Vegan French Toast Casserole! Crunchy, toasty top, buttery, rich, custardy, and creamy insides, drizzles of icing, and sprinkles of chopped nuts. Brunch goals met!
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FEATURED COMMENT
"Omg!!!! Sooooo good!!! Since going vegan almost 3 years ago, I've been desperately trying to find good vegan French toast. I made this last week for my husband, and (non-vegan in-laws). It was absolutely AMAZING & DELICIOUS!! I was completely blown away, as were my non-vegan in-laws. They thought it was so good they asked for the recipe! "
- Amber ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
And then I made Vegan French Toast Casserole and all of my brunch dreams came true. If I had to eat this every day for the rest of my life I would not be unhappy.
It's got all the textures going on. Crunchy, toasty, meltingly soft and custardy. It's breakfast perfection and can't wait for you to try it.
This recipe is adapted from my Vegan French Toast recipe, which is one of the most popular vegan breakfast recipes here on AVV, but made for sharing because it comes in casserole form.
You can even prep it the night before so it's ready to pull out of the fridge and bake the next morning. Just perfect for a family holiday brunch!
Mel x
P.S. Prefer a savoury breakfast casserole? You will love my Vegan Strata!
Ingredients
Here's what you need to make this vegan breakfast casserole:
And a few important ingredient notes:
- Bread - Sturdy, crusty, at least day-old bread. 2 or 3 days old is better. Because it's dry it sucks up all of that lovely creamy custard more effectively. It's a great way to use up stale bread! French bread, Italian bread, or sourdough bread work well. Vegan brioche or challah too if you have access to them. Use gluten-free bread if necessary. Fresh bread will not soak up the custard properly and you won't get the intended texture. If that's all you've got, see my tip below.
- Silken or soft tofu - This is an egg-free French toast casserole recipe and silken or soft tofu is our protein-packed egg replacer. By using it you get exactly the same French toast casserole texture. Any firmness of silken tofu is fine, or tofu labelled "soft". Other types of tofu do not work well in this recipe.
- Light coconut milk and vegan butter - This combo is here to make up for the flavour, fat, and richness that eggs would usually provide in a French toast casserole recipe.
- Sugar - You can use white, cane, coconut, or brown sugar. I personally like to use brown sugar for the extra flavour it gives the casserole.
Only got fresh bread? Cube it, pop it on a baking tray, and bake at 350°F until it feels like dry stale bread. It won't take long (5 to 10 minutes) and you'll be good to carry on with the recipe as written.
How To Make Vegan French Toast Casserole
Egg-free French toast casserole is really easy to make. Here's how (see my recipe video if you're more of a visual learner):
- Blend up the "custard" in a blender.
- Cube the bread and pile it into a casserole dish.
- Pour the custard over the bread cubes. Let it soak anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight. Sprinkle with some sugar and optional nuts, then bake.
- Mix up the icing and drizzle it generously over the crispy, crunchy top of the vegan French toast bake right before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Vegan French Toast Casserole is best when served warm from the oven. The drizzle of icing is all you really need with it, but it's great with toppings too. Pretty much anything you'd serve with pancakes works. favourites of mine include:
- Fresh berries such as raspberries, strawberries or blueberries
- Frozen berry compote
- Whipped coconut cream
- Roasted strawberries
- Caramelized bananas
- Maple syrup
Making In Advance & Storing Leftovers
To make ahead add the cubes of bread and custard mixture to a baking dish as per the recipe, cover tightly, and store in the fridge overnight. Then bake when you need it in the morning. Sprinkle with the optional sugar and nuts right before baking. It's perfect to make on Christmas Eve for Christmas morning brunch.
Recipe FAQs
I highly recommend using coconut milk if you can because it adds richness to the casserole. A regular baked French toast casserole uses eggs which add that richness. We need to compensate for that in a vegan recipe. If you can't consume coconut for whatever reason though, any other unsweetened creamy and great-tasting non-dairy milk such as oat milk or cashew milk will technically work in this recipe.
