Return to top
featured in… The Huffington Post CookingLight Reader's Digest Women's Health BuzzFeed Glamour Whole Foods Oprah Winfrey Network CNN Food Network Healthline Shape

Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Vegan French Toast Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.

In the mood for a healthy and delicious vegan French toast recipe? With ground chia as an egg replacer, this is the best french toast ever! It is super fluffy and made with warm spices that are perfectly balanced with sweet flavors. This easy recipe is perfect for kids of all ages and adults too! Serve this traditional French toast with fresh fruit for a perfect breakfast or brunch.

healthy easy dairy free vegan french toast recipe on a white plate with berries and powdered sugar

This super easy vegan French toast recipe is family friendly, plant-based, and made with ingredients you can feel great about! Regular french toast is not vegan because it’s typically made with an egg based custard, and if it’s not cooked perfectly, can end up with a slightly eggy flavor. Our vegan version tastes just like sweet french toast, but without any trace of an eggy flavor, thanks to our secret ingredient to replace the eggs and make it vegan friendly!

Latest Recipe Video!

We enjoy this recipe for Saturday and Sunday mornings because we like to make this classic breakfast a whole family activity! The kids love helping with this simple recipe. Need some serving ideas? Serve this simple vegan French toast as a fun “dinner” on Friday nights!

This is also a great recipe is to serve during the holidays – it’s great for Christmas morning, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, etc… The list goes on!

Did we mention you can easily turn this French toast into vegan French toast sticks? Lifechanging.

👩🏽‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

  • Customizable – serve with your favorite toppings!
  • Dairy free french toast that contains no animal products!
  • Healthy
  • Kid-Friendly and Family-Friendly
  • Allergen friendly, gluten free option
  • Can be easily meal prepped
  • Super easy
  • Best vegan French toast recipe ever!

🥘 Ingredients

This recipe calls for simple ingredients that are easily found at grocery stores or in your pantry. See detailed ingredients and instructions in the printable recipe card below.

ingredients for healthy easy dairy free vegan french toast recipe
  • Crusty Bread: We used thick slices of sourdough bread because we love its hearty texture, you can use any kind of bread slices you like. Whole wheat or whole grain bread, white bread, challah, brioche bread, or your favorite sandwich bread! You just want to make sure to not use super fresh bread – day old is best.
  • Chia Seeds: Ground chia seeds allow the milk to be absorbed well and replace the egg in this recipe. We haven’t tried this recipe with ground flaxseeds, but I imagine it should work instead of the chia seeds.
  • Spices: We used a blend of ground nutmeg and cinnamon, but you can use any warm spices you like. Pumpkin pie spice or even a pinch of cloves would taste great.
  • Milk: We used soy milk for this recipe, but you can use any type of non-dairy milk.
  • Vanilla Extract: Rich and pure vanilla extract is used to give this yummy french toast all the flavor it deserves.
  • Pure Maple Syrup: For a little bit of sweetness! You can also use brown sugar or coconut sugar.

Vegan French Toast Toppings

This is the perfect recipe for a wide variety of toppings! Sometimes we serve this with a toppings bar, and let everyone choose how to make this french toast their own. Some of our favorite toppings include:

  • Fresh fruit: Any fresh berries like fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are always a hit. You could also make a simple fruit compote with apples and/or pears. Sliced bananas are also a delicious option!
  • Nut butter: Sometimes a drizzle of nut butter tastes even better than lots of maple syrup! We love almond butter or peanut butter for this recipe.
  • A dusting of spices or sugar: A little cinnamon, nutmeg or powdered sugar on top goes a long way.
  • Syrups: Try agave syrup, fruit syrup, jam, or even honey if you’re making this a vegetarian french toast (since honey isn’t vegan). You can also try coconut yogurt or whipped coconut cream!
  • Chocolate: Chocolate sauce or chocolate chips turns this recipe into dessert for breakfast!

📖 Variations

  • Dairy-Free Milks: Use cashew milk, coconut milk, unsweetened almond milk, flaxseed milk, hemp, or oat milk in place of soy.
  • Gluten-Free: For gluten-free French toast, simply use a gluten-free bread.
  • Vegan Butter: Serve this recipe with some vegan butter to give this French toast a buttery flavor.
  • Pumpkin French Toast: For a fall-flavored recipe, simply add some pumpkin pie spice with the dry ingredients.
  • Different Egg Substitute: Instead of ground chia seeds, you should be able to use ground flax seeds (to make a flax egg), or chickpea flour (combine 3 tablespoons of chickpea flour with 3 tablespoons of water to replace 1 egg).
  • Even Healthier French Toast: For a healthy french toast, Use Ezekiel bread in place of sourdough for more dietary fiber, and serve with nut butter or liquid monk fruit sweetener in place of the maple syrup for a sugar-free option.

🔪 Instructions

See the complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions in the recipe card below!

Mix Ingredients, Chill: In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients except for the bread and oil. Next, place the mixture in the fridge for 10 minutes.

batter whisked in a bowl

Dip, Soak: After the batter has thickened, pour it into a shallow dish or casserole dish. Dip the each piece of bread into the mixture and soak for a couple minutes. Flip over the bread and soak the other side. Remove.

bread soaking in a baking dish

Cook: Next, add some coconut oil to a large nonstick skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil has melted, add a slice of bread at a time, cook for two to three minutes until golden brown, flip, and cook for another couple of minutes. Remove the French toast from the heat. Repeat until all the slices have been cooked.

dairy free french toast cooking in a pan

Serve: Serve immediately with your favorite toppings and syrup.

easy vegan french toast recipe on a plate

❓Recipe FAQs

How long should you soak French toast?

