Vegan French Toast Casserole

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Vegan French Toast Casserole is a quick, healthy breakfast that tastes like dessert! Made with sprouted wheat bread, apples, soy milk, flax seeds, and maple syrup, you’ll get all the decadence of a bread pudding in a nutritious package. Family-friendly and easy to make gluten-free!

I am head over heels for French toast – it’s one of my favorite breakfast recipes! But sometimes I want all the goodness of it without the hassle or added sugar.

That is where this easy vegan French toast casserole recipe shines! Simply blend the custard mixture, pour it over sprouted wheat bread and fresh apples, and bake for an easy breakfast without babysitting the stove.

You can make things even easier by making this French toast casserole without eggs the night before, and then pop it into the oven the next morning. It’s a long-time favorite and is ideal for when you want a stress-free but crowd-pleasing breakfast.

This healthy overnight French toast casserole is packed with wholesome ingredients, but tastes just as good as a traditional French toast recipe.

Toppings are optional, but half the fun! Fresh berries, peanut butter, granola, vegan chocolate chips, a sprinkle of cinnamon, maple syrup, or powdered sugar makes this vegan casserole unforgettable. It’s a perfect vegan breakfast bake when you’re craving indulgence in a lightened up way!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love This Vegan French Toast Casserole

• The Perfect Breakfast For Using Up Stale Bread: If you’re looking for a new recipe to use up that stale bread sitting on your counter, try this non dairy french toast casserole and put one or more kinds of bread to use!
• Low-Fat And Low-Calories: A great thing about this low-fat dairy-free French toast bake is that it has only 3 grams of fat per serving. This is also a lower-calorie recipe than most French toast with just 142 calories per serving.
• Vegan Version Of A Well-Loved Classic: This eggless French toast casserole uses dairy-free milk and ground flax to make an egg-like batter that is creamy and custardy. The whole family will love how the custard soaks into the pieces of French bread and bakes up with lots of classic French toast flavors and texture.
• Special Occasion Ready: This recipe is perfect for when you need a vegan Christmas morning breakfast, for a special occasion at any time of year, or when you need a fun brunch recipe. It is beautiful to serve, warm and comforting, and you can bake it in a holiday or colorful casserole dish to match your occasion.
• Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast: Save this recipe for the next time you need a tasty and healthy breakfast that can easily be made ahead! It is fantastic for preparing the night before a weekend or celebratory brunch.

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🥘 Ingredients

This easy dairy-free French toast casserole recipe requires simple ingredients found at your local grocery store. See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.

• Soy Milk: This non-dairy milk adds creaminess to the custard mixture. 
• Ground Flax Seeds: For French toast casserole with no eggs, flax eggs, made with a liquid and ground flax seed, act as a thickening agent for the milk. Flax is usually found in the baking aisle somewhere near the flour. 
• Maple Syrup: For natural sweetness use pure maple syrup! Additional for serving, if desired. 
• Cinnamon: For a touch of cinnamon flavor that pairs perfectly with the apples!
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla enhances the other ingredients in this vegan healthy french toast casserole.
• Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness to the baked French toast.
• Sprouted Wheat Bread: Sprouted whole wheat bread provides a chewy texture and extra nutrients. Any kind of vegan bread will work, just make sure it’s hearty. Day-old bread or crusty bread works best.
• Apple: Sweet and tender apples take this apple cinnamon French toast casserole up a notch with added texture, color, and flavor.

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

• Sugar: Use brown sugar or coconut sugar in place of the maple syrup or replace the brown sugar with additional maple syrup.
• Milk: Use any non-dairy milk for this recipe. Almond milk, oat milk, and cashew milk are all great options. If you’re not vegan, you can make this recipe with dairy milk. Full-fat coconut milk will be too rich, but you can substitute 1/2 cup of soy milk with coconut milk for a richer casserole with added coconut flavor.
• Other Egg Substitutes: There are many vegan egg substitutes and replacements, such as chia seeds. These substitutes work the same way as flax seeds to thicken the milk, but the ratio is different for each substitute, so adjust the measurements of the milk and thickener as needed.
• Bread: Change things up with a different kind of bread to vary the taste and texture. Try buckwheat sourdough bread, Italian bread, French bread, leftover sandwich bread, or my personal favorite, cinnamon raisin bread!
• Fruit: You can substitute other fresh fruit in place of the apples, such as pears, peaches, or blueberries.

🔪 How To Make Vegan French Toast Casserole

Vegan baked French toast casserole is a breeze to make! Follow these simple directions for a drool-worthy breakfast.

Blend Ingredients: The first step is to combine all of the ingredients except the bread and apple in a high-speed blender. Blend until the liquid mixture is smooth. Set aside for fifteen minutes. This will allow the ground flax to thicken the mixture.

Preheat Oven & Assemble: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray. Arrange the cubed bread in an even layer inside the baking dish. Add the chopped apples on top of the casserole.

Add The Custard: Pour the thickened custard over the bread cubes. Make sure all of the bread is well coated in the custard so you don’t have any dry pieces.

Bake The Casserole: Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Carefully remove the dish from the oven and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Serve: Enjoy this vegan breakfast casserole with your favorite toppings and a drizzle of maple syrup!

💭 Expert Tips

• Grease The Baking Dish Well: Use a greased casserole dish to prevent the bread from sticking! Vegan butter, coconut oil, or nonstick cooking spray will do the trick.
• Make Custard With A Blender: Use a blender to combine the liquid ingredients. This will ensure the flax gets completely incorporated to make an egg-like batter for your baked vegan French toast casserole.
• Allow Batter To Rest: The flax seeds will thicken the batter as it sits after blending. Be sure to allow the blended ingredients to sit for the full 15 minutes before using.
• Use Stale Bread: Stale bread or day-old bread is the best bread for this vegan French toast recipe. Bread that’s a little dried out will fully soak up the custard and prevent a soggy center. If you only have fresh bread, lay the slices of bread on a baking sheet and allow them to sit out overnight before using. A second method to dry bread is to place it in the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until it becomes crusty.
• Allow Time For The Bread To Absorb The Custard: Spread the custard evenly over the bread and make sure that the custard has been fully absorbed by the bread before putting it in the oven. Allow it to sit and absorb for 10-15 minutes for best results.
• Make Ahead And Refrigerate: I love making this recipe the night before and storing it in the refrigerator for a hassle-free hot breakfast. For vegan overnight French toast, prepare the recipe as written and store unbaked in the refrigerator. Cover tightly with plastic wrap before storing.
• Serve Warm: Allow the casserole to cool slightly before serving because it will firm up as it cools. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and a dish towel if desired to retain some of the heat while it cools.

📖 Variations

• Nutty: For a little extra texture and crunch, try adding sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, pecans, or cashews to the bread and apples. 
• Cinnamon Raisin Vegan French Toast Bake: Use cinnamon raisin bread and ¼ cup of raisins for an extra boost of cinnamon.
• Very Berry: Added ¼ cup dried cranberries and ½ cup fresh berries such as blueberries in place of the apple for extra berry flavor.
• Chocolate Chip French Toast: Add ½ cup of vegan chocolate chips to the bread in place of the apples in this egg free french toast casserole.
• Coconut French Toast: Add ¼-½ cup of shredded coconut and substitute the vanilla extract for coconut extract.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Baked French toast bread pudding tastes amazing with toppings! Anything you like is fair game. Granola, fresh fruit, pear compote, a drizzle of pure maple syrup, whipped coconut cream, vegan nutella, chopped nuts, my strawberry chia jam, caramel, and apple curd are a few great options.

For additional protein, serve this recipe with this vegan silken tofu scramble, keto breakfast casserole, or a drizzle of peanut butter or other nut butter.

A great way to serve this dish for kids or house guests is to make individual French toast in small ramekins or small oven-safe bowls. Divide the bread cubes, apples, and custard evenly between 8-10 oven-safe ramekins, place them on a large baking sheet, and reduce the baking time to 30-40 minutes.

🙌 Dietary Adaptions

This baked French toast recipe is vegetarian, vegan, and dairy-free as written. To make gluten-free vegan French toast casserole, simply use gluten-free bread.

🫙 Storage Directions

• Storing: This healthy French toast bread pudding will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the casserole to come to room temperature before storing. 
• Freezing: Freeze leftover French toast casserole in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
• Reheating: Reheat the dish in the microwave on medium heat for 30-60-second intervals until it is heated through. Or cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and reheat for 10-15 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

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🥞 More Vegan Breakfast Recipes!

• Vegan Breakfast Cookies
• Quinoa Oatmeal
• Vegan Frittata
• Healthy Vegan Apple Pancakes
• Vegan Green Waffles
• Homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch

🥣 Other Healthy Breakfast Recipes To Try!

• McDonald’s Hash Browns Recipe
• Healthy French Toast
• Nutella Waffles
• Cream Cheese Toast
• Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
• Santa Pancakes

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