Vegan french toast casserole is an easy-to-make morning breakfast! Pieces of french bread are covered in a homemade vegan custard, topped with a candied pecan crumble and baked to perfection! Enjoy this baked french toast right away or refrigerate it overnight and bake it the next morning. Holiday brunch will win over the whole family with this recipe!
Weekend mornings call for more than a simple slice of hummus avocado toast. And, around here I like to keep brunch fresh and fun for the family which means we’re constantly trying new recipes like my blueberry breakfast cake.
A few weekends ago I was on the search for an indulgent morning sweet for the upcoming holidays.
This vegan french toast casserole definitely nailed it!
The soft french-toast-like inside and the crispy sugary-crumble top had the family requesting this breakfast bake be added to the weekend morning rotation!
How to make french toast casserole
Baked french toast casserole is easy to make!
There's no standing over the stovetop flipping each piece of soggy bread. Instead, everything is dumped into a casserole dish and baked.
Prepping the custard
Start by preparing the custard so it has time to thicken up.
Measure out the non-dairy milk in a large 4-cup glass measuring cup or medium bowl. Whisk-in the remaining custard ingredients until everything is well combined. Set the mixture aside and cube the bread.
Cube the bread and prep the topping
To easily cube the french bread, cut the loaf into about 1-inch thick slices. From there, cut the slices into 1-inch cubes as pictured.
To prepare the sweet pecan topping, mix the flour and sugar together in a small bowl. Cut in the oil until it’s well dispersed, then mix in the chopped pecans.
How to assemble and bake the casserole
Add the cubed bread to your oiled baking dish. Give the custard one last whisk then slowly and evenly pour it over the bread as pictured above. Allow the mix to rest for 10-15 minutes.
Then, sprinkle the pecan crumble over the top.
Bake the french toast casserole at 350ºF for 40-50 minutes. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Top with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup for a decadent morning treat!
What kind of bread can I use?
Any 1-pound loaf of bread will work for this french toast bake. You can use french bread, sourdough, ciabatta, Italian bread, etc.
I tested this recipe using French, Italian, and sourdough bread. My personal favorite was the sourdough. The slight tang of the bread perfectly balanced out the sweetness of the casserole.
Can this recipe be made ahead of time?
YES!
For an overnight french toast casserole, prep the custard and bread. Store them separately in the fridge.
The next morning, remove the bread and custard from the fridge. Prepare the topping and assemble the casserole.
Ways to enhance this vegan breakfast casserole
For a simple breakfast, top the baked french toast with powdered sugar and maple syrup.
Or, use this recipe as a base to create your favorite flavored french toast casserole. Mix in fresh fruit, dried fruit, or nuts!
Try one of these suggestions:
- diced apple
- blueberries
- raspberries
- strawberries
- raisins
- dried cranberries
- extra pecans
- chopped walnuts
- chocolate chips
Tips for making vegan french toast casserole
- To keep the ingredients separate for an overnight night bake, store the bread cubes in a resealable bag and the custard (minus the cornstarch) covered the in the fridge. The next morning whisk the cornstarch into the custard and proceed with the remaining steps.
- For a seasonal baked french toast, swap out the cinnamon for pumpkin spice.
- Omit the pecans for a nut-free version.
- I added flaxseed for a bit of nutrition, but I know not everyone has it available. So, the flaxseed can easily be replaced with an extra 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch (for a total of 3 Tablespoons).
MORE VEGAN BREAKFAST FAVORITES
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Vegan French Toast Casserole
Vegan french toast casserole is an easy-to-make morning breakfast! Pieces of french bread are covered in a homemade vegan custard, topped with a candied pecan crumble and baked to perfection! Enjoy right away or refrigerate overnight.
Ingredients
- 1 lb loaf of french bread
Custard
- 2 and 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
Pecan topping (optional)
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Whisk together the custard ingredients and set aside for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, cube the bread. Cut the loaf into 1-inch slices then cut the slices into one-inch cubes.
- Add the cubed bread to an oiled 7x11-inch baking dish. Evenly pour the custard over the bread and set aside for about 15 minutes.
- Prep the pecan topping while the bread soaks. Mix the sugar and flour together in a medium bowl. Use a fork or pastry cutter to cut in the oil, then mix in the chopped pecans.
- Sprinkle the pecan crumble across the top of the casserole.
- Bake uncovered at 350ºF for 40-50 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Dust with optional powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.
ENJOY!
Notes
- To make this recipe ahead-- prep the custard and bread. Store them separately in the fridge. The next morning, remove the bread and custard from the fridge. Prepare the topping and assemble the casserole.
- To make the casserole without ground flaxseed-- replace the flaxseed with an extra 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch (for a total of 3 Tablespoons cornstarch).
- For flaxseed meal, which isn't as fine as ground flaxseed, use up to 3 Tablespoons.
- If the custard is too thick to pour, slowly whisk in more non-dairy milk to thin it out.
- You can use a 9x9-inch dish, but the custard is dispersed better in a bigger dish.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 248Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 313mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 3gSugar: 11gProtein: 7g
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
Lidia Le Francois
Does the topping have to have more sugar? There's already sugar in the custard part. Can I reduce the sugar? Thank you.
Marlena Luna
For a less sweet casserole, reduce the sugar in the custard. For a less sweet topping, leave off the topping and add chopped nuts instead.
karen
Can I use a 9x13 pan?
Marlena Luna
Yes, a 9x13 pan will work. The difference will be the thickness of the casserole. Also, it may require less time to cook.
Tara D
Wow, this was delicious! I used a blend of full fat coconut milk and unsweetened soymilk for the custard and walnuts for the topping. The recipe makes the perfect amount of custard, and the crunchy caramelized topping was so good! I appreciated that it wasn't overly sweet. I served it with mixed berry sauce, cinnamon apples, vegan whipped topping, and maple syrup. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Marlena Luna
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)
Alison
Marlena this looks fabulous! I am going to make this for Christmas morning, I have one question though. I see you say it can be made ahead of time overnight, so my question is, is there a specific reason you dont just pour it over the night before? Just curious because Ive made a few overnight french toast recipes and they all have you pour it and store it Thanks!
Marlena Luna
Sure you can do that.
lyndsay
This looks so good, and I’d love to make it for Christmas breakfast. Is it possible to use regular sugar instead of coconut sugar?
Marlena Luna
Absolutely! An equal amount of regular sugar can be used instead.
Elizabeth
This was delicious and so easy! I used Italian bread, and it was perfect. My casserole did come out the slightest bit soggy at the bottom, but my bread chunks were a bit large. I suggest making sure the chunks are 1"x1" or maybe using a larger dish to get maximum crunch surface.
Thanks so much for the recipe!
Jessi
Hello,
First off I'm new to this site and I must say I will be coming back!
I want to make this french toast casserole and while I normally make my plant milks I haven't really felt like it as of lately but I do have canned coconut milk. Can it be used for this receipe or will it be too thick? Maybe I can add water to lighten it up? Also I've seen others use silken tofu. Have you ever tried?
Where you get your protein
Hi Jessi! Canned coconut milk is a good replacement. I have not tried silken tofu yet. Let us know how it turns out! :)