Vegan French toast (without flaxseed or chia)

The smell of vanilla would waft all the way downstairs, where I was playing Super Mario on the Nintendo.

While making it one morning, she told me that French toast batter is basically eggnog with raw eggs, vanilla, milk, sugar, and spices.

Little did I know that many years later I’d be reaching back into that memory when I made eggless French toast on my own using homemade vegan eggnog.

(No flaxseed or chia here!)

Even if it’s well past the winter holidays, it’s easy to make vegan eggnog at home using ingredients that are available all year ‘round. Feel free to make a half batch to suit your needs!

For obvious reasons my vegan eggnog leaves out the eggs and dairy-based milk, but it’s still a great vehicle for French toast!

It has the slightest hint of egginess from an optional pinch of kala namak (also known as black salt).

The nog is so luxuriously thick, it holds up well to dipping bread.

Then it’s cooked in a skillet with non-dairy butter until it’s toasty brown on each side.

Finished with maple syrup, powdered sugar, and berries, it’s worth putting Mario on hold while you dig in to brunch.

(It would also make a terrific Christmas morning breakfast or Easter brunch!)

In this post:

For vegan French toast, I recommend a mildly flavored bread like French boule or sourdough. You can also use white bread. Trader Joe’s even sells vegan brioche now!

You can make it gluten free by using your favorite gluten free bread.

While I love a good hearty whole wheat bread for sandwiches, it’s not the best option for French toast. It has too much flavor that competes with the spices & doesn’t let them shine.

Save the whole wheat for a toasted breakfast sandwich.

For best results, use a loaf of bread that’s at least a day old.

Slightly stale bread stands up to soaking better than very soft bread that may become soggy.

Some people like very thickly cut French toast. Others prefer thinner slices, so that they can eat more of them.

I use a standard sandwich-sized thickness.

If you decide to do a very thick slice, you’ll want to soak the bread for longer on each side, so that you get as much flavor as possible.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy vegan French toast recipe.

Vegan eggnog: It’s easy to make vegan eggnog all year ’round, not just Christmas time. It’s made with a base of raw cashews, non-dairy milk, dates, and a few simple seasonings.

That being said, if you’d prefer to pick up a container of vegan eggnog at the store, that works too.

Non-dairy butter: Use whatever vegan butter you prefer, like Miyoko’s or Earth Balance.

Bread: I recommend French boule, sourdough, or vegan brioche. (Vegan brioche is now available at Trader Joe’s.)

For best results, use a loaf of bread that’s at least a day old.

Toppings: Ground cinnamon, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and/or strawberries.

Here’s how to make the recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

Put homemade vegan eggnog in a shallow bowl, wide enough for a slice of bread.

(Store-bought vegan eggnog would likely work fine too.)

Dip each slice of bread into the nog for about 4 seconds on each side.

Add each slice to a warm skillet with melted non-dairy butter. Top with a sprinkling of cinnamon.

(Depending on the size of your skillet, you’ll likely need to work in batches. Don’t dip the bread until there’s room for it in the skillet.)

Cook the bread slices in the skillet for about 4 minutes on one side, until browned.

Then flip, sprinkle with cinnamon, and cook another 3 minutes, until golden brown on both sides.

As they finish, move each slice to a serving plate.

Continue cooking until all of the French toast is done.

Remember to add extra non-dairy butter to the skillet between batches.

Finish the vegan French toast with any of the following toppings:

• Maple syrup
• Powdered sugar
• Halved strawberries and/or whole blueberries
• Vegan whipped cream
• A little vegan butter

French toast is best when it’s fresh. So be sure to serve it hot.

Since French toast leans to the dessert side of the brunch equation, I like to complement it with something savory & satiating.

Plus, that drizzle of maple syrup on top plays very nicely with all manner of vegan breakfast meats like seitan bacon, sausage, and ham.

You’ll love plant based French toast with any of these vegan breakfast recipes:

• Vegan frittata
• Cast iron breakfast skillet
• Tofu scramble
• Silken tofu scramble
• Crustless mini vegan quiche

📖 Recipe

Vegan French toast

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 3 votes

When you need an ultra-cozy brunch, vegan French toast is a winner every time. It's made by dipping bread into homemade vegan eggnog. Then it's browned in a skillet and finished with optional toppings like strawberries, powdered sugar, and/or maple syrup.

Serve with a side of seitan bacon or veggie sausage for a sweet & savory combo.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: brunch recipe, christmas breakfast

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup vegan eggnog plus more if needed
• ▢ 2 to 3 Tablespoons non-dairy butter divided
• ▢ 8 slices bread French boule or sourdough
• ▢ Sprinkle of ground cinnamon
• ▢ Dusting of powdered sugar optional topping
• ▢ Drizzle of maple syrup optional topping
• ▢ 8 strawberries halved, optional garnish

Instructions

• ▢
  Pour vegan eggnog into a shallow bowl, wide enough for each slice of bread.
• ▢
  Bring a non-stick skillet to a medium heat. Put in 2 teaspoons of non-dairy butter, and let it melt.
• ▢
  Dip a slice of bread into vegan eggnog. Let it soak on one side for about 4 seconds, flip, and soak for about 4 more seconds. Then move it to the buttered skillet, and top with a dash of cinnamon.
• ▢
  Continue soaking each bread slice in eggnog, adding it to the skillet, and sprinkling with cinnamon until the skillet is full.
• ▢
  Cook the bread for about 4 minutes on one side until nicely browned. Then flip, add a dash of cinnamon to the other side, and allow it to cook for about 3 minutes more until browned on both sides. Move the fully browned French toast to a separate plate.
• ▢
  Add another 2 teaspoons of non-dairy butter to the skillet. Continue dipping and browning all of the remaining bread slices until all of the French toast is done.

  Depending on the size of your skillet & bread slices, you may need to make several batches. Add two teaspoons of non-dairy butter (or more if needed) to the skillet every time you start a new batch.
• ▢
  Once all of the French toast is done, put it on four plates with two slices per person. Finish with any or all of the optional toppings: a drizzle with maple syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, and halved strawberries.

  French toast is best when eaten right away. Serve hot.

Notes

This recipe works best with a mildly flavored bread like a French boule or sourdough. You could also use white bread, if you prefer. I don’t recommend a grainy bread or whole wheat, because it will compete with the flavor of the vegan eggnog. 

For best results, use bread that is at least a day old. Slightly stale bread stands up to soaking better than soft fresh bread.

I slice the bread the width of sandwich bread. If you prefer a thicker slice, you may want to soak each slice a little longer in the vegan eggnog for maximum flavor.

The size of the bread slices + the amount of time you soak them will affect how much vegan eggnog you need. Add more to the bowl if you run out.

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Nutrition

Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 337mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg