Description
Make vegan French toast in a casserole with all the sweet, cinnamony goodness of traditional French toast! Perfect for lazy Sundays, special brunches, make-ahead breakfasts, or when you want to treat yourself.
Ingredients
For the Casserole
- butter or oil spray for greasing the casserole
- 1 large loaf of day-old French bread or sourdough bread, cubed (about 10 cups)
- 1 cup of oat milk (or any non-dairy milk)
- 1 can of coconut milk
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- a pinch of salt (to bring all the flavors home)
- toppings: maple syrup, fresh berries, sliced bananas, nuts, vegan whipped cream, or a dollop of vegan yogurt
For the Crumble Topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed - for a deeper molasses flavor, you can use dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted vegan butter, cut into small pieces
- optional toppings: 1/2 cup chopped nuts - pecans or walnuts add a lovely crunch and nutty flavor
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Toss your bread cubes in there.
- Mix: In a large bowl, whisk together almond milk, coconut cream, brown sugar, applesauce, ground flaxseed, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Assemble: Pour the liquid mixture evenly over the bread cubes. No need to stir unless you want to coat every piece in the mixture. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes to absorb all the goodness.
- Crumble: While the bread pieces or soaking, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, whisking until well mixed, then cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender, fork, or your fingers until it looks like coarse crumbs. Fold in the optional nuts if using.
- Top the Casserole: Evenly sprinkle the crumble topping over the prepared casserole. This will create a beautiful, crumbly texture as it bakes.
- Bake: Pop the dish into the oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center feels set but tender.
- Serve: Let it cool for a few minutes, then serve warm with a generous drizzle of maple syrup and your favorite toppings.
Notes
Ensure you evenly distribute the liquid over the bread, soaking some of the top pieces for the best texture.
Stir the bread into the mixture to coat each piece evenly if you prefer, but leaving a few pieces unstirred yields a delightful, delicious crunch on top. It's not traditional, but it works well in this casserole.
The bottom part of the casserole tends to be a bit moist since it absorbs the mixture, but if it turns out really soggy, it might be because the bread was too fresh or there was too much liquid. For next time, try using bread that's a bit drier (a day or two old) or cut back on the liquid a tad. Plus, a longer bake time could help ensure the middle sets just right.
Nutritional information is only an estimate.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: breakfast
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 494
- Sugar: 34.7 g
- Sodium: 422.4 mg
- Fat: 25.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 60.4 g
- Protein: 5.2 g
- Cholesterol: 40.7 mg