🍞✨ Vegan French Toast Casserole (Make-Ahead!)
Serves: 6–8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 40–50 minutes
Make-ahead: Up to 24 hours
🛒 Ingredients
Casserole Base
- 1 loaf stale or day-old bread
(French bread, sourdough, brioche-style, or any sturdy vegan bread) - 2 cups unsweetened plant milk (oat, almond, soy, or coconut)
- 1 cup canned coconut milk or vegan creamer
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil or vegan butter
- 3 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional for “custardy” eggy flavor)
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg (optional)
- ⅛–¼ tsp black salt (kala namak for eggy flavor, optional)
- ¼ tsp regular salt
Crumble Topping (optional but AMAZING)
- ½ cup flour (all-purpose or almond)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ¼ cup cold vegan butter, cubed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
🔪 Instructions
1. Prep the bread
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and add them to the dish.
Tip: Stale bread absorbs the custard better and prevents sogginess.
2. Make the vegan custard
In a blender or large bowl, whisk together:
- Plant milk
- Coconut milk
- Maple syrup
- Melted coconut oil / vegan butter
- Cornstarch
- Nutritional yeast (optional)
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Salt (and black salt if using)
Blend or whisk until completely smooth.
3. Combine
- Pour the custard evenly over the bread cubes.
- Press gently with a spatula so everything absorbs the mixture.
4. Add the crumble topping (optional)
- Mix flour + brown sugar + cinnamon.
- Cut in the cold vegan butter with a fork until crumbly.
- Sprinkle over the casserole.
5. Refrigerate (overnight or at least 2 hours)
This gives the bread time to soak and become custardy.
6. Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake uncovered for 40–50 minutes, or until:
- Top is golden and crisp
- Center is set but still slightly soft
7. Serve
Enjoy warm with:
- Maple syrup
- Powdered sugar
- Fresh berries
- Vegan whipped cream
- Toasted nuts
🌟 Tips for the Best Vegan French Toast Casserole
- Use hearty bread — soft sandwich bread gets mushy.
- Let it sit overnight for best texture.
- For a crispier top: broil 1–2 minutes at the end.
- Too dry? Drizzle warm plant milk after baking.
- Too soft? Bake an extra 10 minutes.
🍓 Flavor Variations
Berry Bake: Add 1–2 cups blueberries or strawberries between the bread layers.
Pecan Streusel: Add chopped pecans to the crumble topping.
Apple Cinnamon: Add sautéed cinnamon apples before pouring the custard.
Chocolate Chip: Sprinkle ½ cup vegan chocolate chips throughout.
If you’d like, I can turn this into:
📌 a printable recipe card
📌 an oil-free version
📌 a gluten-free version
📌 or a savory French toast casserole!
