Vegan French Toast Casserole
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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
This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
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!
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.
Nutrition
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63 Comments on “Vegan French Toast Casserole”
Will soy milk work for coconut milk or is there another non tree nut milk that can work?
That should work okay, but it might not be quite as rich tasting.
I don’t have any tofu on hand. Any substitutes?
You might be able to sub a cup or so of raw cashews, as long as you have a high powered blender. I haven’t tested it with anything else though.
I have made this a few times now, simply for the pleasure of seeing my husband’s non-vegan eyes roll to the back of his head ;). It is so simple to make and pure heaven! Thank you Nora.
You’re so welcome!
This was delicious! I used day old sour dough bread, and served it with raspberries, blackberries, and a touch of maple syrup. I’m a fan of so many of your recipes, and you are definitely my go – to when I’m looking for a new recipe! Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! It means to much to hear that I’m your go-to!
Hi, I am looking for a gluten free/vegan breakfast casserole to make for an event, and this sounds perfect! If I use gluten free bread and flour, will I get the same results and will that make the entire dish gluten free? Also, I need to make in a larger pan to feed 20 – 30 people. Do you have any recommendations for altering cook times or temps?
Thanks so much!
You will also need to use a gluten free flour in the topping to make it gluten free. I have never tried it, but I think it would work well with gluten free bread. It’s a little tricky to make a huge batch of this. I would probably double it but use (2) 9 by 13 inch pans. I’m not sure it would work in a sheet pan, but maybe if you doubled or tripled it. I would just bake it until golden brown on top. Hope that helps and everyone enjoys!
This was amazing!! I used sweet bread (because that was what we had on hand), and it turned out great! I halved the recipe, and it was enough to feed 4 people comfortably. It was really quick and easy to make. I will definitely make it again!
I’m so glad it came out amazing for you!