There’s nothing better than a warm plate of french toast for brunch, except maybe a plate of this tasty Vegan French Toast Casserole! This breakfast casserole is so filling, sweet, and is filled with delicious cinnamon & raisin flavors. This eggless french toast casserole would be a comforting, easy brunch on Easter, Mother’s Day, or even Father’s Day. It uses less than 10 ingredients and takes less than an hour to make!
what you’ll need
For this recipe, I’m actually using my day-old hot cross buns from Easter weekend. So I guess this is technically a hot cross bun french toast casserole. They’re basically cinnamon raisin bread which means they add extra flavor to this french toast casserole! However, you don’t need to use hot cross buns to make this recipe. You can use your favorite day-old bread. Day-old bread is best since it won’t get as soggy when soaking in the custard. I recommend using thick, high-quality bread like brioche or bakery-style sourdough. If you have it, I definitely recommend using cinnamon raisin bread!
the custard
To make this eggless french toast casserole, you’ll need to make a custard for the bread to soak in. This custard adds sweetness, moisture, flavor, and all-around deliciousness to the casserole. I’m using banana as the base of this casserole (since it’s egg-free) for extra sweetness, but you can substitute the same amount of Just Egg if you’re not a fan of banana flavor. The ingredients you’ll need for the custard are:
- mashed banana, or sub Just Egg
- almond milk
- vanilla extract
- pure maple syrup
- ground cinnamon
- cornstarch
- melted vegan butter, (optional, omit if oil-free)
the icing
I topped my casserole off with a vanilla bean icing for a touch of extra sweetness. This icing is definitely optional and makes the casserole more dessert-like instead of a brunch dish. For the icing, you’ll need:
- powdered sugar
- almond milk
- vanilla bean paste, or extract
making the vegan french toast casserole
the batter
To make this vegan breakfast casserole, the first step is to cube up your bread and lay it out onto a baking sheet in a single layer. Then the next step is to make the custard! You’ll combine all of the custard ingredients (except for the melted butter) together in an 8”x8” square baking pan. Add in the bread cubes and stir the mixture until all the cubes are evenly coated in the custard mixture.
It’s best to let the bread cubes soak in the mixture for at least 30 minutes so they absorb all of the flavors. If you’d like to soak the casserole overnight, cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. Be sure to let the casserole come to room temperature before baking it.
baking the casserole
Before baking the casserole, pour the 1 tbsp of melted vegan butter onto the tops of the bread cubes. This step is optional but helps the top layer get extra crispy. Then, bake it uncovered for 35-40 minutes at 350F until it is slightly golden on top.
I like to serve this french toast breakfast casserole warm with a drizzle of maple syrup. You can also top it with fresh berries (tart raspberries are my fav!), powdered sugar, or any of your other favorite toppings!
tips, tricks & breakfast casserole faq
I recommend subbing the same amount (230g or 1 cup) of Just Egg for the base of your custard.
I’m using day old hot cross buns in this recipe, but you can use any thick, high quality day old bread. I recommend using cinnamon raisin bread since it will add more flavor to the casserole. You could also use day-old vegan brioche or a thick sourdough.
To make this an overnight recipe, pour the custard over the bread, cover the casserole and place in the fridge overnight. Let the casserole come to room temperature before baking. If you decide to let the custard soak overnight, be sure to use crusty, day-old bread otherwise the casserole may become mushy.
Looking for more tasty vegan breakfast & brunch recipes? Check out the ones below!
Pumpkin Spice French Toast
Vegan Cranberry Babka
Vegan Ube Cinnamon Rolls
Fluffy and Crispy ‘Buttermilk’ Belgian Waffles
Almond Blueberry Biscotti
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to know! Leave a comment & rating below!
Vegan French Toast Casserole
This cinnamon raisin vegan french toast casserole is sweet, warm, easy to make, and a delicious brunch or dessert. Top this tasty breakfast casserole off with a vanilla bean icing, maple syrup, and/or fresh tart berries.
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Vegan Hot Cross Buns, (about 400-500g) cut into ½” cubes, or sub your favorite day-old bread- this is about 5-5 1/2 cups
Custard:
- 1 cup mashed banana, (230 g) about 2 ripe bananas, or sub Just Egg
- ¾ cup almond milk, or another dairy free milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp melted vegan butter, (optional- omit if oil-free)
Icing:
- ½ cup powdered sugar (48g)
- 2 tsp almond milk
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste, or extract
Instructions
- Combine all of the custard ingredients (except for the melted butter) together in an 8”x8” square baking pan.
- Add in the bread cubes. Stir the mixture until all the cubes are evenly coated in the custard mixture.
- Let the cubes soak in the mixture for at least 30 minutes. If soaking overnight, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Pour the 1 tbsp of melted butter onto the bread cubes. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes until it is slightly golden on top.
- Serve warm. Top with berries, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or any of your other favorite toppings!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1/8 of recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 450
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