Interestingly, French toast is not originally from France, despite its name. It has been around since the Roman Empire and can be found in ancient recipe manuscripts. The Romans used to soak bread in a batter of milk and egg, then fry it in butter, just like in the modern recipe. They called it "Pan Dulcis," or sweet bread. As food geeks, we find this history fascinating!
Bread
French toast is best prepared with bread with a soft yet dense crumb and a relatively thick slice (1 inch or 2.5 cm) that can absorb the batter slowly but fully and retain its shape once soaked. While sandwich bread is too soft, it can still be used if nothing else is available. We suggest using a loaf of rustic white bread, leftover vegan brioche, an Italian rustic bread loaf, or thick ciabatta bread for optimal results. Sourdough can work, too, but ensuring that the crust is essential. It's better if the bread is a day old and slightly dry, but fresh bread can also be used. If you want to make gluten-free French toast, you can substitute wheat bread with gluten-free bread.
Non-Dairy Milk
We prefer almond milk for our vegan French toast because of its naturally sweet flavor and mild almond aroma. However, you can substitute almond milk with any other plant-based milk you choose. You can try soy, cashew, hazelnut, rice, and oat milk, as they all work perfectly. So, choose your favorite and enjoy your vegan French toast!
Flour
We typically use all-purpose flour in our recipes. However, if you want a healthier alternative, you can replace white whole-wheat flour with all-purpose flour. If you're avoiding gluten, use chickpea flour or cornstarch instead. Chickpea or garbanzo bean flour gives your dish an eggy flavor and texture. We often use this flour in our egg-free recipes, such as zucchini fritters, fried eggplant, and vegan frittata. It's a wholesome and delicious option.
Sugar
We use brown sugar in our recipe, but if you don't have it or prefer a different sweetener, you can substitute it with coconut sugar, vegan white sugar, palm sugar, maple syrup, or agave syrup. We suggest using sugar instead of syrups for vegan French toast, as the sugar slightly caramelizes and enhances the texture of the toast.
Spices & Aromas
If you want to make a vegan French toast recipe, you can customize it by adding your favorite spices and aromas. But remember that since there are no eggs or butter in vegan recipes, you'll need to add more spices to compensate for the flavor loss. We recommend using vanilla extract, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg as a base. Additionally, you may add spices such as allspice, pumpkin pie spice mix, and ground cloves.
Vegan butter
You'll need vegan fat to cook French toast. We recommend vegan butter or coconut oil (if available) melted in the pan before adding toast.
Salt
We suggest adding a small amount of sea salt or kosher salt.
Toppings
You can add the topping of your choice to your vegan French toast. We recommend the following toppings:
- fresh berries and fruit
- powdered sugar
- hazelnut spread
- strawberry jam
- 100% pure maple syrup
- vegan whipped cream
Step 1:
To prepare the bread, you will need six slices of sturdy bread. We recommend cutting a one-day-old rustic white bread loaf into slices that are 2.5 cm thick. However, you can use fresh bread if you do not have one-day-old bread. Keep in mind that fresh bread will soak faster than older bread.
Step 2:
To prepare the batter, take a shallow dish that is large enough to accommodate two slices of bread. Add 1.5 cups of almond milk, 4 tablespoons of flour, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract, some grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and lastly, a pinch of salt to the dish. Whisk all the ingredients together to combine them thoroughly. This will give you a custard-like mixture that you can use to dip the bread in.
Step 3:
Go ahead, and melt 1 tablespoon of vegan butter in a nonstick skillet or frying pan.
While the pan is heating up, take two slices of bread and soak them in the liquid. The soaking time depends on the bread's age and type.
For a good minute on both sides, soak the bread until the batter is soaked deep into it. Squeeze the bread well so that it can absorb more liquid.
If you have a very soft bread, like sandwich bread, you'll only need a few seconds to soak it. Make sure the bread absorbs the liquid without getting too mushy and falling apart.
Step 4:
To make toast, transfer the bread to a hot pan and cook it on medium to low heat until it turns golden brown and becomes crispy. Then, flip the bread and repeat the same on the other side. The cooking time may vary from 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the type of bread you use. If the pan becomes dry, add more vegan butter.
The ultimate goal is to make the bread brown and crispy outside and soft and silky inside. Once the toast is ready, transfer it to a plate and repeat it until you run out of bread. Use a portion of kitchen paper to clean the pan between batches, then add more vegan butter as needed.
Step 4:
Place a slice of bread on a plate and spread some vegan butter to prepare French toast. Then, sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and place the second slice of French toast on the first sideways. Spread another knob of butter and sprinkle some more powdered sugar on top.
Finally, pour some 100% pure maple syrup over it, add a few blueberries and raspberries, and enjoy. The French toast will have a crunchy exterior, a warm, silky interior, and a cozy cinnamon-nutmeg aroma.
