This Vegan French Toast is made with just 7 ingredients, it’s so deliciously crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, and it’s made in 30 minutes!
My Favorite Vegan French Toast Recipe
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I am a big believer in celebrating the New Year in a big way – so how about some fluffy, flavourful and tasty Vegan French Toast?! It might still be winter where you are, or you may not want to let go of cozy season yet, this works perfectly for warming you up AND keeping you nice and cozy. It’s pretty much, amazing.
Every December, I have a sudden craving for all things french toast – baked, fried (sorry not sorry), overnight, cinnamon, coconut…all! It definitely spread into January for me this year, too. I used to make this recipe by slicing each slice into french toast sticks, so you can also do that. Nowadays I prefer nice thick slices. Either way? Incredible AND easy.
Ingredients
So what goes into vegan french toast? Only 7 ingredients are needed to make this filling, hearty breakfast! Well, 8 or 9 if you count toppings (which you definitely should!).
- Vegan Milk: 1 cup of any vegan milk works. If you want something nice and thick, a thicker vegan milk like soy milk or cashew milk is preferred.
- Flax Meal: ground flax seeds replace the need for eggs in this french toast recipe PERFECTLY.
- Maple Syrup: this is totally optional, but I love the extra sweetness it adds. You can also use any sugar-free sweetener or agave nectar.
- Vanilla Extract: for some more sweetness/flavour.
- Cinnamon: what is french toast without a dusting of cinnamon? You could also use nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, or any other kind of “sweet” spice.
- Thick Sandwich Bread: something like brioche and sourdough (you can also slice up a loaf of some other sturdy bread).
- Vegan Butter or Oil: this is for frying the bread slices, so either one works well.
- Toppings: maple syrup, extra cinnamon, and vegan whipped cream are all good ideas! Also berries or any kind, or even mint.
What Kind of Bread to Use
Brioche and sourdough are good choices when it comes to making this french toast. You can also use a thick multigrain bread too. You need bread that is slightly stale, and also pretty sturdy so that it won’t fall apart in the pan; anything that fits that description should yield good results for you. French bread can also work well, just as long as it’s not too fresh.
Can You Make French Toast Without Eggs?
As I was coming up with this recipe (I’ve been making this for 6+ years!), I wondered to myself, WHY is it that french toast has never been made vegan?! Like seriously, you can search for so many recipes and they all have eggs in them. But, I was up to the challenge to see if I could make a vegan french toast recipe that was still simple, and of course delicious.
I’m happy to say, it isso possible.
In french toast, the egg is in the batter to thicken it up, so I knew any egg replacer would be perfect. I specifically went for flax seed meal (ground flax seeds) since one, I love flax seeds, and two, it would actually add some nutritional value to the french toast.
Long story short, you can totally make french toast without eggs!
How to Make Vegan French Toast
French toast is a great breakfast to make on the weekends. It doesn’t take that much time to prepare, but you do need about 30 minutes for the whole process.
However, once you mix the batter together, it’s just a matter of frying the bread slices and choosing your toppings!
Create French Toast Batter: In a bowl, add the vegan milk, maple syrup (optional), flax meal, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk together vigorously and place in your freezer for the batter to set up and get thicker for 15 minutes.
Whisk: When the batter is thicker, whisk again.
Melt Butter or Oil: Heat 2-3 tablespoons vegan butter (or oil) in a pan or on a griddle over medium-high heat until hot until melted.
Fry the Bread Slices: Dip the soaked slices into the batter until coated (do NOT soak them), and place in the pan to pan fry. Pan fry on each side for 3 to 5 minutes until it is crispy on the outside, then turn over and pan-fry on the other side for another 3 to 5 minutes. I always start with one to test the heat, then you can adjust accordingly.
Continue Cooking: Add more butter as needed and continue to cook the extra slices.
Serve and Enjoy: Serve immediately topped with maple syrup, dusted with cinnamon and vegan whipped cream.
Tips for the Best French Toast
So, as you can see, making this breakfast is fairly simple!
Take a look at some of these tips for more info on how to make the best french toast:
- Other Substitutes for Flax Eggs: including cornstarch in the batter (sift in about 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup) will also thicken it up.
- Use Stale Bread: stale bread soaks up the batter better than fresh bread does. If you only have fresh bread, leave it out on the counter overnight before you make the french toast the next morning.
- Use Sturdy Breads: soft breads will fall apart in the pan, so try not to use pre-sliced sandwich bread, as it is usually too soft.