Recipe
Vegan French Toast Casserole
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 mls) canned coconut milk , light or regular full fat
- ½ cup (100 grams) sugar , any type - I like brown for extra flavor (Plus a little for sprinkling)
- 1 x 12 oz (340 gram) pack silken or soft tofu , (different brands vary in weight slightly. As long as it's roughly the same that's fine).
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch , (cornflour in the UK)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric , optional (for colour)
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free butter , optional but recommended - omit to make the recipe oil-free
- 1 large loaf about (14 - 16 oz or 396-454 grams) stale crusty white bread , see my tip in the post if you only have fresh bread)
- 1 handful chopped pecans or walnuts , for sprinkling (optional)
Icing
- ½ cup (65 grams) powdered sugar , icing sugar in the UK
- 2 to 3 tablespoons dairy-free milk or water
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the coconut milk, sugar, silken/soft tofu (drained if packed in water), cornstarch, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, optional turmeric, and vegan butter to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Cut the loaf of bread into 1 inch cubes and place in an ovenproof casserole dish that holds at least 2 quarts/2 litres. It should measures about 8 x 12 inches or 9 x 13 inches.
- Pour the "custard' all over the bread. Press down with a clean hand all over so the cubes suck up some custard then leave to soak for at least 30 minutes, or cover tightly and put in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °). Scatter the French Toast Casserole with a generous handful of sugar and some chopped pecans or walnuts. (Omit for nut-free).
- Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden and toasty. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
- While waiting, add the powdered sugar to a small bowl. Add a tablespoon of milk or water. Stir well then add another tablespoon. Add a tiny drop more at a time until you have a thick but pourable consistency (no more than 3 tablespoons should be needed), then drizzle the icing all over the casserole before serving.
NOTES
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Lindsay says
Really delicious and easy. I make this for friend brunches and it always disappears. Yum!
Kelly says
This is really good , great for a family brunch. Bonus it makes your house smell great while it’s cooking.
Hillary says
This is such a great brunch recipe - a bit more of a bread pudding than french toast type result but absolutely delicious either way. I made it per the recipe the first time (for Christmas morning) and it was great. The second time (for New Years morning), I swapped 1 tsp of maple extract for 1 tsp of vanilla and added 2 chopped apples and that was fantastic as well. My only comment is that it really does benefit from being stirred a few times if you are planning on doing just a 30 minute wait, otherwise the custard doesn't have the opportunity to get soaked into the bread adequately. A quick stir 2-3 times during the 30 minute wait solves that issue though. A definite keeper. Will be making again! Thank you!
Monika says
Very good! I made this for New Years Day brunch. I was pleasantly surprised at the “eggy” consistency of the custard when baked. I left off the frosting drizzle, it was already sweet enough. Highly recommend!
Ann says
This recipe was a hit with everyone, not just the vegans in our family. We should have doubled it! It was even better heated up the second day!
Jos says
Loved this today for Christmas breakfast! Used vegan margarine to grease the pan and we used melted margarine with brown sugar and pecans for the topping so they were like glazed pecans. Topped with maple syrup and berries. Delicious!!!!
Donna Marshall says
Can you sub plant based milk for the coconut milk?
A Virtual Vegan says
You could but I really recommend canned coconut milk. It adds richness and creaminess. It makes a huge difference. As its light coconut milk there is no coconut flavour in the finished casserole, if that's what you are concerned about.
Sherri says
Tested this today for Christmas Breakfast and WOW, it is amazing!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you think so Sherri. I think it will be my breakfast on Christmas Day too!
Joanne says
I made this recipe last Christmas. It was incredible! Since then I have stopped using corn starch in favor of arrowroot flour instead. Do you think this will work fine?
A Virtual Vegan says
I haven't tried it but I'm sure it will be fine.