Interestingly, French toast is not originally from France, despite its name. It has been around since the Roman Empire and can be found in ancient recipe manuscripts. The Romans used to soak bread in a batter of milk and egg, then fry it in butter, just like in the modern recipe. They called it "Pan Dulcis," or sweet bread. As food geeks, we find this history fascinating!
Bread
French toast is best prepared with bread with a soft yet dense crumb and a relatively thick slice (1 inch or 2.5 cm) that can absorb the batter slowly but fully and retain its shape once soaked. While sandwich bread is too soft, it can still be used if nothing else is available. We suggest using a loaf of rustic white bread, leftover vegan brioche, an Italian rustic bread loaf, or thick ciabatta bread for optimal results. Sourdough can work, too, but ensuring that the crust is essential. It's better if the bread is a day old and slightly dry, but fresh bread can also be used. If you want to make gluten-free French toast, you can substitute wheat bread with gluten-free bread.
Non-Dairy Milk
We prefer almond milk for our vegan French toast because of its naturally sweet flavor and mild almond aroma. However, you can substitute almond milk with any other plant-based milk you choose. You can try soy, cashew, hazelnut, rice, and oat milk, as they all work perfectly. So, choose your favorite and enjoy your vegan French toast!
Flour
We typically use all-purpose flour in our recipes. However, if you want a healthier alternative, you can replace white whole-wheat flour with all-purpose flour. If you're avoiding gluten, use chickpea flour or cornstarch instead. Chickpea or garbanzo bean flour gives your dish an eggy flavor and texture. We often use this flour in our egg-free recipes, such as zucchini fritters, fried eggplant, and vegan frittata. It's a wholesome and delicious option.
Sugar
We use brown sugar in our recipe, but if you don't have it or prefer a different sweetener, you can substitute it with coconut sugar, vegan white sugar, palm sugar, maple syrup, or agave syrup. We suggest using sugar instead of syrups for vegan French toast, as the sugar slightly caramelizes and enhances the texture of the toast.
Spices & Aromas
If you want to make a vegan French toast recipe, you can customize it by adding your favorite spices and aromas. But remember that since there are no eggs or butter in vegan recipes, you'll need to add more spices to compensate for the flavor loss. We recommend using vanilla extract, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg as a base. Additionally, you may add spices such as allspice, pumpkin pie spice mix, and ground cloves.
Vegan butter
You'll need vegan fat to cook French toast. We recommend vegan butter or coconut oil (if available) melted in the pan before adding toast.
Salt
We suggest adding a small amount of sea salt or kosher salt.
Toppings
You can add the topping of your choice to your vegan French toast. We recommend the following toppings:
- fresh berries and fruit
- powdered sugar
- hazelnut spread
- strawberry jam
- 100% pure maple syrup
- vegan whipped cream
Step 1:
To prepare the bread, you will need six slices of sturdy bread. We recommend cutting a one-day-old rustic white bread loaf into slices that are 2.5 cm thick. However, you can use fresh bread if you do not have one-day-old bread. Keep in mind that fresh bread will soak faster than older bread.
Step 2:
To prepare the batter, take a shallow dish that is large enough to accommodate two slices of bread. Add 1.5 cups of almond milk, 4 tablespoons of flour, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract, some grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and lastly, a pinch of salt to the dish. Whisk all the ingredients together to combine them thoroughly. This will give you a custard-like mixture that you can use to dip the bread in.
Step 3:
Go ahead, and melt 1 tablespoon of vegan butter in a nonstick skillet or frying pan.
While the pan is heating up, take two slices of bread and soak them in the liquid. The soaking time depends on the bread's age and type.
For a good minute on both sides, soak the bread until the batter is soaked deep into it. Squeeze the bread well so that it can absorb more liquid.
If you have a very soft bread, like sandwich bread, you'll only need a few seconds to soak it. Make sure the bread absorbs the liquid without getting too mushy and falling apart.
Step 4:
To make toast, transfer the bread to a hot pan and cook it on medium to low heat until it turns golden brown and becomes crispy. Then, flip the bread and repeat the same on the other side. The cooking time may vary from 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the type of bread you use. If the pan becomes dry, add more vegan butter.
The ultimate goal is to make the bread brown and crispy outside and soft and silky inside. Once the toast is ready, transfer it to a plate and repeat it until you run out of bread. Use a portion of kitchen paper to clean the pan between batches, then add more vegan butter as needed.
Step 4:
Place a slice of bread on a plate and spread some vegan butter to prepare French toast. Then, sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and place the second slice of French toast on the first sideways. Spread another knob of butter and sprinkle some more powdered sugar on top.
Finally, pour some 100% pure maple syrup over it, add a few blueberries and raspberries, and enjoy. The French toast will have a crunchy exterior, a warm, silky interior, and a cozy cinnamon-nutmeg aroma.
Interestingly, French toast is not originally from France, despite its name. It has been around since the Roman Empire and can be found in ancient recipe manuscripts. The Romans used to soak bread in a batter of milk and egg, then fry it in butter, just like in the modern recipe. They called it "Pan Dulcis," or sweet bread. As food geeks, we find this history fascinating!
Bread
French toast is best prepared with bread with a soft yet dense crumb and a relatively thick slice (1 inch or 2.5 cm) that can absorb the batter slowly but fully and retain its shape once soaked. While sandwich bread is too soft, it can still be used if nothing else is available. We suggest using a loaf of rustic white bread, leftover vegan brioche, an Italian rustic bread loaf, or thick ciabatta bread for optimal results. Sourdough can work, too, but ensuring that the crust is essential. It's better if the bread is a day old and slightly dry, but fresh bread can also be used. If you want to make gluten-free French toast, you can substitute wheat bread with gluten-free bread.
Non-Dairy Milk
We prefer almond milk for our vegan French toast because of its naturally sweet flavor and mild almond aroma. However, you can substitute almond milk with any other plant-based milk you choose. You can try soy, cashew, hazelnut, rice, and oat milk, as they all work perfectly. So, choose your favorite and enjoy your vegan French toast!
Flour
We typically use all-purpose flour in our recipes. However, if you want a healthier alternative, you can replace white whole-wheat flour with all-purpose flour. If you're avoiding gluten, use chickpea flour or cornstarch instead. Chickpea or garbanzo bean flour gives your dish an eggy flavor and texture. We often use this flour in our egg-free recipes, such as zucchini fritters, fried eggplant, and vegan frittata. It's a wholesome and delicious option.
Sugar
We use brown sugar in our recipe, but if you don't have it or prefer a different sweetener, you can substitute it with coconut sugar, vegan white sugar, palm sugar, maple syrup, or agave syrup. We suggest using sugar instead of syrups for vegan French toast, as the sugar slightly caramelizes and enhances the texture of the toast.
Spices & Aromas
If you want to make a vegan French toast recipe, you can customize it by adding your favorite spices and aromas. But remember that since there are no eggs or butter in vegan recipes, you'll need to add more spices to compensate for the flavor loss. We recommend using vanilla extract, cinnamon, and ground nutmeg as a base. Additionally, you may add spices such as allspice, pumpkin pie spice mix, and ground cloves.
Vegan butter
You'll need vegan fat to cook French toast. We recommend vegan butter or coconut oil (if available) melted in the pan before adding toast.
Salt
We suggest adding a small amount of sea salt or kosher salt.
Toppings
You can add the topping of your choice to your vegan French toast. We recommend the following toppings:
- fresh berries and fruit
- powdered sugar
- hazelnut spread
- strawberry jam
- 100% pure maple syrup
- vegan whipped cream
Step 1:
To prepare the bread, you will need six slices of sturdy bread. We recommend cutting a one-day-old rustic white bread loaf into slices that are 2.5 cm thick. However, you can use fresh bread if you do not have one-day-old bread. Keep in mind that fresh bread will soak faster than older bread.
Step 2:
To prepare the batter, take a shallow dish that is large enough to accommodate two slices of bread. Add 1.5 cups of almond milk, 4 tablespoons of flour, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract, some grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and lastly, a pinch of salt to the dish. Whisk all the ingredients together to combine them thoroughly. This will give you a custard-like mixture that you can use to dip the bread in.
Step 3:
Go ahead, and melt 1 tablespoon of vegan butter in a nonstick skillet or frying pan.
While the pan is heating up, take two slices of bread and soak them in the liquid. The soaking time depends on the bread's age and type.
For a good minute on both sides, soak the bread until the batter is soaked deep into it. Squeeze the bread well so that it can absorb more liquid.
If you have a very soft bread, like sandwich bread, you'll only need a few seconds to soak it. Make sure the bread absorbs the liquid without getting too mushy and falling apart.
Step 4:
To make toast, transfer the bread to a hot pan and cook it on medium to low heat until it turns golden brown and becomes crispy. Then, flip the bread and repeat the same on the other side. The cooking time may vary from 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the type of bread you use. If the pan becomes dry, add more vegan butter.
The ultimate goal is to make the bread brown and crispy outside and soft and silky inside. Once the toast is ready, transfer it to a plate and repeat it until you run out of bread. Use a portion of kitchen paper to clean the pan between batches, then add more vegan butter as needed.
Step 4:
Place a slice of bread on a plate and spread some vegan butter to prepare French toast. Then, sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and place the second slice of French toast on the first sideways. Spread another knob of butter and sprinkle some more powdered sugar on top.
Finally, pour some 100% pure maple syrup over it, add a few blueberries and raspberries, and enjoy. The French toast will have a crunchy exterior, a warm, silky interior, and a cozy cinnamon-nutmeg aroma.