- Don’t Soak the Bread for Too Long: 15-20 seconds on each side is more than enough time for the bread to sop up the batter; going longer will make the french toast soggy.
Serving Suggestions
Wondering what to serve with/on french toast? There are so many good choices! Here are a couple of my favorites:
- Vegan Whipped Cream: this Cashew Whipped Cream is one of my go-to recipes.
- Maple Syrup: it’s great on everything from pancakes, to waffles, to – you guessed it – french toast!
- Berries: I chose strawberries for my french toast, but blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries would taste great too.
- Coconut Cream: I like to top these off with some Coconut Cream sometimes – leave a tin of coconut cream overnight in your fridge, open it, scoop off the little liquid and that’s it!
- Toasted Nuts – If you’re feeling extra decadent, you can add candied pecans (or walnuts) on top.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Though french toast is best when fresh, you can keep leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge. When you want to heat them up again, just heat a pan on the stove, and add a splash of milk to your leftover batter before you soak the bread in it. Or, pop it in the toaster oven for a minute or two.
Can I Freeze French Toast?
French toast and its batter don’t freeze very well, so it’s best to eat the toast fresh and warm from the pan. Freezing the french toast would probably yield soggy results.
MORE VEGAN BREAKFAST RECIPES
- Vegan Pancakes (Light and Fluffy)
- Vegan Waffles (Fluffy and Crispy)
- Vegan Scrambled Tofu
Vegan French Toast
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
This Vegan French Toast is made with just 5 ingredients, is so deliciously crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and made in 30 minutes!
5 (from 12 ratings)
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Ingredients
- 1 cup vegan milk, any vegan milk works
- 1 tablespoon flax meal, ground flax seeds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, (optional to add)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 slices thick sandwich bread, like brioche or sourdough (you can also cut into slices)
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, or oil
- for topping, Maple syrup, also Extra cinnamon, for sprinkling vegan chipped cream*, for topping
Instructions
In a bowl, add the vegan milk, maple syrup (optional), flax meal, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk together vigorously and place in your freezer for the batter to set up and get thicker for 15 minutes.
When the batter is thicker, whisk again.
Heat 2-3 tablespoons vegan butter (or oil) in a pan or on a griddle over medium-high heat until hot until melted.
Dip the soaked slices into the batter until coated (do NOT soak them), and place in the pan to pan fry. Pan fry on each side for 3 to 5 minutes until it is crispy on the outside, then turn over and pan-fry on the other side for another 3 to 5 minutes. I always start with one to test the heat, then you can adjust accordingly.
Add more butter as needed and continue to cook the extra slices.
Serve immediately topped with maple syrup, dusted with cinnamon and vegan whipped cream. Enjoy!
Notes
Tips for the Best French Toast
So, as you can see, making this breakfast is fairly simple!
Take a look at some of these tips for more info on how to make the best french toast:
- Other Substitutes for Flax Eggs: including cornstarch in the batter (sift in about 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup) will also thicken it up.
- Use Stale Bread: stale bread soaks up the batter better than fresh bread does. If you only have fresh bread, leave it out on the counter overnight before you make the french toast the next morning.
- Use Sturdy Breads: soft breads will fall apart in the pan, so try not to use pre-sliced sandwich bread, as it is usually too soft.
- Don’t Soak the Bread for Too Long: 15-20 seconds on each side is more than enough time for the bread to sop up the batter; going longer will make the french toast soggy.
SERVE WITH:
- Vegan Whipped Cream: this Cashew Whipped Cream is one of my go-to recipes.
- Maple Syrup: it’s great on everything from pancakes, to waffles, to – you guessed it – french toast!
- Berries: I chose strawberries for my french toast, but blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries would taste great too.
- Coconut Cream: I like to top these off with some Coconut Cream sometimes – leave a tin of coconut cream overnight in your fridge, open it, scoop off the little liquid and that’s it!
- Toasted Nuts – If you’re feeling extra decadent, you can add candied pecans (or walnuts) on top.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Though french toast is best when fresh, you can keep leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days in the fridge. When you want to heat them up again, just heat a pan on the stove, and add a splash of milk to your leftover batter before you soak the bread in it. Or, pop it in the toaster oven for a minute or two.
Can I Freeze French Toast?
French toast and its batter don’t freeze very well, so it’s best to eat the toast fresh and warm from the pan. Freezing the french toast would probably yield soggy results.
Calories: 115kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 198mg, Potassium: 14mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 76IU, Calcium: 117mg, Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
Author: Jessica Hylton