Be sure to not soak the French toast any longer than two minutes per side or it will get soggy.

What is best bread to use for French toast?

There are several types of bread you can use for French toast, but just make sure the bread is thick and sturdy!

Why do you put milk in French toast?

Milk is used in French toast to add moisture, some fat, and to help make a silky and smooth batter that the bread can soak in. The sugar and protein from the milk react with the heat from the pan to create that classic french toast texture and flavor.

How do you serve vegan french toast?

Serve this French toast with any type of breakfast recipe as part of a larger spread.
Incorporate into a breakfast toast bar along with different toast options!
Enjoy with freshly made smoothies, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate!
Top with fresh berries, syrups or any of the topping ideas above.

🧊 Storage

Let the french toast cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator for up to five days. To reheat leftovers from the fridge, warm it in the microwave or oven until warm.

To store in the freezer, wrap each slice of French toast in plastic wrap, then transfer to an airtight freezer safe container or gallon size freezer bag. It will keep for 2 months in the freezer. To reheat, warm in the toaster oven or regular oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or until warmed through.

💭 Expert Tips

  • For best results, use two day old bread as this prevents the French toast from being soggy. Stale bread is best!
  • Ensure the chia seeds are ground with a high speed blender or grinder until they are a fine powder. The chia powder easily absorbs the milk and is unnoticeable when cooked.
  • Serve the French toast immediately.
  • Use spray oil if you’d prefer, rather than coconut oil, to cook the bread.
  • You can use any nut milk instead of soy milk if preferred.
healthy easy dairy free vegan french toast recipe on a white plate with berries and powdered sugar

🥣 More Vegan Breakfast Recipes!

LOVE THIS RECIPE? Please leave a 5-star rating 🌟 in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page!

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family-friendly food, and if you have any questions, I’m here to help!

📋 Recipe Card

🎥 Watch How to Make It

https://youtu.be/O8wTcG8y1r8
healthy easy dairy free vegan french toast recipe on a white plate with berries and powdered sugar
Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

Easy Vegan French Toast Recipe

In the mood for a healthy and delicious vegan French toast recipe? With ground chia as an egg replacer, this is the best french toast ever! It is super fluffy and made with warm spices that are perfectly balanced with sweet flavors. This easy recipe is perfect for kids of all ages and adults too! Serve this traditional French toast with fresh fruit for a perfect breakfast or brunch.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 309kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

  • 8 slices sourdough bread or any kind of day old bread
  • 1 tablespoon white chia seeds ground
  • 1 cup soy milk or any kind of dairy-free milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ground
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • Olive oil cooking spray or 1 tsp coconut oil, or coconut oil cooking spray

Optional Toppings

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients, except the bread and coconut oil, in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Place in the fridge to thicken for 10 minutes.
  • After the batter has thickened, pour it into a shallow dish. Dip the bread into the mixture and soak for two minutes. Flip over the bread and soak the other side for an additional minute. Remove.
  • While the bread is soaking, heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil has melted add the bread, cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown, flip, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove the French toast from the heat. Repeat until all the slices have been cooked.
  • Serve immediately with your favorite toppings and syrup.

Notes

  • For best results, use two day old bread as this prevents the French toast from being soggy. Slightly stale bread is best!
  • Ensure the chia seeds are ground with a high speed grinder/ blender until it is a fine powder. The cha powder easily absorbs the milk and is unnoticeable when cooked.
  • Serve the french toast immediately.
  • Use spray oil if you’d prefer rather than coconut oil to cook the bread.
  • Substitute the sourdough bread with gluten free bread to make this recipe gluten free, or with sprouted wheat bread for more fiber.
  • You can use any nut milk instead of soy milk if preferred.

Nutrition

Serving: 2slices french toast | Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 687mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g

Posted In…

Plant Based Breakfast Recipes ·

These healthy, plant based breakfast recipes are delicious, filling, and so easy to make!

Whether you want a quick smoothie or a more indulgent breakfast spread, we’ve got you covered.

Try some of our favorites like this blueberry pineapple smoothie, these vegan protein waffles, our silken tofu scramble, this avocado toast with honey, or our lightened up oat milk pancakes!

12 responses to “Vegan French Toast Recipe”

  1. Last I checked, powdered sugar isn’t vegan. If you know if a vegan brand, please share. Thank you! As a vegan for 10+ years, I do miss French Toast.

    • Hi! If you buy an organic powdered sugar it should be vegan. The issue with powdered sugar not being vegan is due to the original sugar used (which is then mixed with corn starch to make powdered sugar). Regular sugar is processed using bone char which makes it not vegan. Organic sugar is not allowed to be processed using bone char, which makes it vegan friendly. So if you use an organic powdered sugar it should be vegan. Hope that helps!

  2. I just loved this! The flavors were so sweet and yummy and the toast came out perfect! Will def be making again.5 stars

  3. French toast is the one thing I hadn’t yet “veganized” since no longer eating eggs but the chia seeds worked perfectly in this recipe to mimic them! Favorite Sunday morning breakfast is back in the game!5 stars

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Subscribe to newsletter

Copyright 2023 The Picky Eater®, LLC. All rights reserved.