Vegan French Toast

This vegan French toast recipe is full of flavor using simple ingredients! Whip it up as an tasty way to start the day.

Craving French toast but want it plant-based? Try this Vegan French Toast recipe! Turns out, can you easily skip the eggs in this classic breakfast recipe without the need for fancy ingredients. That’s right: no egg replacers: just simple ingredients you already have on hand! The texture and flavor come out perfect: gooey, custardy, and lightly crisped on the outside, spiced with cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg. Our family couldn’t resist this one (and no one missed the eggs). Ready for all our secrets?

Ingredients in this vegan French toast recipe

The main ingredient in French toast that makes the custardy texture? Eggs. Eggs can be difficult to replace in vegan recipes because they have multiple functions: they act as a binder and add a rich texture and flavor to dishes. Many vegan baked good recipes use a flax egg as the binding agent, and often vegan breakfast recipes use tofu as a stand in for scrambled eggs. Luckily with French toast, you don’t have to use either! Here’s what you need for vegan French toast:

• Oat milk or almond milk: Either work! We prefer oat milk in vegan recipes because it’s creamier and richer-tasting than almond milk.
• Coconut oil or vegan butter: Either work here! Use unrefined coconut oil for a hint of coconut flavor, or refined for a neutral flavor.
• All-purpose flour
• Sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Salt
• Sourdough bread

Why it works

The custardy texture of French toast can be achieved with simple plant-based ingredients instead of eggs: non-dairy milk, flour, and coconut oil. The milk stands in for the liquid, the oil adds richness to the flavor, and the flour adds a fluffy texture to the exterior of the bread. These simple ingredients make a convincing stand-in for the real thing. While it lacks a bit of the richness of the standard French toast, it’s unnoticeable if you’re not comparing both side by side.

Best bread for vegan French toast

What’s the best bread for vegan French toast? Sourdough bread. Sourdough bread has a naturally firm texture and a slight tang to the flavor. It’s our top choice for French toast, and happens to be vegan.

Other types of bread that work here? Use any style of vegan artisan bread in the bakery section of your grocery store. We prefer an artisan bread since it has a sturdier texture than sandwich bread. If you like, you can also use vegan sandwich bread; it will have a mushier texture. Make sure to avoid challah and brioche bread, which contain eggs.

How to make vegan French toast

Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, making vegan French toast is nearly identical to making the standard version. Here’s what to do:

• Whisk: In a wide shallow bowl or container, whisk together milk, coconut oil, flour, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and kosher salt.
• Dip: Preheat a griddle over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegan butter. Soak each side of 4 slices of bread in the milk mixture for 10 to 15 seconds. Try not to oversoak the bread or it will become mushy.
• Fry: Place the bread on the hot skillet and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, until browned. (As a note, vegan French toast takes longer to brown than standard French toast, so it make take longer than you expect.)

Vegan French toast toppings

The best way to serve French toast is a simple drizzle of pure maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar. But you can get more creative, too! We personally love it drenched in cinnamon sugar a la this cinnamon French toast. Here are a few ideas for vegan French toast toppings:

• Cinnamon sugar: Toss both sides in cinnamon sugar (go to cinnamon French toast)
• Fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries
• Fresh fruit like apples, bananas or pears
• Fruit sauce like Blueberry Sauce, Raspberry Sauce or Strawberry Sauce
• Compotes like Strawberry Compote, Blueberry Compote, Raspberry Compote, or Peach Compote
• Whipped cream: try vegan whipped cream

More vegan breakfast ideas

Looking for more plant-powered inspiration? Here are a few vegan breakfast ideas you’ll enjoy:

• Make a Vegan Breakfast Sandwich
• Go for fan favorite Banana Baked Oatmeal
• Try Magic Breakfast Cookies
• Mix up an Easy Tofu Scramble
• Opt for Go-To Vegan Pancakes

01

Banana Baked Oatmeal

02

Magic Breakfast Cookies

03

Go-To Vegan Pancakes

04

Vegan Breakfast Sandwich

This vegan French toast recipe is…

Vegetarian and vegan.

Print