There is a comforting feeling about a stack of bread battered and cooked until it’s golden brown and topped with too much maple syrup. That is Sunday morning perfection, in my mind. This Dairy Free French Toast takes a classic breakfast to the next level. The pecan cinnamon-sugar sauce will knock your socks off. It makes for all the cozy vibes you need on your weekend mornings.
Why You’ll Love This Dairy Free French Toast
- The outside gets nice and crispy but the middle stays nice and soft
- This is eggless french toast AND dairy free so my vegan friends can enjoy
- Use whatever bread you want with this recipe, gluten free, spelt or wheat
- The cinnamon sugar sauce on top makes this french toast extra decadant and just a little fancier than your average french toast (but it is totally optional- as it makes it a little less healthy)
How to Make Eggless French Toast
French toast without eggs? Is that even a thing. It sure is! And no one will miss them in this gluten free french toast. So what does this recipe use to help mimic the texture and taste of regular french toast? It’s a combination of chia seeds, arrowroot powder and plantbased milk. You still soak the bread in the batter for a few minutes until it has absorbed some of the moisture. Which in the end is what gets this eggless french toast that perfectly crispy outside with a softer and flavourful inside.
What Bread Can You Use For This Dairy Free French Toast
The bread you choose is your call. If you have a favourite type of gluten free bread use that. I’ve tested it out on gluten free bread and spelt bread but not wheat bread (although I think wheat bread would work fine with this recipe too).
I first tested this recipe with a local organic spelt bread that I buy quite often and it turned out perfectly. I also tested it with gluten free bread from The Little Northern Bakehouse, which turned out really nicely. Although for gluten-free bread I typically buy one from a local bakery I wanted to test one that would be more available to everyone. I got the Little Northern Bakehouse from my local health food store, Nature’s Fare.
Keep in mind when you are making this dairy free french toast gluten-free that gluten free bread tends to be quite starchy. So it’s important to cook it at medium-low heat. I think maybe from all the starches used in a gluten free loaf, the outside will crisp up nicely but the inside remains soggy if you don’t cook it this way. So word to the wise, low temperature and a few teaspoons of coconut oil will fry your gluten free french toast up to perfection.
here are a few reasons why I love this dairy free french toast, so listen up!
- This dairy free french toast is a straightforward recipe to follow for such a fancy outcome. And as a baker’s hint, if you have two pans on the go at the same time, your cook time will be cut down!
- This eggless french toast is super easy to double if you have more people coming for breakfast. It’s pretty hard to mess up the batter as you just throw everything in a shallow bowl and mix. Then dip the bread in and let it soak for a few minutes. Easy Peasy.
- The cinnamon roll pecan topping is totally optional. But it takes this gluten free french toast recipe to the next level. This topping is what puts the cinnamon roll in cinnamon roll french toast. So you probably shouldn’t skip it. This topping is sweet, creamy and loaded with the delicious flavour of cinnamon. It is to die for.
Looking For More Gluten Free Breakfast Ideas? Try These
This dairy free french toast usually happens on the weekend. It starts the weekend with a little self-meditation in the kitchen. It slows down the craziness of the week and starts my Saturday or Sunday off right. So treat yourself with a little extra cinnamon and a little extra sugar this weekend, you deserve it.
Dairy Free French Toast with a Cinnamon Sugar Sauce
Ingredients
french toast batter
- 1 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch of nutmeg
- coconut oil for frying
- 6 large pieces of bread of choice (gluten free/spelt/wheat)
cinnamon roll pecan topping
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk (from a can)
- 1/3 cup pecans (chopped)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Mix all the french toast batter together in a shallow dish so the bread can lay flat. "Batter" should be very liquidy.
- Preheat the oven to 250ºF and place a baking sheet in the oven (for the toasts to stay warm). Heat a large pan over medium heat (if using spelt or wheat bread) AND MEDIUM LOW for gluten free bread. The reason being, gluten free bread is quite starchy so you need to cook it at a lower temperature for a few more minutes so the outside doesn't get overly crispy before the middle has cooked. If the outside cooks too fast you'll be left with a soggy middle.Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan. Option to have two pans on the go to speed along the process. Each piece of bread takes about 5 minutes per side to cook in a hot pan.
- Add the bread to the batter to soak for a few minutes. Enough time for the bread to absorb some liquid. If using gluten free bread, the bread will get super soft and that's ok. Place in the oiled frying pan and cook until golden brown on the underside. Carefully flip and cook until the other side is golden brown (roughly 5 minutes/side).
- I would suggest adding 1-2 teaspoons coconut oil in between each new round of bread in the pan to avoid sticking. When pieces are done, pop them in the oven on the baking sheet to stay warm as you continue to cook the next round.
Cinnamon Sugar Sauce (optional)
- While the french toast is cooking begin to make your cinnamon sugar topping. Add 2 tbsp of coconut oil to a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Once melted, add the coconut sugar and the coconut milk. Whisk together. Then bring the mixture to a boil. Boil until the mixture has become thicker (2-5 minutes) Make sure to whisk every so often so it doesn’t stick to the pan. Once the sauce is thicker, lower the temperature and add the pecans, vanilla and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- Top french toast with the cinnamon pecan topping, coconut whip (see notes), and/or maple syrup.
Notes
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MMMMMM…. this is going to be on the Christmas holidays menu!
ooo yes, christmas morning, yes please
Okay, you got me. When I look at this French Toast I am inches away from becoming a Vegan…Or at least, trying some of these recipes. I’ll let you know how it turns out…
haha happy to hear some of the recipes are catching your eye 🙂 good luck with the cooking!!