This decadent Vegan French Toast Casserole can be prepped the night before for the ultimate hands-off breakfast! It has all the flavors of traditional french toast and then some, thanks to the crunchy, sweet topping.
This recipe is further proof that you don’t need animal products to make amazing baked goods. I really wasn’t sure I could pull this off, but after a few tries, I got it just right. Really! No eggs, no milk, no cream.
Vegan French Toast Casserole is the perfect make ahead breakfast casserole for when you have company visiting, holiday mornings or just a lazy weekend. It’s totally rich and decadent, and tastes like french toast! If you haven’t already, please go make my 10 minute Vegan French Toast. You’ll thank me!
I have a few very important tips and tricks for making this the BEST French Toast Casserole ever, so read on.
What is the best bread to use for vegan french toast casserole?
This is the most important part of the entire recipe. Trust me, because I tried it first with a pretty fresh loaf of moist bread. It was wayyyy too soggy and did not turn out. The next time I used a day old loaf that was pretty dried out, and it was absolutely perfect.
So pretty please, do not try to make this recipe using sandwich bread or any fresh, moist loaf of bread. It will just be soggy bread no matter how long you bake it. I want you to use a DAY OLD loaf of french/sourdough bread or even a baguette.
If you only have fresh bread, cut it up and lay it out on a baking sheet. Let it dry out at room temperature for a couple of hours before using.
How to make french toast casserole without eggs:
This was a really big challenge! It took a few tries to get it just right. French toast casserole is usually made with about 6 eggs. The custard for my vegan version is made with a combination of silken tofu, coconut milk and cornstarch. It works perfectly! And the best part: no eggy aftertaste.
How to serve vegan french toast casserole?
The casserole isn’t super sweet on it’s own, so serve it with a dusting of powdered sugar and warm, pure maple syrup.
Consider making Tofu Scramble or a batch of Tempeh Bacon to go alongside it.
I hope you love this Vegan French Toast Casserole! It’s:
- Soft & Crunchy
- Easy to make
- Perfect for holiday mornings
- Sweet and decadent
Vegan French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 day old large loaf (14-16 ounces) french or sourdough bread* cut into 1 inch cubes (about 10 cups)
- 12 ounces silken tofu
- (1) 13.5-ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons vegan butter, cold
Instructions
- Prepare the bread: Cut the bread into 1 inch cubes. I do this by first slicing the loaf, then cutting into smaller cubes. Lightly grease a 9 by 13 inch casserole dish, and add the bread cubes to it.
- Make the custard: In a blender, add the silken tofu (drained of water if needed), coconut milk, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the custard over the bread cubes. Using your hands, press the bread down into the custard a few times, until the bread is soaked in it. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours. You can bake it immediately if you prefer.
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Then cut the vegan butter in with a fork or your fingers. Sprinkle this over the top of the casserole.
- Bake, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked throughout.
- Sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar and serve with warm, pure maple syrup. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You MUST use day old, dried out bread for the casserole. If you use moist, fresh bread, you will have a soggy casserole and it will not taste good! Sometimes you can even buy day old bread at your grocery store, discounted. If you only have fresh, cut it up and let it sit at room temperature, uncovered for a few hours to dry out.
- You can use mori-nu silken tofu, or the silken tofu packed in water. Simply drain all the water you can from the packaging before using.
I make this for Easter brunch every year and have been for a long time now. When I ave someone with a soy allergy I omit the tofu and use oat milk. And add a tiny bit more corn starch.
The recipe is fantastic and for us we eat a lot of vegan foods due to the dairy and egg allergies of my daughter. NORA’s recipes have helped my daughter eat so many treats over the years!
Hi Nicole. Thank you so much for the recipe love and encouraging comments! I am thrilled that you are loving my recipes! This is a fabulous recipe for Easter brunch! Thank you for taking time to share! Wishing you happy cooking.
The recipe turned out quite good, but I may reduce the sugar next time and add sliced apples for more texture. It was very sweet. I should have used more bread to soak up the mixture as well. I could see crushed pecans working well in there, which would also slow sugar absorption.
Could I bake this in individual ramekins? Any advice on baking time and temperature?
I’m sure you could but I haven’t tested it myself. I would use the same temperature, but reduce baking time by quite a bit. They may only need about 20 minutes of bake time. Enjoy, that sounds lovely!
I realized I don’t have cornstarch on hand. Can I sub flour or omit all together?
I bet you could leave it out or sub flour in a pinch! Hope you enjoy it.
This was incredibly good. I used plain grocery store French bread that I split open and left to air dry for 8 hours.
EVERYONE liked this – the vegan AND the egg eaters. No one detected any soy taste. It was fabulous! Thank you so much!
You are welcome, Laurie! I’m so glad that the French toast casserole was a hit with everyone! Thank you for your terrific review and comments!
