This vegan French toast casserole is the perfect morning treat. Slightly crispy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside. The homemade eggless custard is made rich and creamy with medjool dates and silken tofu. All you need is 12 simple ingredients. Have this French toast casserole ready in one hour!
This recipe was inspired by a can of homemade peach preserves I was given by my grandpa. You might have read on my Sweet Bourbon Peach Smash recipe post that my grandparents have a peach tree in their backyard that was so full of peaches a few weeks ago we couldn’t eat (or drink) them fast enough.
Definitely a great problem to have there were just so. many. peaches. And now, there are so many cans of peach preserves! Again, great problem to have. And the best topping for French toast!
Making the Custard
This vegan French toast custard is made with a few simple ingredients. Because we are leaving out the traditional eggs and milk, we have to replace them with a few key ingredients to achieve that same familiar taste.
- silken tofu – for the eggy, creamy texture
- canned coconut milk – for the creamy, rich flavor
- nutritional yeast and sour cream – for the tangy, egg-like taste
- tapioca flour – for a thicker custard
I don’t recommend replacing the silken tofu with any other type of tofu. Silken tofu has a very unique almost pudding like texture that is necessary here.
If you use a firmer tofu, your custard will not have the same texture and will likely be too thick! You need a thinner custard here to be able to pour it easily over your bread slices.
If you have never used silken tofu before, it should be located in your local grocery store right next to the other types of tofu. You may also find this Definitive Guide to Tofu Styles by Thrillist helpful.
It also may seem a little weird to add nutritional yeast and sour cream to a sweet recipe, but trust me! It’s subtle and adds a savory depth to the custard flavor.
To prepare, add all custard ingredients into a large capacity food processor until completely smooth.
Using Stale Bread
Another must in having success with any French toast recipe is using stale bread.
If you use soft, fresh bread you are guaranteed to have a soggy French toast. Using too thin of bread could also cause it to become soggy as well. No one wants that!
You need stale, thick bread! I bought a fresh loaf of French bread and left the bag open on the counter for a couple of days until it was dried out a bit.
If you are in a pinch and don’t have time to wait for your bread to naturally get stale, you can bake the slices on a baking sheet for 10 minutes at 375 degrees, Fahrenheit.
Once your bread is stale, slice it into thick slices and layer it in a 12″ oven safe skillet or 9×13 baking dish.
Next, pour the custard over the slices. Make sure to get the custard in between each slice as well so each slice of bread can soak up the delicious custard!
Tip! If the bread slices are packed in tightly, you can use a spatula to help get the custard in between each slice!
Once your custard is evenly distributed between all bread slices, bake for 45 minutes. If you find the top of your French toast appears to be browning too quickly you can loosely cover it with foil.
After baking, allow to cool for a few minutes and then top with powder sugar, peach preserves, and of course – maple syrup.
I mean…YUM. I know I might be a little biased, but this is the best Vegan French toast casserole.
So indulgent feeling, yet not the most unhealthy breakfast option!
I love this recipe and hope you guys give it a try.
More Vegan Breakfast Ideas
- Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf
- Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Scones
- Sweet Potato and Kale Chickpea Frittata
- Healthy Banana Blueberry Muffins
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Enjoy!
Vegan French Toast Casserole with Peach Preserves
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of stale French bread see notes
Custard
- 1 (14 ounce) package silken tofu
- 1 cup medjool dates pitted
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can of full fat coconut milk
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons vegan sour cream I used Kite Hill Brand
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- ½ tablespoon tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For Serving
- maple syrup
- peach preserves or any fruit preserve/sauce
- organic powder sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add all custard ingredients to food processor and process until completely smooth. If your dates are not very soft, soak them in hot water for 5 minutes prior to blending.
- Slice French bread into 1" thick slices and layer in 12" oven safe skillet or 9x13 casserole dish. If you prefer, you can also slice into 1" cubes.
- Pour custard over French bread slices. Make sure to get custard in between each slice of bread so that each slice will soak up custard during baking.
- Bake French toast casserole for 45 minutes. If the top of your casserole appears to be browning too quickly during baking, loosely cover casserole with tin foil.
- After 45 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Finally, dust with powdered sugar. Serve with peach preserves or your favorite fruit and maple syrup.
- This French toast casserole will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight Tupperware for up to 5 days but is best fresh. Reheat leftovers in microwave.
Notes
- Do not substitute the silken tofu with a firmer tofu. Silken tofu is necessary in this recipe.
- My cashew sour cream recipe won't work here as it's too savory. Use a more neutral store bought vegan sour cream. I prefer the Kite Hill Brand.
- If your French bread is too fresh and soft, you will end up with a soggy casserole. You must use stale bread. If you are in a pinch for time, you can dry out the bread by first baking the sliced bread on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 375 degrees, Fahrenheit.
Disclaimer: The Nutritional Information provided for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the facts listed is not and cannot be guaranteed.
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