Tonga Toast is a staple at Walt Disney World, but now you can bring the famous Kona Café recipe to your own kitchen! Each serving is made up of three-inch-thick slices of bread stuffed with pieces of banana, rolled in a tasty cinnamon sugar mixture that is deep fried to perfection and topped with buttery syrup or a homemade strawberry compote sauce, your choice! This fancy french toast breakfast is ready in 30 minutes!
As an avid Disney lover, while I love everything that Disney’s Polynesian Resort offers, this breakfast recipe is the bomb. Actually, it’s competing for first place if we are comparing it to the classic Dole Whips (which I also reinvented into the Dole Whip Jello Shot). I love that tonga toast serves a family of 4, but if you needed more, you can easily double or triple it.
While we love it just like it is, you can also serve it alongside bacon, sausage, and eggs. If you are having a big brunch or just want a larger spread to choose from, make a batch of these breakfast sliders, 2 minute breakfast sandwiches, or air fryer egg bites.
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Why You’ll Love This Disney Tonga Toast Recipe
- Reminds you of the most magical place on Earth.
- Kids love it.
- Easy to make.
- Something different rather than the basic breakfast food.
🍞 Ingredients:
- Eggs – the base for the mixture the bread is dipped into
- Whole milk – richens up the mixture for the bread
- Ground cinnamon and Granulated sugar – for the outside dusting once the toast is cooked
- Sourdough bread – this bread stands up the best when it comes to frying and the batter
- Bananas – the fruit in the toast!!
- Vegetable oil or shortening – for frying
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Substitutions and Variations
- More toast topping ideas: other fresh fruit, whipped cream, Greek yogurt, nut butter (peanut butter or almond butter are great) sprinkles, and different flavors of jam.
- Strawberry compote recipe: Combine a pound of strawberries, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until it thickens, stirring constantly. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender to puree.
🔪 Instructions:
Step 1: Mix sugar and cinnamon in a shallow medium bowl, and set aside.
Step 2: Beat together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, and sugar in a large bowl that is deep.
Step 3: Slice the ends off of the loaf of bread. Slice the loaf into 4 equal pieces. Make a slit about 3 inches long across the top of each piece so that it’s deep enough to hold the bananas but doesn’t go all the way through.
Step 4: Slice the peeled banana in half lengthwise, then again in half to make 4 pieces from each one.
Step 5: Add two banana slices to each of the pieces of bread.
Step 6: Fill your pot with 4 inches of oil and heat to 375 degrees. While you wait, coat one of the stuffed bread slices in the egg and milk mixture for a couple of minutes. Turn it over and repeat.
Step 7: Once the oil is ready, fry each piece of bread for a couple of minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Step 8: Blot the toast on paper towels to remove excess oil, then roll each side in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
Pro Tip – Dutch ovens or a deep fryer are great to keep the oil at a steady temperature. You will be using at least 4 inches of oil, so make sure the pot you choose is a large pot.
Step 9: Top with warm maple syrup, strawberry compote, or jam, or sprinkle with powdered sugar.
GARNISH/SLICE/SERVE: Serve Tonga Toast Disney drizzled with syrup and powdered sugar. Enjoy alongside eggs, sausage or bacon!
- Don’t skimp on the oil. Using at least 4 inches allows the side of each bread slice to fry while floating.
- Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil.
- I soaked the next piece of toast in the egg mixture while one was frying (about 5 minutes), which worked well.
- To cut the banana: Remove a strip of the peel on the concave side. Hold the outer curve in your left palm, and slice straight down lengthwise. This is the easiest way!
Fun Fact
Tonga Toast has been a Disney menu item since 1971.
Recipe FAQs
You can find this toast at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Kona Cafe and Captain Cook’s offer this breakfast.
It’s best when you first get it out of the fryer. If you plan to save some for leftovers don’t add the syrup or compote. Keep it refrigerated and reheat it in the air fryer or in the oven until it’s crisp
More Amazing Breakfast Recipes to Save
If you tried this Tonga Toast (Disney Copycat) Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Tonga Toast
Ingredients
Tonga Toast:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 loaf sourdough bread whole
- 2 large bananas
- 4 cups vegetable oil or shortening for frying
Cinnamon-Sugar:
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the ¾ cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to make the cinnamon-sugar. Set aside.
- In a deep bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of sugar until well combined.
- Slice the two ends off the loaf of bread. Then slice the loaf into four equal pieces. In the top of each slice, use a knife to make a slit about 3” long across the top of the piece and deep enough to reach the bottom crust of the bread without slicing through the bottom crust.
- Peel each banana and slice it in half lengthwise and then across to form 4 pieces from each banana.
- Stuff two of the banana slices vertically into each of the four prepared bread slices.
- Fill a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven with at least 4 inches of oil. Using a candy thermometer to continually monitor the temperature, heat the oil to 375°F.
- While the oil is heating, submerge one of the prepared bread slices into the egg/milk mixture. Soak for 1-2 minutes, then turn and soak it another 1-2 minutes on the other side. The thickness of the slice and structure of the sourdough should hold up to soaking for quite some time.
- When the oil is hot, use a pair of tongs to lift the bread from the batter, allowing the excess batter to drip off, and then carefully transfer the bread into the hot oil.
- Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side, flipping the slice when it is golden brown. When the tonga toast is golden brown all over, lift it from the hot oil and blot it on paper towels to remove oil drips.
- While the toast is still warm, set it in the bowl of cinnamon sugar and toss to coat it.
- Continue battering, frying, and coating with cinnamon sugar for all four pieces of Tonga toast.
- Serve warm with maple syrup and/or strawberry compote or jam.
Notes
- Don’t skimp on the oil. Using at least 4 inches allows the side of each bread slice to fry while floating.
- Use a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oil.
- I soaked the next piece of toast in the egg mixture while one was frying (about 5 minutes), which worked well.
- To cut the banana: Remove a strip of the peel on the concave side. Hold the outer curve in your left palm, and slice straight down lengthwise. This is the easiest way!
Nutrition
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