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What awaits you is an effortless brunch potluck joint to blow the minds of your whole crew, including the vegan-skeptical amongst them, with this super cost-effective and yummy vegan French toast casserole recipe. Get ready to make your whole house smell like an absolute friggin' breakfast bonanza.
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This recipe leans hard into simplicity: no obscure ingredients, no greasy stovetop flipping, and yes, it's quite conveniently make-ahead friendly. So whether you're hosting brunch or just treating your future self to something you can serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, you're set for caramelized, cinnamon-kissed success.
Pair it with a vegan omelette loaded up with seitan bacon and a tall carafe of fresh OJ (my personal fave part of any brunch). However you top it, this cozy bake's gonna make the table go silent (except for happy chewing sounds).
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🥰Why you'll adore this vegan French toast casserole recipe
☕ Weekend Brunch Star: It feeds a crowd, impresses like a pastry chef's special, and might be the cheapest thing you can serve up to satisfy a large family gathering with minimal fuss.
✊ Vegan AF: Like all of my vegan breakfast recipes, forget seeing any eggs, butter, milk, or cholesterol. But get ready to watch it do a double backflip out of your dad's Saab and land a perfect 10 on the cozy-o-meter.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all of my vegan recipes, this one's been brunch-tested by hundreds of recipe testers from all around the planet.
I'm on my knees staring weirdly into your eyes, asking you in a soothing voice to be my taste-testing partner in crime. Sign up for the recipe testing crew and get early access to new recipes before they're published.
🍞Dairy-Free French toast casserole ingredients
Old-A$$ Bread, from Days Gone By
Make this with a sturdy, hearty 1 lb. loaf of vegan brioche, whole wheat bread, vegan challah, or a country-style white. The bread should be at least a day old; this helps it soak up the custard without turning to mush.
If you didn't plan ahead and only have fresh bread, cube it and toast it briefly in the oven until just a little dry.
Plant Milk
You do you, as they say. Use oat milk, soy milk, coconut milk, or almond milk in this recipe-all will work great.
The reason I call for unsweetened milk, and then calling for sweetener to be added is that all brands vary greatly in sweetness. This way, I can make sure everyone who follows this recipe gets pretty consistent results.
However, if all you can get your hands on is regular sweetened or flavored plant milk, I'd suggest just cutting down on the sugar you add to taste, so you aren't brunching up some cloyingly sweet muck.
Vegan Butter
My go-to is Earth Balance, but Trader Joe's has a budget-friendly version that still gets the job done. Coconut oil can also be used, but obv. it's not going to have any delicious buttery flavor, right? If you're the scrappy and from-scratch type, I teach you how to make incredible homemade vegan butter in my vegan dairy crash course.
The Starch
This is your egg-free way of making the custard a bit thicker and gooier. Cornstarch thickens the plant-based custard so it sets properly in the oven. Arrowroot, tapioca starch, or potato starch work just as well, so use what you've got on hand.
The Sweetener
Of course, you can make this with regular brown sugar (or even plain ol' white sugar with a little molasses added). But, coconut sugar (which is like ⅔ of what runs through my wife's veins) has a mineral-rich, almost maple-like taste that I think is extra nice in this.
Toppings
Once baked, top your casserole however you like. A drizzle of maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar is classic, but don't hold back on vegan whipped cream, which I have a pretty killer, easy recipe for.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
Add 1 ½ cups of canned pumpkin puree to the custard mix, and fold a little bourbon cranberry sauce into the bread before baking. You've to yourself the perfect brunch banger for Thanksgiving weekend.
Chocolate Chip Hazelnut French Toast Casserole
Fold ½ cup vegan chocolate chips into the bread cubes for a dessert-worthy casserole. Top the baked casserole with dollops of vegan Nutella, crushed toasted hazelnuts, and vegan mascarpone.
Grab my easy-yo-use app that builds your whole week with real, chef-tested vegan dinners in 30 seconds, customized to your budget, time, and taste, with a shopping list sorted by aisle.
📖 How to make baked vegan French toast
Running on fumes and craving French toast NOW? Skip ahead to the printable recipe card below. But if you've got a minute, stick around-this step-by-step walkthrough will set you up for brunch greatness.
Step One
Grease Is the Word:
Lightly grease a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish.
Step Two
Breader Off Dead:
Cut the bread into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes and spread them evenly in the dish.
Step Three
A Calculated Whisk:
In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together plant-based milk, rum (if using), vegan butter, starch, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt until smooth and the butter has melted.
Step Four
Pour Decisions:
Pour the custard mixture over the bread cubes.
Step Five
The Press Prince of Bel-Air:
Press down firmly with a spatula or the back side of a spoon so every piece soaks up some of the custard. Securely cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil.
Step Six
Don't Go Bake-ing My Heart:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake for 30 minutes covered.
Step Seven
Casserole Call:
Uncover the pan and continue to bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown on top.
Step Eight
Cool Runnings:
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Top with whipped cream, berries, powdered sugar, and maple syrup.
50+ of my own family's fave recipes. Carefully concocted to win over even your most anti-vegan friends.
💡Serving Ideas
Serve this baked French toast with a banger brunch lineup to make your table look like a VIP breakfast buffet.
A side of applewood-smoked vegan breakfast sausage or a wedge of vegan quiche perfectly complements the sweet bake. Of course, a plate of scrambled tofu or a tempeh bacon-stuffed vegan omelette wouldn't hurt, either, would it?
👉Top tips
- Use Stale Bread: Fresh bread gets too mushy. Day-old is ideal, or toast cubes briefly in the oven.
- Let It Rest: Soaking helps the bread absorb flavor evenly. An overnight chill before baking makes this even better, and it's incredibly fast to get in and out of the oven in the morning.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Heck yes! A splash of bourbon or spiced rum in the custard makes this a grown-up brunch that slaps.
Sure thing! Spoon the soaked bread into greased muffin tins and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes for personal-sized portions.
❄️ Refrigerating:
Store leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
🧊 Freezing:
Slice, wrap in foil or an airtight container, and freeze for up to 1 month.
🌡 Thawing:
Let thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat straight from frozen at a lower oven temp.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating:
Warm slices in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.
🥵 Oven Reheating:
Heat a pre-made casserole for just 15-18 minutes, covered. You may want to hit it with a little extra drizzle of plant-based milk first to make sure it stays juicy and lovely.
✌️You'll love these vegan breakfast recipes too:
Get a massive discount on all of my popular vegan brunch classes and become a plant-based breakfast champion!
Vegan French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb. loaf of stale bread ideally vegan brioche if you can find it
- 2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk
- ¼ cup spiced rum optional
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch arrowroot, or potato starch
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar palm sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
Toppings:
- Vegan whipped cream
- Fresh berries
- Powdered sugar
- Maple syrup
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish or casserole dish.
- Cut the bread into 2.5 cm (1-inch) cubes and spread them evenly in the prepared dish.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the plant-based milk, rum (if you are using it), vegan butter, starch, coconut sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and salt until smooth and the butter has fully melted.
- Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes, pressing firmly with a spatula to ensure the bread absorbs the liquid. If preparing in advance, cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 15-18 minutes until the top is firm and lightly browned.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top with vegan whipped cream, fresh berries, powdered sugar, and maple syrup as desired.
Notes
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Tee Hansen says
This vegan French toast casserole absolutely slapped! Custardy, indulgent, and even the vegan-skeptics went back for seconds! The make-ahead factor is clutch for brunches, and that coconut sugar gives it this gorgeous caramel vibe. I'm not usually a fan of french toast casseroles, but this one will be on my list of repeats!
Rita says
Yum!
Deborah says
Fantastic! The recipe came together so easily, and the taste was amazing. I'm looking forward to making it for a family brunch.