A cinnamon-spiced custard and pieces of french bread get topped with a crumb topping to create this hearty, festive Vegan French Toast Casserole!
I'm so excited to share the recipe for this easy Vegan French Toast Casserole with you all today!
The holidays are just around the corner and I'm already thinking about fun, festive dishes to make for my friends and family.
My daughter is already obsessed with this vegan french toast casserole.
But really, what's not to love about custard-y bread topped with a sweet, nutty topping and baked to perfection?
This vegan casserole is definitely going to be on our holiday breakfast menus.
And with how easy it is to prepare, I know I'll be making it all-year-round as well!
Let me walk you through how to make it!
Ingredients You'll Need for Egg-Free Custard
If you're not familiar with french toast casserole, the bulk of the casserole is usually made with cubes of hearty that have been soaked in an egg and milk custard.
So you might be wondering how to make vegan french toast casserole?
Instead of eggs and dairy milk, we'll be using a combination of creamy silken tofu, ground flaxseed, cornstarch and non-dairy milk.
Blend all of these ingredients together and you'll have a thick, creamy, custard-like sauce to pour over your french bread.
I'll list out all of the ingredients for the vegan french toast custard below:
- Silken tofu
- Non-dairy milk
- Cornstarch
- Ground flaxseed
- Coconut sugar
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
I love that all of these ingredients are easily accessible and can probably be found at your local grocery store.
What Type of Bread is Best for French Toast
There are three things you should look for when choosing a bread for french toast casserole:
- Sturdiness
- Stale factor
- Flavor
You want to choose a bread that is sturdy enough so it won't get soggy when soaked in the custard. So a naturally sturdier bread that is also 1-2 days old is the way to go.
As for flavor, just like it's not recommended to cook with a wine you wouldn't drink, you don't want to baked with a bread you wouldn't eat!
Below I've listed out the best breads for Vegan French Toast:
- French Bread
- Sourdough
If you aren't vegan, challah and brioche are also great options!
How to Make Bread Stale Quickly
If you don't have time to let your bread sit out for a day or two, then you can make your bread stale by using your oven.
- Preheat your oven to 350F
- Cut your bread up into 1-inch cubes
- Spread the cubes out onto a baking sheet
- Bake the cubes for 10-15 minutes or until dry and stale
Now that your bread is stale you can continue on with the recipe!
How to Make Vegan French Toast Casserole
Casseroles always intimidate me, but this french toast casserole could't be easier to make!
Let me walk you through it with step-by-step instructions and photos.
- If baking the casserole immediately, preheat your oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
- Spread the cubed bread evenly in your greased baking dish and set it aside.
- Make the custard by blending together all of the custard ingredient until smooth. Pour the custard over the cubed bread and stir everything together so that all of the bread gets well coated. Spread the bread out into an even layer again if needed.
- At this point you can cover the casserole dish and refrigerate the bread until the next morning. Alternatively you can prepare the crumb topping and bake the french toast immediately.
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 350F and prepare the crumb topping. Combine the pecans, flour and coconut sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the vegan butter with your fingers until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle the topping all over the casserole.
- Bake the casserole uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve warm with maple syrup and fresh fruit.
How to Store Leftover French Toast Casserole
Good news guys!
This vegan french toast casserole stores beautifully in the fridge!
I love to make this casserole for small groups OR for just my family to eat for breakfast throughout the week.
To store any leftover casserole, you can simply cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
Alternatively, you can cut the casserole into squares, transfer them to a Tupperware container, seal the container and store in the fridge that way.
How to Reheat Leftover French Toast Casserole
To reheat leftover casserole, place a serving onto a microwave-safe plate and zap it on high in the microwave until heated through, about 30 seconds.
Easy as that!
📖 Recipe
Vegan French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound loaf day old french bread cut into 1 inch cubes*
CUSTARD
- 16 ounces silken tofu water drained off
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
CRUMB TOPPING
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter
Instructions
- If baking the casserole immediately, preheat your oven to 350 °F and grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
- Spread the cubed bread evenly in your greased baking dish and set it aside.
- Make the custard by blending together all of the custard ingredient until smooth. Pour the custard over the cubed bread and stir everything together so that all of the bread gets well coated. Spread the bread out into an even layer again if needed.
- At this point you can cover the casserole dish and refrigerate the bread until the next morning. Alternatively you can prepare the crumb topping and bake the french toast immediately.
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 °F and prepare the crumb topping. Combine the pecans, flour and coconut sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in the vegan butter with your fingers until a crumbly mixture forms. Sprinkle the topping all over the casserole.
- Bake the casserole uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve warm with maple syrup and fresh fruit.
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