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.
Hi Nora, I live in a small town in Spain and I can’t find silken tofu to save my life. Can I substitute or use firm instead? I found a few other vegan recipes for French toast casserole, but to be honest you’re my go-to these days for my vegan cooking. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Charmaine! I think you could use regular tofu, yes. Make sure to only use 12 ounces, and you may need to add a bit of water or non-dairy milk if the mixture is too thick to pour. Hope that helps! Thank you for enjoying my recipes! ?
Thank you for yet another awesome recipe Nora! I just made this today. I started it yesterday and it sat in my fridge for more than 12 hours but it was fine. I made it with bread I found at Sprouts. It’s just a simple “Banana Walnut Bread” by The Bagel Brothers. The texture of it is more like regular bread. I made sure to get day old bread. Then it sat in my kitchen for two more days. I made the recipe with only organic brown sugar because it’s all I had in the house. I turned out AMAZING!!! I didn’t even put any syrup or powdered sugar on top because I didn’t have powdered sugar and I didn’t feel like it even needed syrup. It’s SO good! I definitely will make this again for the next potluck brunch! I might consider putting coconut and pecans in the topping for more of a Praline effect… Oooh yum!!
Hi Janis. I’m glad you loved the casserole! It sounds like the bread you used was perfectly dried out! Thank you for sharing your review and comments! Your suggested topping sounds amazing!
Love love loved it! I make a french toast casserole for Easter every year but I went vegan since last year. Made this one this year. Absolutely delicious! This site is my go to for recipes now
Hi Nancy! Thank you for taking time to share your great review! I’m thrilled to hear that Nora Cooks is your go to site for recipes! Thank you, and happy cooking!
Nora,
We switched to a more plant based diet over a year ago on our doctors recommendation and your website has been my bible. You have nailed the vegan family friendly fare! Thank you! I made this recipe for Easter and It was delicious. I wonder if you have any ideas on how not to dry out the top pieces? I’ve always had that issue with French toast bakes and can’t find a suitable remedy? Otherwise- thank you so much for everything you do!
Hi Sarah, I’m so happy to hear you have been enjoying my recipes since you made the plant based switch! I’m certainly all about the family friendly recipes. 🙂 Let’s see, I like how the top pieces get crispy actually, but you could bake it for a little less time, that will help those top pieces stay softer if you prefer. Hope that helps, thank you!
This was very tasty! I toasted the bread in the oven at 300 for 15 minutes stirring twice and then I stirred the custard mixture with the bread cubes and refrigerated over night. It was a little too sweet for our taste, but I know it’s supposed to be a sweet french toast. We just don’t usually do such sugary meals for breakfast. This is more like a dessert, like bread pudding to me. Next time I might try cutting down on the sugar for a less sweet option.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, feel free to cut back on the sugar as desired. 🙂
I made this and the regular kind with eggs and everyone loved the vegan version better….bravo…thanks for sharing…
Hi Kelley. Thank you! I’m glad the casserole was enjoyed by all!
Seems like EVERY DAY I end up back at your blog because whenever I’m looking for a recipe answer to this new vegan journey, you always have the answer! :O) I have a recipe for an overnight baked french toast that I thought maybe silken tofu could be swapped for the 6 eggs, but that’s a lot of eggs to replace & I wasn’t feeling very confident. But alas, here’s your recipe! Woohoo!! Thanks for your hard work & creativity!
Hi Jenbro. I appreciate your comments. I’m glad to know the information on my blog is helpful to you! I appreciate you using my recipes, and for taking your time to share! Happy cooking!
Do you think it would be ok to substitute light coconut milk for the full fat?
I haven’t tried it but I think it will probably be okay!
Oh my goodness! This is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. So easy to make and super filling. A real crowd pleaser. Thank you so much for yet another winning recipe!
You’re welcome!
Merry Christmas! I made this for Christmas morning, and it was delicious. Very good flavor. The topping really ties everything together :))
Does this have a coconut flavor? I’m afraid it might with a whole can of coconut milk.
I don’t think it does, but if you really dislike coconut you might think so.
The custard tastes like rice pudding to me. No coconut taste at all. And I looove rice pudding.
I’m not vegan, but I needed an egg free breakfast bake and this fit the bill. It’s absolutely delicious and easy. No one I served it to could tell there was tofu in it!
Thank you, Erycca! I’m glad you love the casserole recipe! I appreciate you sharing your review!
Made this for an early Christmas gathering and everone in my family loved it.
I made it and baked right away and it turned out great. I also added a side of blueberry compote to spoon on top. I had a cold piece the next morning and could really taste the cinnamon sugar crumble. Yum!
Is it possible to substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar?
That should be fine.
Could I prepare the custard 1-2 days in advance without adverse effects? Bringing this for Christmas breakfast, but want to prepare ahead of time
Yes, that will work just fine to prepare it ahead of time. Enjoy!
I made this for Thanksgiving brunch. It was amazing!
I am not a fan of vegan butter. Any ideas for a substitute? Olive oil?
Olive oil might taste a little strong, but any other oil would work that is neutral tasting. Thanks!
I can’t wait to make this for my family! French toast and french toast casserole? You are amazing!
This was amazing! I am a big fan of french toast casserole and was looking for a vegan option for my normal recipe since I recently started eating plant based. I was blown away by how delicious this was. The only thing I added was some vegan cream cheese before adding the custard.
Sounds like a delicious addition!
How many people does this recipe feed? Thank you!
About 8 people, depending on how hungry they are. 🙂
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.
Just made this and subbed the cashews as suggested since we didn’t have silken tofu on hand and it worked perfectly! 🙂
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!