Caramelized Pear French Toast

Weekend mornings call for special breakfasts.

I tend to wake up on Sunday mornings wanting something a little different from the usual cereal bowls, yogurts or English muffins I have all week long, but I still want to keep it healthy. I feel like it throws my whole day off if I eat something too heavy or sugary for breakfast, so we often try to come up with fun morning meals that still give us the fuel we want/need for the day.

This morning’s breakfast of choice was Caramelized Pear French Toast. This is one of my favorite ways to use snacky fruits for breakfast because it feels special and decadent.

I drizzled my French toast with a little Vermont maple syrup and had a glass of skim milk on the side for some extra protein, but this would also be really good topped with a little vanilla Greek yogurt, or served alongside some eggs or low-fat breakfast meats. The calories may look a little high for one slice of French toast, but you're basically getting all your morning carbs, protein, fiber and fruit servings on one plate, so this is a winner in my book.

And in case you're wondering, I doubled the serving for Matt - one slice of bread doesn't do it for that guy!

Caramelized Pear French Toast

Serves 2

Ingredients - Pear Sauce

2 ripe pears, chopped into small pieces

1 tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. water

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. brown sugar

Ingredients - French Toast

2 slices whole grain bread (I used Freihofer’s 12 Grain)

2 eggs

¼ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. vanilla

Dash of nutmeg

Splash of milk

To make the pear sauce, combine all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a low simmer on medium-low heat. Allow to gently simmer for about 10 minutes, until the pears begin to break down and a sauce forms. If sauce is too dry or thick, add a little extra water.

While the sauce is cooking, make the French toast. Heat a large skillet on medium heat with some cooking spray. Whisk all the ingredients, minus the bread, together in a medium bowl; when the pan is hot, dip the bread into the egg mixture and add to the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Top the French toast with the pear sauce. Drizzle with maple syrup if desired.

Nutrition Facts**(One Serving): 248 calories; 5 grams fat; 45 grams carbs; 8 grams fiber; 9 grams protein