We stayed at the amazing Destination Residences properties (Ekahi Village and Wailea Beach Villas). When I travel, I almost always prefer to stay at a condo/residential property opposed to a hotel. It feels more organic to me. I loved spending my nights enjoying the cool Maui breeze on the patio or balcony, lounging on the couch with a good book, being able to do laundry (!), and, of course, having my own fully functional kitchen.

I love to cook (Captain Obvious over here, right?), and that doesn’t stop when I travel. Our second stop in Maui was to a local farmer’s market, where I found some of the most gorgeous fresh fruit and vegetables.

I think more and more people enjoy this way of traveling, and having the freedom and flexibility to cook in your own kitchen on vacation. I know this is especially true of people with families.

So thinking of this, and being inspired by Maui’s fresh produce (hello, pineapples!) I decided to put together a surpiringly easy but completely delicious breakfast or brunch: Coconut Milk French Toast with Caramelized Pineapple.

I mean, come on, right?

Caramelized pineapple was something we used to do often when I worked on the Pastry team at San Diego’s largest hotel.

You simply coat each side of a pineapple slice in cane sugar and place it in a pan of sizzling hot butter (or coconut oil, for dairy-free). With a little patience and some magic, the pineapple begins to caramelize, become golden, and create a complex, fruity caramel sauce in the process.

With some thickly-sliced Challah bread and an incredibly easy coconut milk custard, this French toast is worthy of any special occasion or weekend brunch.

Whether you’re eating it in Hawaii or not. 😉

We hope that you make and enjoy this Coconut Milk French Toast with Caramelized Pineapple! What are your favorite spins on classic French toast? Let us know in the comments below.

And here’s a few things you may need for this recipe:

Wholesome Organic Cane Sugar // Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk // Garden of Life Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil // Rodelle Pure Vanilla Extract

This post contains affiliate links and are always products I love, highly recommend, & use in my own kitchen.

Coconut Milk French Toast with Caramelized Pineapple

★★★★★ 4.8 from 8 reviews

Author: Tiffany
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 10 servings 1x

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Description

This Coconut Milk French Toast gets a tropical twist and is topped with sweet caramelized pineapple. This recipe can easily be made gluten- and/or dairy-free.

Ingredients

Scale

For the French Toast:

8 thick slices of Challah bread
4 eggs
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons coconut sugar (or cane)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Butter and/or coconut oil, for frying

For the Caramelized Pineapple:

Half of a large pineapple (about 2 cups), sliced
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil

Serving ideas (optional): chopped macadamia nuts, toasted coconut, whipped coconut cream

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Instructions

Make the custard. Whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Heat coconut oil or butter (or half and half) in a pan. Dip each side of the bread into the custard, giving each side a few seconds in the mixture. Transfer the soaked bread immediately to the hot pan. Cook the toast until golden on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side.
In the meantime, prepare the caramelized pineapple. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter or coconut oil in a large saute pan. Coat each side of the pineapple slices in sugar, and immediately place in the hot butter. Cook the pineapple until starting to caramelize on one side, about 5 minutes. Stir and carefully flip the pineapple slices over, continue to cook for about another 4-5 minutes until the pineapple is softened and caramelized. Juice should release from the pineapple and mix with the caramel to form a lovely, golden caramel sauce.
Serve the toast warm and topped with the caramelized pineapple and some of the sauce. For additional serving ideas, you can also top with macadamia nuts, toasted coconut, whipped coconut cream, and/or maple or coconut syrup.

Notes

To make this recipe dairy-free, simply use coconut oil in place of butter. It will work fine as a 1:1 substitute.

To lighten-up this recipe, skip the caramelized part and top with fresh tropical fruit like mango, pineapple, and papaya.

Want it extra coconut-y? Add in a splash of coconut extract or top with whipped coconut cream and plenty of toasted coconut.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (1 slice with caramelized pineapple)
Calories: 265
Sugar: 13g
Sodium: 216mg
Fat: 11g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Carbohydrates: 38g
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 5g
Cholesterol: 12mg

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Coconut Milk French Toast with Caramelized Pineapple

And here’s a few things you may need for this recipe: