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
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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.
Made this delicious casserole for Thanksgiving brunch and it was a huge hit! We reduced the sugar in the milk mixture —a couple of tablespoons rather than a half cup, and it was perfectly sweet. We served fried apples on the side and wondered if apples could be added to the casserole before baking?
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review and feedback! I’m glad you loved the casserole! Apples sound like a really delicious addition! Great idea! Wishing you happy cooking!
I make this recipe for burning man and freeze the tray’s before I bake it out in the desert. Everyone that has it absolutely loves! Freezing it before hand makes it almost like “bread pudding” gooey in the middle and crunchy outside.
Another delicious Nora recipe! I made a simple strawberry blueberry sauce to go with it. So yummy!
Oh my! That sounds delicious! Thanks for your wonderful idea and review!
This tastes like real french toast! Texture and everything.
So glad you loved it! Thanks for sharing your awesome review!
Made this for an Easter brunch omg soooo good and enjoyed by all!! Nora you’re my go to for vegan breakfast and desserts feel like I’m not missing out being vegan!
Hi Molly! There are so many delicious things to be made, and I am honored you are using my recipes! Thank you for sharing your fabulous review! Happy cooking!
This was So delicious!!!
Do you think I can make it in advance… freeze it… defrost in the fridge and then bake it??
Thank you or sharing your great review! I’m glad you loved the recipe! I haven’t tried freezing it, but I don’t think the texture of the french toast would turn out well once thawed.
I make this casserole every year for Christmas day and it never disappoints! We all love it!
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! I’m so glad everyone loves the casserole!
Greetings, I dont have the Silken Tofu can you use a Wildwood firm tofu?
It won’t work as well, and 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!
This was PERFECT for Christmas morning with roasted strawberries and fresh blueberries and blackberries, topped with a dusting of powdered sugar. Great to make it the night before and roast the strawberries the day before – and then just pop the casserole in the oven and the strawberries on the stove to heat up! It was a huge hit with my family – thank you for the recipe!
You are welcome, Patti. Your casserole sounds delicious! Thank YOU for your wonderful review and feedback!
OH MY GOSH-this was literally the perfect recipe for Christmas morning breakfast 🥳🥳I swear Nora’s recipes never miss 🙌🙌
Have you tried the new Trader Joe’s heavy whipping cream yet? I’m wondering if I can sub that instead of the coconut milk.
I haven’t seen it actually! I will be running there as soon as possible. 🙂 I bet it would work in place of coconut milk, as well as any other vegan cream.
Can you make this in the crock pot? I want to take it to church to share.
I’ve never tried it so I’m not sure, but I bet it could work!
Great recipe Nora. Brought to my office baked good holiday potluck. Sold out. Not sure if I had too much bread, but I’d do a little more of the custard next time. I also added a pinch of black salt to the custard to give it the eggy-ness of French toast. Highly recommend.
Hi Justin. I’m glad the casserole was a hit! Thank you for your fabulous review and feedback!
It’s Christmas Eve eve here in Australia and i just bought all of the ingredients for my favorite meal of the year!! I have been making this for the last 3-4 years and it is now a tradition in our home. My loaf is sitting on the counter getting stale for tomorrow evenings prep 😍 thanks again for the amazing recipe, Nora! We love all of your stuff, all recipes are on rotation around here
Yay! That makes me so happy! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Hi Nora
What can I substitute chia or flex egg, just egg for the tofu in the French toast casserole. If so how much do I use.
Want to make this for New Years morning
Thank you for your help and all your great recipes
Bari
Hi there, I’m not sure any of those will work actually. The silken tofu custard is quite different than flax, chia or JUST egg. You could probably make my custard recipe instead, but I haven’t tested it myself.
Amazing! I followed the directions as written. Everyone loved it, even the non-vegans!
Can I use regular Tofu? Bought the wrong kind. Thanks.
It should work pretty well.
I make this dish all the time! It’s amazing. The recipe is great as it is but often, to make it faster and avoid blending, I’ve subbed tofu for a container of just egg. I prefer to use the vegan brioche from Trader Joe’s and love adding pecans.
Thanks for sharing your great idea and review! I’m thrilled you are loving the French toast casserole!
I made this for a friends group brunch and it was the biggest hit at the party. I did a 1.5x recipe and not a single bite was left to take home. I’m the only vegan, so folks knew the dish was vegan, though I didn’t tell anyone that it has tofu so as not to get any naysayers right off the bat. Everyone said it was delicious!
A friend is allergic to almonds, so I used oat milk. I also used Trader Joe’s vegan brioche bread, which is amazing. Don’t hesitate to make this for vegans and non-vegans alike!
Hi Marcella. I’m thrilled the casserole was a hit! Thanks for taking time to share your terrific feedback and review!
How to store leftovers? And for how long?
It’s best eaten right away but the leftovers can be covered and stored for about 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Just know that the bread might become soggy after it sits.
I sprinkled crushed pecans on 1/3 and petite diced apples on 1/3 and left it as is on the last part. All were equally delicious.
Hi Kim. Yumm! Thanks for sharing your great ideas and feedback!
Do you think it would be OK to make the custard a couple days before actually using it? Can’t wait to try this!
Yes, it will work just fine to prepare it ahead of time. Enjoy!
Ugh! I forgot to add the cornstarch!! Will it turn out soggy? Just got off my night shift and missed it!
Giving it five stars because I know it will be delicious made correctly!
Let me know how it turned out for you!