This was so, so delicious. Loved it. Easy to make.
Hi Deb. Thank you for your terrific review and comments! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the casserole! Happy cooking!
Wow Nora, this was delicious! My daughter is now 1 and I was looking for a recipe that could become our Christmas morning tradition, this was the perfect choice and I look forward to making it for many years to come. It came together in no time and was also a really forgiving recipe. I ended up doubling the custard because my bread cubes were fully soaked. Probably just a difference in brands used. I was worried it would come out soggy but after 50 minutes in the oven it was absolute perfection. My husband even said it’s 10/10! THANK YOU! Best wishes from South Africa!!
Made this again for my Christmas brunch. Always a hit. The only substitution I make is I use Soy Milk as that is what my son can tolerate. Tastes great! All nonvegans love it too! Thank you for the recipe.
This was yummy. We did not need the syrup, it was plenty sweet at Christmas breakfast. Streusel topping added a nice crunch
Our whole family loved this. Kiddo and husband both had seconds! We tossed in some whole blackberries with our bread cubes and am glad we did. I highly recommend adding some berries.
I have made this recipe every Christmas morning for the past several years. It’s delicious and perfect!
Would low fat coconut milk work?
It should work okay, yes, but it will be less rich and creamy.
Would this be good to make way ahead and freeze?
I haven’t tried it, but it should work okay. Just thaw it overnight and pop it into the oven until warm.
This was so delicious! I ended up making a batch with coconut milk and a batch with soy milk. They were both very good. I was afraid there would be a strong coconut milk taste with this recipe, but there was not. Last year after having brunch and making overnight French toast the traditional way with eggs and milk.I tried a vegan recipe and it was terrible so I’m thrilled that Nora has created a fabulous recipe. Thank you !! my daughter who is vegan will love it.
Hi Karyn. I’m so thrilled that you found my French toast casserole recipe, and that you love it! Thank you for your terrific review! Wishing you happy cooking!
I’ve been making this for years! Love it. I do cut back the sugar a bit in the custard just because it’s still delicious with a little less and I like to add some maple syrup with serving it.
Chef’s kiss!
Hi Maria. Thank you for sharing your fantastic review and feedback! I am thrilled you are loving the French toast casserole recipe! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Nora, I’m making this later in the week. What is silken tofu? I can’t have soy milk but I can eat tofu that is sold in a large block that I cook with. Thanks
There are different types of tofu – extra-firm, super firm, firm, soft and silken. It’s a really soft form of tofu in a block. I use the brand Mori-Nu for silken tofu, which comes in little square packages that can be stored at room temperature.
Would this work with gluten free bread?
I imagine it should work fine, yes. I just haven’t tried it myself but I don’t think it would be a problem.
Did you end up making it with the GF bread? I did and it turned out great. But I cooked it right away. I was wondering if you made this with the GF, did you put it in the fridge overnight?
This looks amazing, so exited to try! Has anyone used firm tofu instead?? Like maybe just add some soy milk to make the mixture smoother?
Hi Raina. Firm tofu won’t work as well. You will need to add quite a bit of water or milk (firm tofu will result in a super thick custard, not like with silken tofu). It might work but I’m not sure! Let me know how it works out if you try it.
Wow! This recipe was so easy to make and tasted delicious? Thanks Nora!
You are welcome, Tamara! Thank you for your stellar review and feedback! I’m thrilled you loved the recipe!
Would love to try this. I can’t eat soy and now use Tofu made from fava beans (Big Mountain Foods). Any thoughts on whether that would work or not?
I’m sorry, I have no idea! You could try it.
I don’t think it will work. The fava bean tofu is even more firm than extra firm regular tofu. It’s the complete opposite of silken tofu.
Great recipe and easy thank you. I used oat milk. It was a lot for 2 of us but we kept unused portion in fridge and warmed up a small amount in a fry pan until we finished it. Found it was sweet enough without powdered sugar and maple syrup.
You are welcome, Suzan! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the French toast casserole recipe! Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and terrific review!
Susan, did you use oat milk instead of silken tofu?
Recipe turned out perfectly. I’m wondering if you could make ahead and freeze it until you need it. Pull it out and cook when company comes.
I think that should work fine if needed. Thanks!
Wondering if this recipe could be adapted to a savory version? I make vegan bread pudding all the time using JUSTegg … adding braised leeks, and sometimes mushrooms.
I bet it could! Sounds really yummy.
Then it would be called a fritatta– day old bread, eggs and veggies.
Do you have a tiktok account? It looks like it but also looks like it could be not legit.
I am not active at all on tiktok. 🙂
We have a family member with a coconut allergy, would using Oat or Soy Milk work instead?
I think oat or soy milk will work well in place of the coconut milk here. Hope you enjoy it!