Amber says
Omg!!!! Sooooo good!!! Since going vegan almost 3 years ago, I've been desperately trying to find good vegan french toast, or breakfast in general. I made this last week for my husband, and (nonvegan in-laws). It was absolutely AMAZING & DELICIOUS!! I was completely blown away, as was my non vegan in-laws. They thought it was so good they asked for the recipe. We actually made it again last night. The consistency, texture, and taste was spot on!! Thank you for giving my french toast fix back. ? Do you have any regular french toast recipes? Every vegan recipe I've made turns out horrible and soggy.
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Amber. Thank you! You absolutely have to make this regular French Toast. It's one of my most popular recipes and I am consistently told it's better than French Toast with eggs. It is definitely NOT soggy! : https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-french-toast/
I have lots of fab breakfast recipes because it's my favourite meal of the day ;O)
You should try this giant pancake too. It's one of my personal favourites: https://avirtualvegan.com/giant-blueberry-vegan-pancake/
Have fun!
Rietta Goodglick says
Any thoughts on how to convert this to a savory bread pudding? I’m thinking just using unsweetened milk and adding some vegetables like leeks? And salt and pepper instead of sugar.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'd still use the light coconut milk (from a can) as it barely has any coconut flavour and is unsweetened but would give you a nice richness. Obviously omit the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon & nuts. I'd probably add a good handful of nutritional yeast, a little more salt, loads of freshly ground black pepper, some dried herbs like thyme and rosemary and yes leeks would be lovely. I'd sauté or roast the veggies first for extra flavour. Bell peppers would be great in it as would mushrooms and broccoli. A sprinkle of vegan cheese on top before baking would be lovely!
Hope that helps and I think I'll be trying this myself!
Rietta Goodglick says
Thanks so much for your response! Your recipes and cookbook are just wonderful. We love love love the focaccia bread so much.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Rietta. That means a lot!
Bianca says
The taste was good! Third time making a vegan French toast bake. Still didn’t turn out how I had hoped. I may cut the custard amount in half. Too too gooey. But non the less it was good. It did had a nice too crunch along with the flavor!
Natalie says
So delicious and perfect for weekend brunch! The family loved it.
Karen R says
Looks AMAZING! Would love to know if you have recipe for the glaze that is drizzled so beautifully across the casserole.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! The glaze/frosting details are included in the recipe. You will see it in the ingredients list and the directions. It's really simple. Just powdered sugar and plant-based milk!
Kim says
The bread doesnt get soggy if left overnight? This looks sooo delicious, I cannot wait for vegan French toast!!
A Virtual Vegan says
It's fine if left overnight. The texture is supposed to be soft and custardy underneath. The tofu helps set it a little. And because it's baked the top goes nice and crunchy regardless. If you prefer one that doesn't get left overnight I have this French Toast too https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-french-toast/
Kim says
I tried it soaking overnight, AMAZING!!!! Absolutely delicious, and I even cut back on the sugar. Thanks, such a great recipe! Making again this weekend!
A Virtual Vegan says
Yay! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it. Being able to make it the night before makes it so convenient!
Kristine says
I'm taking this recipe with us to the mountain cabin for our vegan guests. Can i make the custard mix a day ahead and then mix with bread the next day?
A Virtual Vegan says
That should be fine as long as it's kept cold. Have fun!
Sheila Morse says
I wonder if you could use cashew milk in place of the silken tofu?
A Virtual Vegan says
I wouldn't recommend if for optimum results. The tofu is what replaces the eggs and helps the custard set a little like a regular eggy French toast casserole would. If you use milk of any kind it will end up soggy.
Nick i says
Looks yummy! Can you use almond milk instead of coconut milk?
A Virtual Vegan says
You could but it won't give optimum results. It will still work ok though. The canned coconut milk adds a lovely creamy richness that other milks won't.
Deb says
WOW!
Maureen Cram says
What perfect timing ! I have to attend a family Christmas Eve breakfast (at least it's not a barbecue) so this will be just what I need :). Thanks you so much for the recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm glad it came just in time for your family breakfast. Hope everyone enjoys it!