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Perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, this easy vegan French toast is full of sweet, delectable flavors. We bet you won’t even be able to tell it’s completely free of eggs and dairy!
Let’s get brunchin’.
Table of Contents
📖 About
Funny enough, French toast actually dates back to way before France was even a country! Apparently, it was invented in medieval times and enjoyed all across the Roman empire.
Sooo, why is it called French toast again?
There are tons of theories on how it came to be French toast, but we won’t bore you with an extensive history lesson. Only one thing matters at the end of the day; if it’s delicious or not!
In our plant-based version of this classic weekend breakfast, we use banana, ground flaxseed, and cornstarch to create the perfect crispy exterior. Fragrant cinnamon and vanilla wrap you up in a warming blanket of flavors. And, a touch of extra cane sugar helps to really caramelize the outside of each slice.
Neither of us had made a French toast recipe since going vegan, but something was just calling us to create one. Maybe it’s childhood nostalgia. Maybe we were just craving something a little more fancy and decadent.
Whatever the case, if you’re anything like us, we know you’re going to absolutely die for this super duper easy vegan French toast!
🍲 Key ingredients
- Rustic bread: arguably the most important part of French toast is the variety of bread used. Some key points to remember, especially for vegan recipes, are as follows: choose a sturdier, rustic-style bread, make sure your slices are fairly thick, and day-old or slightly stale bread will turn out less soggy. We personally love the taste of sourdough in this recipe, but ciabatta, French baguettes, brioche, or challah work great too (just make sure the last two are for sure vegan).
- Cinnamon: using cinnamon is key to a great French toast recipe!! While it’s cooking, your senses will be sent to a place of sugar and spice, and everything nice (well, at least that’s where we end up). If that’s not enough, cinnamon contains powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial compounds, which are extremely beneficial to your health. So, sprinkle away!
- Vanilla: ahhh, happiness in a bean. How was such a creation so brilliantly made? We have no idea, but we love vanilla. With complex notes of clove, raisin, and cocoa, we believe it’s what gives this recipe a little something extra. We always recommend using pure vanilla extract rather than artificial stuff because it makes a huge difference in the overall taste.
- Banana: along with the cornstarch and ground flaxseed, banana acts as a binding agent to replace the eggs typically used in French toast. The natural sugars also help to caramelize the outside of each slice, which makes for an incredible flavor.
🔪 Instructions
To start, mix all batter ingredients in a blender on high until you have a smooth consistency. Then, transfer your mixture to a shallow bowl big enough to fit the slices of bread.
Let the batter mixture rest for 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat some coconut oil or vegan butter in a non-stick frying pan or griddle on medium. It’s very important to have a non-stick pan for this recipe since the batter is fairly sticky.
Next, dip each slice of bread in the batter for 6-8 seconds on each side. Be careful not to soak it for too long to prevent soggy French toast. Transfer the bread to a pan, and cook on medium for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
Pro-tip: when you flip slices to the second side, put a lid over your pan for best results.
Serve immediately with coconut whip, fruit of choice, coconut yogurt, or maple syrup on top for a delicious breakfast or brunch.
🌡️ Storage
This French toast is best when eaten immediately after cooking. But, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 1-2 days in plastic wrap or a plastic baggie.
You can also freeze leftovers by separating each slice with wax paper, then storing it all in a heavy-duty freezer bag. They will keep for 1-2 months if frozen properly. To reheat, place slices in a toaster or toaster oven on a low setting for 2-3 minutes to crisp up.
💭 Budget tips
We think everyone should be able to eat better for less, so here are a few tricks to make this recipe even more affordable:
- Use a cheaper vanilla extract or if you must, use artificial
- Use vegetable oil rather than coconut oil for cooking
- Get some regular old white bread instead of the boujee sourdough
🍴 Tasting notes
We promise you won’t miss eggs or milk in this delicious recipe. It’s:
- Sweet
- Crispy on the outside
- Tender on the inside
- Satisfying
If you try this for breakfast (or dinner), please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
Easy Vegan French Toast
Equipment
- High-speed blender
- Shallow bowl
- Non stick frying pan
Ingredients
Bread
- 6-8 thick slices sourdough or other rustic bread ($1.34)
Batter
- 1 cup coconut milk ($0.54)
- ½ large ripe banana ($0.10)
- 2 tbsp corn starch ($0.05)
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds ($0.04)
- ½ tbsp cane sugar ($0.01)
- 1 tsp vanilla ($0.20)
- 1 tsp cinnamon ($0.04)
For Cooking
- 1-2 tbsp coconut oil or vegan butter ($0.12)
For Serving optional
- Vegan butter
- Maple syrup
- Fruit, peaches, strawberries, sliced banana, etc.
- Coconut whip or yogurt
Instructions
- To start, mix all batter ingredients in a blender on high until you have a smooth consistency. Then, transfer it to a shallow bowl big enough to fit your bread.
- Let the batter mixture rest for 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat some coconut oil or vegan butter in a non-stick frying pan or griddle on medium. It’s very important to have a non-stick pan for this recipe since the batter is quite sticky.
- Next, dip each slice of bread in the batter for 6-8 seconds on each side. Be careful not to soak it for too long to prevent soggy French toast. Transfer the bread to a pan, and cook on medium for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
- After you flip the slices the first time, put a lid over your pan or griddle so the inside properly cooks. Alternatively, you can also bake the slices after they're done cooking in the pan. If you do this, bake them on 300°F for an extra 4-5 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Serve immediately with coconut whip, fruit of choice, coconut yogurt, or maple syrup on top for a delicious breakfast or brunch.
Notes
- Optional ingredients are not reflected in the price or calories of this recipe.
- It’s best to use sturdy, rustic bread for this recipe to prevent sogginess.
- You can also use slightly stale, or day-old sandwich bread.
Nutrition
♻️ Similar recipes
For more tasty breakfast recipes, check out our:
- Perfect vegan buttermilk pancakes because your breakfast needs to get better, much better.
- Chocolate chip banana oat waffles if you want a hearty, filling, and sweet start to the morning.
- Strawberries and cream overnight oats if you prefer waking up and putting in no effort to cooking.
- Blueberry pie oatmeal for those of you that need meals that taste like you’re eating a dessert.
💬 FAQ
We personally love the taste of sourdough in this recipe, but ciabatta, French baguettes, brioche, or challah work great too. Just make sure the last two options are for sure vegan since they are traditionally made with animal products.
These can be made oil-free; however, you will need a very good non-stick pan as the batter is sticky. You can also try skipping the frying portion, and just baking the toast. We haven’t done that though, so we aren’t sure how much the results will vary.
To prevent soggy French toast, we recommend submerging the bread for only a few seconds in the batter. Also, cook on medium heat to allow the slices time to cook on the inside, while perfectly browning on the outside. If the heat is too high, the outsides will burn before the inside is done.
