Vegan French Toast Casserole
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Vegan french toast casserole is a quick and 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. Kid-friendly with a gluten-free option too!
I’m head over heels for french toast. If there’s a way to make a typical weekday morning magical, a homestyle stack flowing with syrup is the way to do so! Sometimes I want all the goodness of it without all the hassle. That’s where this vegan french toast casserole shines. It makes for the perfect breakfast, because you can sip your morning coffee without lifting a finger or babysitting the stove.
I like to make eggless french toast casserole the night before, then pop it into the oven the next morning. It’s perfect for when you want a stress-free but crowd-pleasing breakfast. It tastes decadent, but this healthy overnight french toast is packed with wholesome ingredients.
Toppings are optional, but half the fun! Fresh berries, peanut butter, granola, vegan chocolate chips, maple syrup, and powdered sugar make this vegan casserole unforgettable. It’s a perfect apple cinnamon french toast casserole when you’re craving indulgence, but without all the guilt!
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👩🍳 Why This Recipe Works
- A great way to use up stale bread
- This low-fat french toast casserole has only 3 grams of fat per serving
- Easy make-ahead breakfast
- Plant-based healthy ingredients
- Kid-friendly!
- Brunch recipe for Christmas morning or for a special occasion any time of year
- Vegan version of a well-loved classic
- Less fussy than individual french toasts
- Only 142 calories per serving
- A vegan and egg free french toast casserole!
🥘 Ingredients
This easy vegan french toast casserole recipe requires simple ingredients found at your local grocery store.
Soy Milk: Any non-dairy milk will do! Almond milk, oat milk, and cashew milk are all great dairy free milk options. If you’re not vegan, dairy milk works too. Full fat coconut milk will be too rich, but you can sub 1/2 cup of the soy milk with it for a richer casserole.
Ground Flax Seeds: Flax eggs are made with a liquid and ground flax seed. They replace eggs and act as a thickening agent for the milk mixture. It’s usually found in the baking aisle somewhere near the flour. Chia seeds work the same way, but the ratio is different.
Maple Syrup: For natural sweetness! Brown sugar and coconut sugar can also be used.
Cinnamon: For a touch of cinnamon flavor!
Vanilla Extract: Vanilla enhances the other ingredients in your recipe.
Brown Sugar: If you prefer natural sugar, you can substitute this with more maple syrup or coconut sugar.
Sprouted Wheat Bread: Sprouted whole wheat bread provides a chewy texture and extra nutrients. Any kind of bread will do though, just make sure it’s hearty. Don’t worry if your bread isn’t fresh, day-old bread or crusty bread works better!
Apple: Optional, but delicious! Sweet and tender apples take this casserole up a notch!
📖 Variations
- Bread: Change up the bread for new tastes and textures. Italian bread, sourdough bread, leftover sandwich bread, or my personal favorite, cinnamon raisin bread are all great options!
- Mix-Ins: I used apples because they’re sweet and bake up nicely. Dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, shredded coconut, and sliced almonds all work great. You can also switch up the vanilla with coconut, almond, or maple extract!
- Toppings: Baked french toast bread pudding tastes amazing with toppings! Anything you like is fair game. Granola, fresh fruit, pear compote, pure maple syrup, whipped coconut cream, nutella, chopped nuts, jam, caramel, and apple butter are some good ideas.
- Vegan Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole: For a gf french toast casserole, replace the wheat bread with gluten-free bread.
🔪 Instructions
Vegan baked french toast casserole is a breeze to make! Follow these simple directions for a drool-worthy breakfast.
Blend Ingredients: Combine all of the ingredients except the bread and apple in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth then set aside for fifteen minutes. This will allow the ground flax to thicken the mixture.
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray. Assemble: Arrange the cubed bread in an even layer inside the baking dish. Add the chopped apples on top of the casserole.
Add 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 Casserole: Bake for 45 to 55 minutes. Carefully remove the dish from the oven and let it sit for 20 minutes. This will allow it to set up first. Serve: Enjoy this vegan breakfast casserole with your favorite toppings and a drizzle of maple syrup!
❓ Recipe FAQs
Is dairy free french toast casserole healthy?
The answer is, it depends! Traditional french toast casserole is made with white bread, butter, eggs, milk, and lots of sugar! White bread has little nutritional value because it’s been processed and stripped of its fiber.
But this recipe is a plant-based lightened-up version made with healthy swaps! Sprouted wheat bread replaces white bread for added fiber and nutrients. Flax seeds are packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. And an egg free custard lowers the fat and calories in this recipe!
Is this healthy french toast casserole kid-friendly?
Yes! My kids devour this casserole! They will think they’re eating dessert when they’re getting lots of fiber, protein, vitamins, and antioxidants. But with most kids, it can be easy to get carried away with the maple syrup.
To keep this healthy and low sugar for the kids, I recommend giving them a small ramekin filled with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup for them to dip their french toast bread pudding cubes into rather than spreading it all over the top.
Why is my baked french toast soggy?
To prevent a soggy casserole, use hearty and stale bread so it will soak up the milk mixture. Be sure to bake it long enough and let it rest too! As the vegan french toast bake sits, it will firm up some.
Can you use stale bread to make healthy french toast bread pudding?
Yes, in fact I recommend it! If the bread you’re using is too soft it won’t be able to fully absorb the custard which will give you a soggy french toast. However, if you don’t have leftover bread, using a dense bread such as the sprouted whole wheat will absorb the custard well and provide you with the perfectly soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside french toast bread pudding.
💭 Expert Tips
- Stale bread is perfect for this recipe. Bread that’s a little dried out will fully soak up the custard without creating a soggy center.
- Use a greased casserole dish to prevent the bread from sticking! Vegan butter, coconut oil, or nonstick cooking spray will do the trick.
- Use a blender to combine the liquid ingredients. This will ensure the flax gets completely incorporated to make an egg-like batter.
- Spread the custard evenly over the bread and make sure that the custard had 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.
- Allow it to cool slightly before serving. It will firm up as it cools.
- To store, let the low-calorie french toast casserole come to room temperature. Place it into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
🥞 More Healthy Breakfast Recipes!
- Grab and Go Breakfast Cookies Recipe
- Quinoa Oatmeal
- Healthy French Toast
- Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with Berries
- Vegan Frittata
- Apple Cinnamon French Toast
- Healthy Vegan Apple Pancakes (Gluten Free!)
- Santa Pancakes: A Healthy Vegan Holiday Breakfast
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🎥 Watch How to Make It
Vegan French Toast Bread Pudding
Vegan french toast casserole is a quick and 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. Kid-friendly with a gluten-free option too!
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 113kcal
Ingredients
- 2¼ cup unsweetened soy milk
- 3 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp cinnamon, ground
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ tsp brown sugar
- 8 slices sprouted wheat bread, roughly chopped
- 1 apple, diced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients from soy milk through to brown sugar to a high speed blender/food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the custard to thicken.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / 180 C.
- Spray a baking dish with olive oil.
- Arrange the chopped bread in an even layer over the base of the baking dish.
- Top with the diced apple.
- Pour the prepared custard over the bread and apple, making sure all bread is well coated in custard.
- Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes. Remove and allow to sit for 20 minutes or chill in the fridge overnight before cutting into 8 servings.
- Serve topped with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Notes
- Always use stale bread as it absorbs the custard better and doesn’t leave the bread soggy.
- Spraying the baking dish generously with olive oil spray helps to stop the pudding from sticking to the dish.
- Serve with your favorite berries, powdered sugar, maple syrup or even vegan ice cream.
- Allowing the pudding to sit for 20 minutes helps the custard to become firm and easier to cut when serving.
- Pudding can be prepared and stored in the fridge overnight before cooking.
- I used fuji apples when preparing this dish however you can use any apple you like.
- Allow the custard to rest for 15 minutes to make sure it thickens before adding to the bread mixture.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 113kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g
French toast is one thing I’ve missed since avoiding dairy and eggs so I was so happy to see this recipe turn out so well using flax seed! Delicious and happy to have this back in my diet for special weekend breakfasts!
Yay! Thanks Gina – so glad you liked it!
OMG this sounds so delicious!! I just love French toast and to make it a dessert, so yummy!
Yes!! This is great as a brunch treat or as a “bread pudding” type dessert!
We loved this recipe it was easy and flavorful using the soy!
Oh awesome, so glad to hear that!
My kids gobbled this up! Thank you for another winner! 🙂
Woohoo!! So happy to hear that! 🙂
Such a delicious brunch recipe with fresh berries. Everyone loves french toast!
Thanks so much Beth!!
Could you substitute cream cheese for anything? Can of coconut cream, Using the solid part only, minus the liquid?
Hi Shana! I’m not sure about the coconut cream – it might work but I’ve never tried it (so it is worth a try!) Alternatively, you could also use ricotta cheese instead of the cream cheese as a 1:1 substitute (I haven’t tried this either but I have heard it works!) Hope that helps!
I have made this numerous times now and we love it! I use a green apple or two and also add blueberries and raspberries sometimes. And use Dave’s Raisin Bread and no brown sugar. This is so good…and easy! Just wondering how this would taste if I froze it?
Hi Joan! I’m so glad you’ve been loving this recipe! Great idea to add berries – I’ll probably do that myself next time! 🙂 I actually haven’t frozen this before so I can’t say with certainty that it would freeze well, but I do know that french toast overall does freeze well – especially if you reheat it in the oven. So that’s what I’d try if I were you! Freeze it, and when you want to eat it again, warm it in the oven. Let me know how that goes!
Thanks for posting. It looks wonderful. I tried the recipe last night but unfortunately my family didn’t love it. It looked very similar so I think I did everything correct. Oh well.
That’s too bad that your family didn’t like it, this is a big hit with my daughter & hubby! How did you like the recipe?
Yum!! Definitely trying this!!! Nutritious and delicious 😉
Thanks Lauren!! I’m sure you will love this recipe! 🙂
Can you mix the ingredients and cook the next morning? Looking for something to take to an early morning meeting.
Hi Patty! I think you probably could. What I’d do is mix the ingredients and assemble everything (in the baking dish) the night before, put it in the fridge, cover it with saran wrap, and bake it the next morning. Hope that helps, let me know how it turns out!
Just came across this blog and love it! This looks so tasty, I will have to give it a try!
Thanks Denise!! It’s so nice to “meet” you – can’t wait to hear how this turns out for you!
This is sooo tasty! I made this for breakfast this morning, and it was fantastic! I am a mom from the Midwest (Iowa) trying to lose those those extra lbs from pregnancy which is how I stumbled on your blog. When I read your hubby was from the Chicago area (about 3 hrs from me) and he loves your recipes, I new it was fate. Can’t wait to try more!
Woohooo!! So glad you liked this recipe Kristen! And it’s always great meeting fellow midwesterners! We’re in Ann Arbor, so not too far from you either 🙂 Can’t wait to hear how the rest of my recipes turn out for you!
I just came across your blog and love it! Can’t wait to keep reading it!
Aww thank you so much! Can’t wait to hear how you like my recipes!
Nice looking recipe. I was just wondering about the Fiji apples. Does it have something to do with the texture, firmness or sweetness? Just curious. I know different apples have different characteristics, so it made me wonder.
Thanks Claire! For the Fuji apples – honestly they are just my favorite type of apple. They have the perfect firmness, perfect level of sweetness. But you could use another apple if you like another type better! I just like Fuji the best and it works really well in this recipe. Hope that helps!
I love the addition of fuji in the cassarole. It looks great.
Thanks Joy! The fuji apples really amp up this french toast!
This french toast recipe sounds wonderful. I LOVE Hungry Girl! Sometimes I will read one of her recipes and think, “I’m not sure how this is gonna taste…” but it always tastes great! I also love things that are created for an individual portion. Thanks for sharing!
I totally agree – HungryGirl has some great ideas! Can’t wait for you to try this recipe Liz!
Your brunch looks absolutely delicious! I love everything Hungrygirl! She has such creative recipes and healthy options for your favorite not so good for you favorites! I will have to try that french toast asap!
Thanks Lauren!! I’m sure you will love this recipe when you try it!
everything looks so good,.
Thanks! Enjoy!
You’re definitely making me hungry with all this!
Hehe thanks Belinda!